The Next "Greatest Generation"?

Some of you may remember this post from June 10, 2004, more than six months ago now.  I felt it was applicable to todays entry and so I reposted it.  I didn't have time to re-edit it, so please bear with any mistakes.  Thanks.

The talk has already begun among men and women in the United States, from the President to the more conservative members of the Fourth Estate, referring to those of us here in the field, and those back at home as America’s newest “Greatest Generation.” In fact, the Sergeant Major of the Army, spoke in April at Fort Bragg, NC, and told the soldier their, “You are the next ‘Greatest Generation.’ Be proud of your service to your nation.” Sergeant Major of the Army Preston is a capable man, a man worthy of great reverence for his service to our country and his statements carried a great deal of weight with me. While I feel the sacrifices demanded for the whole of this generation are far less than those of the previously titled “The Greatest Generation,” I do want to express some thoughts I have had recently on it.

The Greatest Generation faced a period of difficulty in the Depression only to escape from that dark era united behind of front of freedom and dedication to ending WWII. The sleeping giant was once again awake and a generation of young men and women were united in a cause. They epitomized duty, honor and selfless service. When they came home from the War, they celebrated together, and then settled down to start families and contribute to their communities. Our generation on the other hand, was raised in relative privilege compared to the Depression, technology made everything simpler, we were more apt to play video games than do homework and were more keen with computers than cars or farm equipment. Most began understanding politics when Bill Clinton was president. There were no fireside chats to spur on the American public and inform them of what their government was doing, the nightly news exhibited confessions, both true and false, from the baby boomers in our Presidential Administration, and cynicism came to govern every aspect of life. Seinfeld and the Simpson’s were possibly our favorite shows. Both shows prey on the sarcasm and cynicism of our society and bring a sense of irony to even the most mundane of daily activities. In the midst of all this, there appears a generation of American’s who, against the grain of many of their parents or maybe thanks to them, are making life changing sacrifices on the field of battle, or in their education and home life, to serve their country so far from home.

In their book entitled, Millennials Go to College and Millennials Rising Neil Howe and William Strauss outlined some interesting notes on those “babies of the eighties.” The Kansas Star shared this:

"They are optimistic, team-oriented and they closely resemble the `Greatest Generation' that fought World War II," said Howe, a Yale-educated historian who is considered one of the nation's leading experts on generations and historical cycles. "They are planners and goal-setters."
"They feel like they are special," Howe said. "They have been treated that way by their parents, by the government and the school system. They are team players who tend to be conservative and much more cautious than previous generations."

Indeed, we are all here for different reasons, but the banner of freedom is still here for most of us, and we are united in the same spirit of our grandparents. Camouflage poles are used to erect flags outside of tents, and the stars and stripes send an eternal message of destiny to every soldier. Honestly though, it is not just those of us in our late teens and early twenties who have decided to bare this burden in uniform, it is an entire segment of the American population dedicated to its soldiers, to a policy of utilizing freedom to end the newest form of fascism and terrorism to surface in the world.

It seems to be in a simple analysis of dates, that every half century in American history (give or take a few years) has opened opportunities to imprint upon the American spirit images of greatness. The Revolution, begun in 1776, certainly produced one of the most amazing generations in history. Nearly 50 years later, the courage at the War of 1812 inspired Francis Scott Key to compose the Star Spangled Banner. Less than 50 years from that early re-assertion of independence and destiny, the American Civil War was waged, and in all the sacrifice of human life and property that occurred, another great generation was born in blood to promote freedom for all. Out of the Spanish American War, the epic of the “Rough Riders” helped propel an American President into the auspicious territory of folklore and legend, and yet out of the death and destruction and sacrifice of the First World War, “The Greatest Generation” rose to the challenge of defeating fascism and imperialism in the promotion of and self-preservation of American republicanism. And yet, 60 years from the invasion at Normandy and D-Day, another generation has risen to the challenges of self-preservation under the banner of the War on Terrorism. It is in this history that we are told that there are those among us composing before the eyes of the American public the latest, greatest generation in American history.

