Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
When I was growing up the old guys were WWII vets, our grandpas to us kids. I can remember different times hearing or being told by the son of one that those guys hated the government.
And not like how the average joe hates the government but something deeper. Upper Midwest rural area.
Can anyone comment on that? I am aware that although post war is viewed as a great period, there was as always the typical bank/crooked government/stock market savagery.
from how it was discribed to me before, the soliders were taught to be distrustful of people outside their command structure... the army taught well so why would this thinking turn off after the war ended?
When I was growing up the old guys were WWII vets, our grandpas to us kids. I can remember different times hearing or being told by the son of one that those guys hated the government.
And not like how the average joe hates the government but something deeper. Upper Midwest rural area.
Can anyone comment on that? I am aware that although post war is viewed as a great period, there was as always the typical bank/crooked government/stock market savagery.
That's just silly. There were over 16 million WW2 veterans at one time. How can you generalize based on being told something by one person. In contrary and totally opposite to what this one guy said, I would say as a whole, returning to victory from two hard fought theaters of war, this group of veterans was probably the most patriotic generation of US history.
It was more than one person but yes. That whole thing was worded poorly, I was trying to get it off as I was running out the door for work.
What I was getting at, was there a wide sense of betrayal or something felt by certain segments of vets, or maybe it was regional as this was farm country so it could have had to do with farm programs or something....
I was under the impression that these feelings developed in the years after the war, not during it.
It was more than one person but yes. That whole thing was worded poorly, I was trying to get it off as I was running out the door for work.
What I was getting at, was there a wide sense of betrayal or something felt by certain segments of vets, or maybe it was regional as this was farm country so it could have had to do with farm programs or something....
I was under the impression that these feelings developed in the years after the war, not during it.
Perhaps you are thinking about WW1 veterans and the Bonus Army movement of the early 30s? Now that's worth a topic.
Otherwise, my previous comment stands.
Nope, never saw it from WWII vets. Tears in their eyes, wave the flag vets? Nah. Why would they?
Agree WWI bonus vets had reason to feel cheated.
Maybe clarify person's reasoning to see what that person meant and if it had anything to do with WWII. and if you mean love of government or love of country.
It was somewhat complicated. The majority of veterans were not bitter at the government and in fact received very generous benefits such as free college tuition and low interest loans to buy first time homes. Then there were thousands of black American servicemen who came back to a strictly segregated society with few opportunities for advancement.
There were also significant numbers of other servicemen who were wounded or were POW's who had issues with the government. PTSD was generally not recognized as a legitimate medical problem and those with mental problems went without treatment.
Many servicemen who were prisoners of war especially in Southeast Asia and Japan were treated very badly by the government with little or no treatment for post war medical conditions that were caused by hard labor, malnutrition and mental and physical abuse. The government even legally barred prisoners who were used as slave labor in Japan to sue the Japanese for damages.
From the war diary of a family servicemen, he was deeply devoted to the allegiance of our defense. To the point that his vitrol for foreigners stayed with him upon return. His wife and children endured his outburst.
I read the entries as our one family member is highly esteemed in his works on our family geneology.
Must say this view was more common as we read his letters to his other surviving service men. Some of their debauchery while overseas was dispicable. Particularly when they had wives at home. Guess they truly believe this was fair since they were in war. And all is fair in both realms.
I sensed he had experienced some heinous crimes and suffered the effects. His military awards never quite justified the loss's of his platoon mates...
It was more than one person but yes. That whole thing was worded poorly, I was trying to get it off as I was running out the door for work.
What I was getting at, was there a wide sense of betrayal or something felt by certain segments of vets, or maybe it was regional as this was farm country so it could have had to do with farm programs or something....
I was under the impression that these feelings developed in the years after the war, not during it.
When you get a chance, watch the movie, The Best Years of Our Lives. It won best picture for 1947 and appears to be pretty accurate dealing with this topic.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
