GeneV Loc: Lampasas, Texas

CHILDREN OF THE GREATEST GENERATION

Born in the 1930's to the early 1940's, we exist as a very special age group.

We are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900's.

We are the last generation, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and the impact of a world at war which rattled the structure of our daily lives for years.

We are the last to remember ration books for everything from gas to sugar to shoes to stoves.

We saved tin foil and poured fat into tin cans.

We saw cars up on blocks because tires weren't available.

We can remember milk being delivered to our house early in the morning and placed in the “milk box” on the porch.

We are the last to see the gold stars in the front windows of our grieving neighbors whose sons died in the War.

We saw the 'boys' home from the war, build their little houses.

We are the last generation who spent childhood without television; instead, we imagined what we heard on the radio.

As we all like to brag, with no TV, we spent our childhood "playing outside”.

There was no little league. There was no city playground for kids. Soccer was unheard of.

The lack of television in our early years meant, for most of us, that we had little real understanding of what the world was like.

On Saturday afternoons, the movies, gave us newsreels sandwiched in between westerns and cartoons that were at least a week old..

Telephones were one to a house, often shared (party Lines) and hung on the wall in the kitchen (no cares about privacy).

Computers were called calculators, they were hand cranked; typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon.

The 'INTERNET’ and ‘GOOGLE’ were words that did not exist.

Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and the news was broadcast on our radio in the evening by Paul Harvey.

As we grew up, the country was exploding with growth.

The G.I. Bill gave returning veterans the means to get an education and spurred colleges to grow.

VA loans fanned a housing boom. Pent up demand coupled with new Installment payment plans opened many factories for work.

New highways would bring jobs and mobility. New cars averaged $2,000 full price.

The veterans joined civic clubs and became active in politics.

The radio network expanded from 3 stations to thousands.

Our parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into exploring opportunities they had never imagined.

We weren't neglected, but we weren't today's all-consuming family focus.

They were glad we played by ourselves until the street lights came on or Mom called us for supper.

They were busy discovering the post war world.

We entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where we were welcomed, enjoyed ourselves and felt secure in our future.

Although depression poverty was deeply remembered.

Polio was still a crippler.

We came of age in the 50s and 60s.

The Korean War was a dark passage in the early 50s and by mid-decade school children were ducking under desks for Air-Raid training.

Russia built the “Iron Curtain” and China became Red China.

Eisenhower sent the first 'Army Advisers' to Vietnam.

Castro took over in Cuba and Khrushchev came to power in Russia.

We are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our homeland. The war was over and the cold war, Muslim terrorism, “global warming”, and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life with unease.

Only our generation can remember both a time of great war, and a time when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenty, we lived through both.

We grew up at the best possible time, a time when the world was getting better not worse.

We are "The Last Ones".

More than 99 % of us are either retired or deceased, and we feel privileged to have "lived in the best of times"!

paulhw Loc: Los Angeles

My wife and I, and our friends (those still around) are from these times. We have discussed many of the things you wrote, and consider ourselves the luckiest generation, having seen both the horrible (WW II) and the best (the end of the war and what happened to make us the nation we used to be until the changes of the past number of years). Yes, there are a very few of us left, like the service people who served in WWII we become fewer and fewer each year. We accept this reality without regrets of any kind.

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

I take my hat off to all the members of the Greatest Generation. For my high school alumni newsletter I did some research on the classes 1938 - 1942 and found in West Virginia, at least my county many of the seniors dropped out to enlist and of those that returned some were given high school graduations certificates with only a brief exam and others had to attend classes for a brief time but the educational system found ways to get certificates to them to get them into the work force and thank them for their service. I have a couple that are personal friends and admire them greatly for what they did and for what they are now! Great men of character! You don't want to take a knee around them!

dancers Loc: melbourne.victoria, australia

this includes my man and me!

JoAnneK01 Loc: Lahaina, Hawaii

Born in '43, I do remember about 06^ of all this. Rationing is one thing I can remember my mother talking about. I always waited for the milkman to make his delivery as we were one of the last house's on his route and he would always give us a qt of chocolate milk if he had one. My Dad never did talk about the war even when some of his friends came over. Still have some friends, recently I had met several survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack, and they are talking about that infamous day and the days following. I do admire these great men and all who have served.

le boecere

Gene, I don't think I've seen this version before. It's golden; and filled with memory "triggers". I just forwarded it to a few dozen CHILDREN OF THE GREATEST GENERATION. _Van

jcboy3

That's supposed to be the "Silent Generation".

Sirsnapalot Loc: Hammond, Louisiana

Thanks for posting, we went from radio to computer, today's world would be beyond my grandparents comprehension.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

Born in '36 - Hear! Hear!

jcave Loc: Cecilia, Kentucky

Gene, if my estimates are correct, the greatest generation was having children right up until the 1960’s.

trackmag

Here in Central Texas this guy born in 43 still likes to see a WWII vet every now and then. Nothing like them. I grew up
sitting in front of the radio with my two brothers. First TV in 54. Spent 67-71 in Navy after four years of college. Still working because I have had the best job in the world since 71. The 50s and 60s weren't perfect . . . unless you compare them to today.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

All true, but I was a 1942 baby, and I remember many of those things--we were dirt-poor farmers at the time.

machia Loc: NJ

People born up into the mid 1960’s share a lot of the same values and have similar memories .
Today the kids are lost . Most of them anyway . It’s a complete departure from reality in so many ways . They’re in for a big surprise . Reality has a way of biting you .

PRETENDER Loc: Micanopy,Florida

One of my fondest memories was getting to delivered milk on a cold Michigan morning and getting the cream that had popped out of the bottle from the cold. Every bit as good as ice cream. I will be 80 in a couple of weeks. Never would have guessed I would still be here.

machia Loc: NJ

Happy Birthday ! 80 is the new 70 !
Wishing you good health and happiness . My wife’s Mom just turned 96 and she’s in better shape than me ! Lol
Have a great day .