ANOTHER 75 YEARS OF LIFE ON THIS PLANET, CAN GIVE YOU SOME
PLANET, CAN GIVE YOU SOME WISDOM, AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO
WISDOM, AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IT WITH US.
SHARE IT WITH US. >> EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD
>> EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD IS IN ACTION.
IS IN ACTION. >> WORLD WAR II.
>> WORLD WAR II. PERHAPS IT’S NOT TOO MUCH OF AN
PERHAPS IT’S NOT TOO MUCH OF AN EXAGGERATION TO SUGGEST ALL OF
EXAGGERATION TO SUGGEST ALL OF AMERICA’S HEARTS BEAT AT ONE.
AMERICA’S HEARTS BEAT AT ONE. >> IT IS FOR VICTORY.
>> IT IS FOR VICTORY. >> I’M GOING TO TELL YOU
>> I’M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING ROOSEVELT SAID JUST
SOMETHING ROOSEVELT SAID JUST PRIOR TO OUR ALL ENLISTING TO
PRIOR TO OUR ALL ENLISTING TO GET INTO THE ARMY, AIR CORPS,
GET INTO THE ARMY, AIR CORPS, NAVY, MARINES, WHEREVER.
NAVY, MARINES, WHEREVER. >> PAUL GRASSY WAS WITH THE 8th
>> PAUL GRASSY WAS WITH THE 8th ARMY AIR FORCE.
ARMY AIR FORCE. >> THERE’S A MYSTERIOUS CYCLE IN
>> THERE’S A MYSTERIOUS CYCLE IN HUMAN EVENTS.
HUMAN EVENTS. SOME GENERATIONS, MUCH IS GIVEN.
SOME GENERATIONS, MUCH IS GIVEN. OTHER GENERATIONS, MUCH IS
OTHER GENERATIONS, MUCH IS EXPECTED.
EXPECTED. THIS GENERATION OF AMERICANS HAS
THIS GENERATION OF AMERICANS HAS A RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY.
A RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY. >> HE WAS RIGHT, BUT I DIDN’T
>> HE WAS RIGHT, BUT I DIDN’T KNOW WE WERE GOING TO GET HIT
KNOW WE WERE GOING TO GET HIT AGAIN WITH THIS THING THAT WE’RE
AGAIN WITH THIS THING THAT WE’RE GOING THROUGH.
GOING THROUGH. >> I THINK THAT GENERATION HAD
>> I THINK THAT GENERATION HAD FAITH.
FAITH. I’M NOT SPEAKING OF RELIGIOUS
I’M NOT SPEAKING OF RELIGIOUS FAITH BUT IN THE CAUSE AND EACH
FAITH BUT IN THE CAUSE AND EACH OTHER.
OTHER. >> A SENIOR HISTORIAN AT THE
>> A SENIOR HISTORIAN AT THE WORLD WAR II MUSEUM IN NEW
WORLD WAR II MUSEUM IN NEW ORLEANS.
ORLEANS. >> THERE WAS A PROPAGANDA
>> THERE WAS A PROPAGANDA BOOSTER AT THE TIME, YOU’VE SEEN
BOOSTER AT THE TIME, YOU’VE SEEN IT, ROSIE THE RIVETER, WE’RE ALL
IT, ROSIE THE RIVETER, WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
IN THIS TOGETHER. AMERICANS THOUGHT WE WERE IN
AMERICANS THOUGHT WE WERE IN THIS TOGETHER.
THIS TOGETHER. >> WE THOUGHT IT WAS EXTREMELY
>> WE THOUGHT IT WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE WERE OUT
IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE WERE OUT TO SAVE THE WORLD.
TO SAVE THE WORLD. >> THESE MEN KNOW, THEY FOUGHT
>> THESE MEN KNOW, THEY FOUGHT IN THE AIR, ON THE LAND, AND ON
IN THE AIR, ON THE LAND, AND ON THE SEA.
THE SEA. ED TRIED TO JOIN THE NAVY BUT
ED TRIED TO JOIN THE NAVY BUT WAS TURNED AWAY, POOR EYESIGHT.
WAS TURNED AWAY, POOR EYESIGHT. >> IT MADE ME FEAR SOME I WOULD
>> IT MADE ME FEAR SOME I WOULD BE REJECTED.
BE REJECTED. >> THE ARMY AIR CORPS ACCEPTED
>> THE ARMY AIR CORPS ACCEPTED HIM.
HIM. >> THEY WERE FAIRLY DESPERATE.
>> THEY WERE FAIRLY DESPERATE. THEY TOOK ME, GLASSES AND ALL.
THEY TOOK ME, GLASSES AND ALL. >> Reporter: DRAFTED OR
>> Reporter: DRAFTED OR ENLISTED, ALL KNEW THE STAKES,
ENLISTED, ALL KNEW THE STAKES, AS HIGH AS THEY COME.
