When I was young, I stayed most weekends and summers with my grandparents. They had a small vegetable garden near Atlanta that had been in the family for 2 generations by then. I would hear family talk about my grandfather’s time as a soldier in the European theatre of World War II and his brother’s as a plane mechanic and painter for the Navy. Sometimes their friends would share stories about their own experiences overseas, but it wasn’t until a high school project had me interviewing the person who meant the most to me that my grandfather really shared his own stories. My grandfather, Wyndal Carter, started his time in Europe with the 777th Tank Battalion under (then) Lieutenant General Patton. He marched through an already battered France, then Germany. He served as a watcher who looked for piano wire trip lines and snipers looking to destroy their tanks and Jeeps. And he saw things no person should ever have to later in his career when he participated in the liberation of concentration camps and a POW prison camp. He quietly answered my questions, and shared artifacts with me that he was allowed to bring home from war like a Nazi flag that had flow at one of the camps, and copy of Mein Kampf in German picked up in an officer’s quarters in the prison camp. My grandfather never spoke of his time in the service after that day and I am honored that he trusted his memories to me.
The Greatest Generation Speaks is a follow up to Tom Brokaw’s earlier book about the people in my grandparents’ generation who saw atrocities, fought for righteousness, and saw America at the pinnacle of its grandeur. This book is a compilation of letters Brokaw received after the release of the early work – letters from veterans and their families discussing their own time overseas and the impact Brokaw’s book had on them. When the world went from World War II quickly into the Cold War, these veterans and their experiences were often forgotten about, especially as the US entered new battles in Asia. Brokaw honors their sacrifice and pain by giving them a voice to share their memories with the public.
I give The Greatest Generation Speaks 5 out of 5 stars. I chose the audio version of this book because I knew I wouldn’t be able to read some of these stories and keep moving forward through the pages. The letters detail the heartbreak of loved ones left behind and lives put on hold to protect our freedoms. It felt like I was sitting at a table drinking a cup of coffee with my grandfather and his friends again – the stories, the happy and not so happy memories. This book brought back so many of my own memories of my time listening to these men of the Greatest Generation giving me lessons I really didn’t understand as a teen. This book really puts the war into perspective and shows the impact a few short years had on the entire generation.
If, like me, you grew up listening to Brokaw report the news and some of the most poignant moments in American history, you will love this book. This is a great book for readers looking to read biographies or memoirs of the Greatest Generation. While not focused on one person, it really gives a glimpse into the overall mentality and shared trauma of the country during that era. If you have highschoolers who don’t have a World War II veteran to talk with, this would be a great read for them!
I chose The Greatest Generation Speaks for the Read With Lindsey Reading Challenge prompt “About World War II”. I originally thought about reading something about the Battle of the Bulge or another pivotal moment in the fighting, but this felt more appropriate for holiday weekend. Remembering the sacrifices this generation made for us as a whole and seeing how different our generation has treated war and service overseas was remarkable to me. My grandparents and their generation faced uncertain times, drafted into service in a war they didn’t want, but banded together to protect their families at home. I can’t say this is how our country would act in a similar situation today. Just 2 generations later and our world is so very different.
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Legends of the Fall, Jim Harrison
- Current audio book: Biloxi, Mary Miller
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Call Upon the Water, Stella Tillyard
Read With Lindsey 