The Greatest Generation

I have always been impressed with the GI Generation.

These are folks that went off to war in a completely different era that we did. We do 365 days; they were in it "for the duration". They went to war in troop ships that took weeks to get the the combat zone; we fly in chartered civilian planes (some of us first class!). They waited for weeks for mail, sometimes months; we have email, webcams, telephone calls, and we complain when our packages take longer than 10 days to get to us. They went years without seeing loved ones or new babies; we get 15 days R&R and emergency leave, if needed. We have body armor, live in trailers, watch DVD's, listen to ipods, and play video games; they went into the German forests in winter wearing summer uniforms.

When the war was over and they saved the world, they went home and built the world we know.

I get emails from a friend from that generation named Betty. Betty's fiance was gone for four years. She worked for two of those years at Love Field. When I emailed her about my respect for her generation she replied,

"Not a very long note this time around....but just want to say in regard to your comments that I certainly don't think you have it easier than vets of WWII did...you have a completely different set of horrific things to deal with over there....I don't think any of the vets would want to trade with our servicemen and women of today..and most of us, I'm sure, do not like the idea that you're all exposed to so much danger from the radical factions that are at work in this world today. No easy answers."

That kind of attitude is what makes them still the Greatest Generation.

So, thanks to the Bettys, and all others in her generation, who have paved the way for those who follow behind.

God Bless,

Jim