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The Greatest Generation

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The Greatest Generation
It had been a turbulant twenty years for our young American and the worst and the best we've yet to come. On December 7th 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Across America on that Saturday afternoon the stunning news from the radio electrified the nation and changed the lives of all who heard it.

The young Americans of this time constituted a generation birth marked for greatness. A generation of Americans that would take it's place in American history. It may be historically premature to judge the greatest generation but indisputably there are common traits that cannot be denied. It's a generation of towering achievement and modest demeanor. A legacy of their formative years when they were participants in and witnesses to sacrifices of the highest order.

Tom Brokaw, the author of"The Greatest Generation" illustrates that "I think this is the greatest generation any society has ever produced". With such a bold statement, and a sweeping judgement, since then he has restated it on my occasions. While he is periodically challenged on premise, he believes he has the facts on his side.

Yet he doesn't have facts, he has opinions that help build up from his foundation of his statement. Many are from people who had lived during World War II. They tell how the war had impacted on their lives. What they think about their "Generation".

Martha Settle Putney stated (pg. 185) "I knew when World War II approached it would be a terrible thing but afterward I was so grateful...It provided opportunity." Daniel Inouye believed the same thing as he stated (pg. 349) " The one time the nation got together was World War II. We stood as one, we spoke as one, we clenched our fists as one.

Even though he may think since they were going through such a terrible phase in life, and was able to come together and win one of the hardest wars ever see Johnnie Holmes concludes "It is my country right or wrong none of us can ever contribute enough." (Pg. 193) Saying that

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