And let's face it: at the end of the day, we did not fight World War II to save the Jews from Hitler. Sure, it was a nice benefit, but we no more did it for this reason than we went into Afghanistan to build schools.
My sole surviving grandfather managed to make his way through a concentration camp (Jasenovac) dressed as a little girl. Otherwise, he would have been killed. My other grandfather? I have no idea. For all I know he could have been a guard there.
My great uncle was one of four Fleet Admirals (five stars in a circle on his collar) in the history of the Navy. <a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_Admiral_%28United_States%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_Admi ... _States%29</a> That generation is awesome, and I'm glad to have met as many of them as I have. I also visited the USS Missouri when it was in Bremerton every summer when I was a kid. My great uncle and the Missouri were the two reasons I joined the Navy.
The "Greatest Generation" as a term is good old-fashioned, Tom Brokaw, History-Channel American bullshit. We don't talk about vets from Vietnam, Korea, Iraq or any of the other conflicts we've been in since 1945 with the same respect, and that shit has got to stop. The generation of Americans that grew up during the Depression and fought WW2 deserve our respect and admiration for what they sacrificed. There is no mistaking that. However, they did some pretty awful shit later in life. Anyone recall the 1970's as being a particularly inspiring time for Americans? Or how about the fact that if you were not a white, Christian, heterosexual male, chances are the Greatest Generation made your life a living hell after the war? Appreciate the sacrifices, but don't gloss over the fact that the "Greatest Generation" had more than their share of responsibility in running this place into the ground through arrogance, ineptitude, prejudice and greed. Also, keep in mind that they were scared shitless of the Nazis, the Commies, the Japanese and any other perceived threat that could be turned into propaganda. Both my grandfathers served on Navy ships during Korea, and my godfather was in the South Pacific during WW2 on a navy boat. I fervently admire these men for what they did for their country. They were heroes, but they had their shortcomings, just like anyone else.