We are not the “Greatest Generation” ...

[Mark Allen M]

... that survived the Great Depression and triumphed over Hitler and Tojo. For many of us those were our fathers, mothers, uncles and aunts, and for others much younger those where their grandfathers and grandmothers etc.

We may remember World War II as a period of patriotism and solidarity. But the years leading up to the war were marked by deep social and political rifts that may sound familiar today. As we again face the threat of a deadly – if faceless – enemy, what can we learn from the last time Americans banded together to confront a crisis?

Fast forward to today. Health care workers clashing with anti-lockdown protesters. Members of Congress arguing over safety measures. And debates around public health that map out over racial, socioeconomic, and ideological lines.

In today's age of hyperpartisanship, it seems not even a worldwide pandemic can bring Americans together. If anything, the crisis appears to be intensifying existing divides.

But this isn’t the first time the U.S. has faced a global emergency while wrestling with deep internal divisions. We often remember the World War II era as a period of fervent patriotism and national unity, but the country back then was also confronting serious social and political rifts around race, the economy, and America’s role in the world.

There are some important differences: World War II supplied clear enemies to rally against in Nazi Germany and Japan, while the coronavirus is faceless and invisible. We are also more divided along partisan lines today, and trust less in government and institutions than we did under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Still, we didn’t go into World War II a united nation. The recognition, in a bipartisan way, of a dangerous common enemy brought us together.

2022 is a few days away and we all are familiar with how great things can be achieved when we work together or when we stand together. So much is possible when we prioritize unity. Therefore it is so important to promote and maintain unity in order to lead a happy and successful life. You cannot achieve your goals all alone, you need the support of people around you to help, and that is what diversity and unity is all about. We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.



Here's a New years request to those who are interested. Spend some time reviewing the attached Flickr link I posted below. Not only are the photos rare, but they also clearly show unity in the face of unimaginable hardship and sacrifice.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/122923075@N06/

[JohnB]

While I don't dispute the accomplishments of "The Greatest Generation"...
just remember people can rise to the occasion to meet any adversity.

That generation had its share of bums, today's generation has its share of heros.

[quemerford]

That generation had its share of bums, today's generation has its share of heros.

Agreed, but it feels like the gap has grown. Anyhow thanks for posting the link Mark. Someone has obviously been very busy!

[Mark Allen M]

That generation had its share of bums, today's generation has its share of heros.

Agreed, but it feels like the gap has grown. Anyhow thanks for posting the link Mark. Someone has obviously been very busy!

And agreed as well. Although the "Bums" of yester year were self-made bums. A great majority of Bums today have been made by a saturation of social media propaganda and 24 hour news propaganda.

[p51]

People love to gloss over history.
Nobody today seems to know that FDR was hardly loved by all, nor was going to war against Japan a popular thing among all Americans, even after Pearl Harbor.
Plenty of people still declared it was 'their' war and not ours.
They also seem to forget the shirkers, cowards, deserters, black marketeers, thieves and murderers.
Every generation has good and bad. The times dictate things for the most part and after the fact, we tend to gloss over history as a 'one size fits all' mindset.
Just tell anyone who has seriously studied the US in the 1860s and ask about that war being only about one purpose...

[phil65]

You know what Pappy said about bums..

Phil

[Tim Savage]

How is this relevant to this forum?

[BigGrey]

How is this relevant to this forum?

I agree and it seems only one person is allowed to post political content and I don't really care to see it.

[quemerford]

I don't see it as political at all: just a commentary on the state of things, and relevant to the photo link posted.

[Mark Allen M]

It’s relevant to wishing a Happy New Year. It’s relevant to wishing unity in 2022. It’s relevant for wishing everyone good health in 2022. It’s relevant in showing in photos what a United country can achieve under horrific circumstances. It’s as relevant as wishing WIX members Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas or Happy Warbird Day.

And it’s my way of doing it.

Those who want to twist it into something else?!!! … have at it!.

