The Shadow of War

1. The Shadow of War Chelsea Mohr

2. Thesis Although the image of World War II may be overly glorified, the sense of American spirit and unity was key to the war effort, and is essentially what Americans should remember about the time period.

3. The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw • The generation born in the 1920s was born into a booming, promising America. They experienced many ups and downs, including the Great Depression, before landing in WWII. Although they seemed to have been promised an ideal life at birth, they made tremendous sacrifices for the war effort. • WWII was the most critical time period in America; it shaped the workplace, culture, and roles in society. • This period "converted the North American wilderness into the United States." • It is because of the spirit and sacrifice of the American people that the US won the war, and is the nation that it is today.

4. Support of Brokaw's View • Saving Private Ryan • A troop of Soldiers, led by the brave Captain Miller, set out on a risky mission to find Private Ryan, whose 3 brothers have just been killed in war, to bring him home to his mother. • Caparzo and Wade, two soldiers on the mission, die in their selfless search for Ryan. • When they finally find Private Ryan, he does not want to leave his troop, even to go home to his mother. He would rather stay and fight the war with his comrades. • This movie exemplifies the all-for-one attitude held by WWII soldiers. They were brave, selfless, and represented the American spirit of unity. • We should remember the war this way in order to cherish the sense of American oneness that drove soldiers to fight the war, and finish it until it was won.

5. Support of Brokaw's View • The Naked and the Dead - Norman Mailer • A group of young marines - Stanley, Red, Croft, Brown, and Martinez - are stationed on a boat, about to enter battle. • They discuss the hardships of being away from home, as well as the terrible living conditions on board. • Despite the difficulties, the soldiers still support the war effort. They were scared of fighting, but were willing to put their lives at risk for the benefit of the nation. • Mailer provides a very real perspective on WWII, and we are able to understand that while the war wasn't easy, the soldiers felt that it was worth it and genuinely believed in the cause.

6. Best War Ever - Michael CC Adams • America is disillusioned with WWII. • Americans only focus on the patriotic aspects of the war, which may be falsified, and forget about the "gruesome truth." • Women and Americans at home during the war may have eaten up pro-war propaganda too much. • In order to prevent history from repeating itself, we need to know the truth.

7. Support of Adams' View • Kelly's Heroes • Soldiers who have come across a large lot of gold use their new riches to influence others to support tasks separate from the war, unfocused on the common effort. • Made in the 1960s, this movie shows that people in the 'hippie' time period were untrusting of soldiers, and viewed the WWII period as corrupt and dishonest. • From this, we are swayed to remember WWII soldiers as sleazy and selfish, tarnishing the heroic light that we see soldiers in today. This disrespects the hard work and sacrifice that many put into the war.

8. Support of Adams' View • Catch 22 - Joseph Heller • Yossarian, Dunbar, the Man in White, and the Texan are all in an Army hospital during the war. Yossarian and Dunbar pretend to be sick in order to stay in the hospital, avoiding their war duties. • The soldiers are portrayed as deceptive and immature, as Yossarian and Dunbar team up against the Texan by accusing him of murdering a black soldier in the ward. • Published years after the war ended, Heller portrays his characters as fed-up with the war effort, and focused on their own needs. It makes us believe that the soldiers didn't care about the war effort and only wanted to hide, making men of that era seem weak and scared.

9. Why? The Greatest Generation was published in 1998, and expresses that this era holds the best view of WWII. This was a time of strong security for the nation, so it was a time of positive attitudes towards past wars. Brokaw illustrates American heroes in a way that all Americans want to see. We want to know that the war was won because the nation stood together. If we were to only view WWII as a negative, gruesome time of history, the American spirit would be forever tarnished, and the national unity would fail to rise up again in a time of need. If Americans know that heroes made a difference for the nation in the past, they will be quick to do so again in the future.