Yes, the generation of soldiers that fought in WW2 was a great generation. But greatest might be hyperbole. 60% of them were drafted, and many of those that weren't drafted joined the Navy to keep from being drafted into the Army - many said so, even, including my father. In fact, he encouraged me to do likewise, and I ignored his advice to my detriment.
A wise man once said heroes are made, not born. Situations will frequently occur to which people will rise against. But they still remain human. A great generation is called that because it rose to an occasion, a danger, that presented itself. I would submit that ALL generations are capable of that.
I would submit that those who accompanied Geo. Washington through eight years of war with Great Britain constituted a "great" generation as well. Yet they were gripers, complainers, rapscallions, insubordinate, thieves, liars, etc., just like many were in my infantry unit in Vietnam, which was close to 100% draftee. And I've read enough history to know human nature fell at the Fall and has gotten no better since. Or worse.
Some of the Vietnam vets tried to join VFW units upon their return but were ridiculed by the members of the "greatest" generation for having LOST their war while they, the "greatest," WON theirs. I know more than a few who pointed out that it was their generation, the "greatest," that provided nearly all of the leaders for the Vietnam war. If a military unit is not performing, the troops don't get replaced. The leaders do.
It did not sit well, of course. I am a life member of the VFW, but at large, and that is one reason. May have changed by now.
Those who "saw the elephant" during the Civil War, or any other war, were also from great generations. Yet they had to be cajoled and threatened many times to stay the course. And desertions were rampant on BOTH sides.
The sad thing about many of those living today is that they are welcoming fascism from within. They are not only not fighting it, as the greatest generation did, they are embracing it. They are crediting the man taking us there as being a great businessman, constantly thinking outside the box and trying new things.
He is naught but a great con man. His business ventures have resulted in multiple bankruptcies, consistently issued grossly fraudulent financial statements (proven in court, and he even admitted to it saying they included a "worthless clause" on which he was complimented by other businessmen - hogwash of the first order), and if anybody can think of the name of even one publicly held company that would ask a man like Donald Trump to serve on its board I'd love to hear it.
Banks generally believe that customer submitted financial statements are broadly accurate, recognizing that there could be some wishful thinking in a few places. But to have a customer tell them, as Trump says he did, "these financial statements are worthless - do your own research" is not what banks encounter routinely. And they didn't encounter it from him. (The main part of "doing your own research" is, after all, asking questions of the customer and making him sign a statement asserting the answers are true and correct to the best of his knowledge and belief. These banks all did that.)
Yet Trumpworld continues to believe everthing that comes out of this man's mouth, even when it is 180 degrees opposite of something he said earlier. Trumpworld is a "twilight zone," which is defined as "a state of mind between reality and fantasy; a dreamlike or hallucinatory state."
Trump may not be an outlier, but at least Enron and WorldCom and others of that ilk did pretend to have audits done by what was once the premier auditing firm in the world, Arther Andersen, which broke up faster than a poorly made wooden ship in a category 5 hurricane as a result. (BTW, the Trump Organization has never had an audit or even a "review" by a CPA firm. It would not hold up to that level of scrutiny.)
As Ben Franklin said (this is the gist, not the actual wording) "our greatest enemies are within." And as Pogo said "we have met the enemy, and it is us." I think most members of the greatest generation would be appalled were they still alive.
Glynn Kegley is a Rankin County Northsider.