[JohnB]

People love to gloss over history.
Nobody today seems to know that FDR was hardly loved by all, nor was going to war against Japan a popular thing among all Americans, even after Pearl Harbor.
Plenty of people still declared it was 'their' war and not ours.
They also seem to forget the shirkers, cowards, deserters, black marketeers, thieves and murderers.
Every generation has good and bad. The times dictate things for the most part and after the fact, we tend to gloss over history as a 'one size fits all' mindset.

You can't be suggesting people look at history in context?!

That goes against today's credo of every subject, no matter how complex or nuanced,must be dumbed down to fit on a bumper sticker...or smaller. Plus everyone who disagrees with you, no matter how minor, must be a bad guy, or bigot.
Preferably both.

[p51]

You can't be suggesting people look at history in context?!

I know, how freaking stupid of me, huh?

That goes against today's credo of every subject, no matter how complex or nuanced,must be dumbed down to fit on a bumper sticker...or smaller. Plus everyone who disagrees with you, no matter how minor, must be a bad guy, or bigot.
Preferably both.

Yep, just ask anyone who's seriously (and impartially) studied the American Civil War.
These days, it's been boiled down to a single cause and if you even suggest there was a lot more to it than that, terrible things will happen to you, career-wise and personally.

[Mark Allen M]

This past couple of years has been a roller coaster of emotions and events. With a lot of incorrect information pushed to the masses to keep us in doubt, in fear, and not questioning or researching properly. In some ways, the world has reverted back to the atmosphere of WWII where they ratted on their neighbors and lived in fear because the propaganda at the time was pushed on them to have one point of view. If that point of view was questioned, then the consequences could have been deadly. History repeating itself.

In speaking with kids and observing posts by younger people on social media – it is clear that the concept of historical context has not been taught in school. If it has, then it was a 5 minute discussion. The majority of young people today are offended by anything that doesn’t fit within the narrow view of life they’ve been programmed to believe is real.

[lmritger]

In speaking with kids and observing posts by younger people on social media – it is clear that the concept of historical context has not been taught in school. If it has, then it was a 5 minute discussion.

THIS. This, this THISITY THIS.

A lot of y'all know I'm very active with living history - not necessarily "reenacting", because I'm not trying to chip dried mud out of the receiver of a Garand, or suffering from dysentery, or trying to impersonate a specific personality, etc. We see our role as a way to give our visitors a glimpse of what their forebears would have experienced in a forward-deployed environment- how they lived, the gear they'd use on missions, the equipment they'd use around the base, and so forth. And we try to make it a hands-on thing... you'd be amazed how effectively people start to connect the dots when you hand them a piston out of a 3350 and explain there were 72 of those bas+ards banging away on each B-29 that ranged over the Pacific in 1945... they start to understand the scope and scale of the technology involved. Or I'll hand them a B-3 strike camera intervalometer, which weighs 12 pounds just by itself, and show them the BC-348 radio receiver which weighs around 25 pounds, and the visitors begin to understand WHY we needed such big engines, because all that necessary equipment weighed so much, and you needed a lot of power to carry that in the air. It's also incredibly useful to show them these things, then compare them to my cellphone which can do everything those items can do - and it weighs like 10 ounces or something. Peoples' eyes light up when they start to put these things in CONTEXT - they start to connect the dots, and understand not just the WHAT, but the WHY behind something like the B-29.

I'm super excited about my latest item that got here just after Christmas - a very well known figure in the Warbird world (I'll name him if he wants) donated a used R-2800 jug which I'll have in the camp to let folks examine. This cylinder will help us talk about maintenance in the muddy fields of New Guinea, or how the fine coral dust of Bougainville would tear up the engines of Corsairs, meaning the ground crews were constantly working to keep their planes flying. That's the context we seek to provide, and I think we've been pretty successful with it so far... I'm looking forward to doing even more of it this year.

Cheers,

Lynn

[Mark Allen M]

Lynn you don’t post enough. Happy New Year to you and your family.