With all due respect and glory to the vets of WWII (whichever side they fought for), but does anyone else, especially the Civil War and WWI bufs, think that the title “The Greatest Generation” maybe not warranted?
Those guys in the US Civil War, marching by the tens of thousands into what was almost certain death, and yet doing it again and again; and the French, Commonwealth, German, Russian and, to a lesser degree, American, doing the same in WWI seems to me to be pretty impressive.

We make a great thing of the D-Day invasion - yet US causalities weren’t really that great. The truth is that most of the US servicemen and women really didn’t know much about world affairs and were simply doing what they thought was expected of them. My own mother, who is an educated woman, was a teen during WWII and constantly amazes me as to how little she knows of how world events related to cause and fight the war.

I’m sure others can add to my examples (the Napoleonic Wars?). It seems to me if you put it all in perspective “The Greatest Generation” was any generation that went to war, which is pretty much any human generation.

Each generation has always lifted up their heads and done their duty when required, due to changing tactics the casualty rates may have changed but the spirit of the fighting forces is still there.

Originally Posted by muscogeemike

I’m sure others can add to my examples (the Napoleonic Wars?). It seems to me if you put it all in perspective “The Greatest Generation” was any generation that went to war, which is pretty much any human generation.

Why does the "Greatest Generation" have to be one that went to war?

Originally Posted by MontyB

Why does the "Greatest Generation" have to be one that went to war?

“Ask any man what he has done to make his life worthwhile - the best will say I’ve served (in the military).” JFK

Originally Posted by muscogeemike

“Ask any man what he has done to make his life worthwhile - the best will say I’ve served (in the military).” JFK

That isn't really an explanation, if you were to look at the period just prior to the depression you would find the likes of Alexander Flemming, Albert Einstein and many of the world greatest scientists and thinkers who have shaped the world ever since.

If you were looking purely at America surely the greatest generation would have been one that produced the likes of Jefferson, Washington, Adams etc.

There is no doubt about the bravery of those who went into the second world war but were they any greater than those that went into the first world war or any other war?