Clearly, one such reason can be the sheer size of this conflict and the numbers of citizens involved in it. With 135,000 soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 30,000 in Afghanistan, and tens of thousands of others guarding freedom’s outposts in Korea and Germany, a great deal of effort is going into re-shaping the world and its view of human capabilities for self-rule and human dignity. It is not in the numbers however that we are gaining recognition, rather it is the spirit of our Armed Forces and the manner in which they fight (an “All Volunteer Force”), and a sense of the general public on the home front. Reservists, for example, are expected to serve their country in the same capacity as active duty soldiers in theater, spending a year or more away from home, away from their families and their civilian jobs or schools. The American public is asked to be vigilant, to keep their eyes on the home front to defend against any terrorist acts, if need be in the way those brave American’s sacrificed themselves over a Pennsylvanian field.

In many ways, it places more of a burden on my self-conscious when I hear talk of what we are doing here in Iraq and beyond in the War on Terror as being the actions of a great generation. It takes the rigmarole of the daily activities and immediately places every decision into a historical perspective. Is this something that would make my grandparents proud, is this something that will make my grandchildren proud? Being guided by conscience and acting upon that conscience spurs men and women to behave justly, but bearing the cross of greatness leads men and women to behave on a scale that is almost messianic, saint-like. It places an immense responsibility on our shoulders that what we do here today determines the safety of American’s tomorrow: that each step of progress guarantees that safety, and that each regression is a detriment to that safety. Moments like Abu Ghraib become especially painful, exceptionally disgusting, and the good things, the “thousand points of light” that occur each day become the expectation. This is in no way a gripe that great things are expected, for when greatness is the goal, greatness will generally be achieved.

Despite the overriding interest of self-preservation in ending terrorism or at the very least crippling it, there truly is an over-all theme of freedom and democracy that echoes throughout the halls of Congress and the public American debate. At least in the Presidential campaign, it is not a matter of whether the war should continue, but a matter of technique. The idea of freedom in the Arab world is not hotly contested, but is an accepted idea among the leading presidential candidates. Most American’s see the need for self-rule among the Arab peoples, and do not see them as incapable of establishing republican governments and recognizing human rights. In fact, it can be argued that the Arab world is more ready for freedom than Germany in the post-war era. After all, there was no liberation of Germany, only a deafening defeat and condemnation for their lack of vigilance in allowing Hitler’s meteoric rise to power. The power struggle in the Arab world has been one where oppressed peoples simply have transitions into new oppressive governments.

Together, the sacrifices by many American’s in joining the War on Terrorism, and the dream of democracy established and defended by Americans whether through their election of leaders who support such efforts or their own efforts in military service, are shaping this country’s next greatest generation.

It is a lofty measure to hold us up to, but it is a title I will proudly bear in the decades to come if we continue in our efforts. To meet the challenges of our times and secure a victory in the clash of civilizations means that another threat to freedom has been squashed and freedom’s bell will chime in a new corner of our world. Let us bear the title in the future, but please be reserved in your judgments today We have a great deal to accomplish and the road is still long and filled with potential conflicts. I would argue that we let the next generation recognize our actions for what they were once history has played its course. It is in this that we will be measured by the ruler of historical analysis, and it is then that I hope that the process I am apart of today will measure up.

(Incidentally, I am not trying to say that the challenges overcome by our soldiers in Korea and Vietnam were not laudable, they were indeed amazing. The political culture and the social culture back home however did not foster the sort of “generational” impacts that had happened in WWII. Perhaps our soldiers of that time were The Toughest Generation for overcoming an enemy on the battlefield and mis-directed hatred at home.)

Comments

[Choicemaker]

IRAQ: WELCOME GENERATION-CHOICEMAKER

Man is earth's Choicemaker. He is by nature and nature's
God a creature of Choice - and of Criteria. His unique and
definitive characteristic is, and of Right ought to be, the
natural foundation of his environments, institutions, and
respectful relations to his fellow-man. Thus, he is oriented
to a Freedom whose roots are in the natural Order of the
universe.

an American Choicemaker

[AirForce Zoomie]

I would argue that every generation within America's history is indeed the "greatest generation", as we are truely a great nation and it would not be possible to be here 'lest it be for the several diverse generations preceeding us. I find it unfair to define a particular generation as the "greatest generation" because it takes a collective whole to get the job done. You need a balanced left to your right... and that can't happen unless we're all here

[WoomoJeobre]

Speeks the truth in my eyes what do you all think?
Don't Take The Children To the CInema