The Greatest Generation

On June 6, 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave a speech in France that some have ranked as one of the best of his political career.  On that day, the fortieth anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy, President Reagan gave tribute to the warriors who secured Pointe du Hoc.  Point du Hoc was a cliff that overlooked the Utah and Omaha beaches and had been fortified by the Germans with heavy guns.  U.S. Army Rangers, after a dangerous beach landing and strenuous climbing under murderous fire, finally succeeded in securing the cliff.  This amazing story is told in marvelous detail by Douglas Brinkley in his book, The Boys of Pointe du Hoc.  Brinkley also shares some interesting background stories about Reagan’s speech.  While Reagan commemorated a specific event in the invasion, some mark that speech as the beginning of a renewed appreciation for all World War II veterans.

Someone who covered Reagan’s visit to Normandy that year was NBC News anchorman Tom Brokaw.  Impressed by the speech and inspired by the stories of aging veterans, Brokaw began documenting the experiences of the generation of Americas who survived the Great Depression and won the Second World War.  Tom Brokaw’s book, The Greatest Generation, was published in 1998 and quickly became a best seller.  In the years that followed, Brokaw received a great number of appreciative letters from not only veterans, but from their families as well.  It seemed that everyone wanted to share their experiences or tell the story of a loved one who never made it home.  Brokaw compiled several of these missives into another book called, The Greatest Generation Speaks, in hopes that we could all share in appreciating their duty, honor, and sacrifice.  A third book, An Album of Memories, soon followed and it helped to tell even more stories of those who lived through the trying times of the 1930’s and 40’s.  This scrapbook of Americana contains not only fascinating stories, but also memorabilia and personal photographs that make those stories come alive.

In 2004, the National World War II Memorial was completed and officially dedicated.  This memorial, set on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was built to salute American men and women who served and sacrificed in the armed forces and civilian population during that time period.  Some have criticized that it took the government too long to acknowledge the World War II generation and that a large segment of the population did not survive long enough to see it.  Because so many of that generation continue to pass away every day, a strong push has been made to get the surviving men and women to the memorial before it’s too late.  The 2012 film, Honor Flight, documents the story of how one community came together to raise the funds to get its veterans to the memorial.  I challenge anyone to watch that movie and make it through the entire show without tearing up.

If you’ve known a member of the Greatest Generation or are lucky enough to still have them around, take a moment today to appreciate their courage and sacrifice.  If you happen to be a member of that generation, please accept my sincerest thank you.  Stop by a branch of the Rowan Public Library to learn more about the members of the Greatest Generation.