AS HIGH AS THEY COME. >> WITHOUT UNITED STATES ON THE
>> WITHOUT UNITED STATES ON THE GROUND, THE EUROPE WE KNOW NOW
GROUND, THE EUROPE WE KNOW NOW WOULDN’T EXIST.
WOULDN’T EXIST. BY WE KNOW NOW, LIBERAL
BY WE KNOW NOW, LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES, OPEN SOCIETIES.
DEMOCRACIES, OPEN SOCIETIES. MANY TOOK THEIR INSPIRATION FROM
MANY TOOK THEIR INSPIRATION FROM THEIR AMERICAN OCCUPIER AFTER
THEIR AMERICAN OCCUPIER AFTER WORLD WAR II.
WORLD WAR II. >> KEN WITH THE 8th ARMY AIR
>> KEN WITH THE 8th ARMY AIR FORCE.
FORCE. >> WITHOUT THE AIR FORCE, THE
>> WITHOUT THE AIR FORCE, THE INVASION WOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL
INVASION WOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL TOUGH NUT TO CRACK.
TOUGH NUT TO CRACK. >> THE ACTION WAS BRUTAL.
>> THE ACTION WAS BRUTAL. U.S. BOMBERS TOOK EXTREMELY
U.S. BOMBERS TOOK EXTREMELY HEAVY CASUALTIES ON THE BEACH
HEAVY CASUALTIES ON THE BEACH HEADS AND ON THE GROUND, FROM
HEADS AND ON THE GROUND, FROM D-DAY AND THE BATTLE OF THE
D-DAY AND THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, MEN DIED BY THE TENS OF
BULGE, MEN DIED BY THE TENS OF THOUSANDS.
THOUSANDS. >> THE ALLIES ANNOUNCED GERMANS
>> THE ALLIES ANNOUNCED GERMANS SURRENDERED UNCONDITIONALLY.
SURRENDERED UNCONDITIONALLY. THE WAR IN EUROPE IS OVER.
THE WAR IN EUROPE IS OVER. >> NAVY MAN PETER ORLANDO KNEW
>> NAVY MAN PETER ORLANDO KNEW JUST WHAT TO DO.
JUST WHAT TO DO. HE ASKED PERMISSION TO GO ASHORE
HE ASKED PERMISSION TO GO ASHORE TO ATTEND MASS, HE SAID.
TO ATTEND MASS, HE SAID. >> MY BUDDY AND I JUMPED THE
>> MY BUDDY AND I JUMPED THE TRUCK AND WENT TO PARIS.
TRUCK AND WENT TO PARIS. WE HAD THE TIME OF OUR LIFE.
WE HAD THE TIME OF OUR LIFE. I CAME BACK TO THE SHIP TWO DAYS
I CAME BACK TO THE SHIP TWO DAYS LATER, AND I’M GOING UP THE GANG
LATER, AND I’M GOING UP THE GANG PLANK AND THE OFFICER IS LEANING
PLANK AND THE OFFICER IS LEANING AND SAID, HOW WAS MASS?
AND SAID, HOW WAS MASS? I’LL NEVER FORGET IT.
I’LL NEVER FORGET IT. >> ARMY MORTAR MAN HAD TAKEN
>> ARMY MORTAR MAN HAD TAKEN REFUGE AT A CASTLE IN BELGIUM.
REFUGE AT A CASTLE IN BELGIUM. >> SOMEBODY HAD A RADIO GOING
>> SOMEBODY HAD A RADIO GOING AND THEY SAID THE WAR WAS OVER.
AND THEY SAID THE WAR WAS OVER. I BROKE INTO TEARS.
I BROKE INTO TEARS. I CRIED LIKE A BABY.
I CRIED LIKE A BABY. THE WAR WAS OVER.
THE WAR WAS OVER. >> IN EUROPE, YES, BUT JAPAN
>> IN EUROPE, YES, BUT JAPAN WOULD NOT SURRENDER UNTIL
WOULD NOT SURRENDER UNTIL AUGUST.
AUGUST. YET VICTORY WAS IN REACH FOR
YET VICTORY WAS IN REACH FOR PEOPLE WITH A COMMON GOAL AND A
PEOPLE WITH A COMMON GOAL AND A COMMON PURPOSE.
COMMON PURPOSE. >> THEY DESCRIBED FOLKS LIKE
>> THEY DESCRIBED FOLKS LIKE YOU, THE GREATEST GENERATION.
YOU, THE GREATEST GENERATION. >> I HAVE READ THE BOOK, YES.
>> I HAVE READ THE BOOK, YES. GREATNESS IS THRUST UPON YOU.
GREATNESS IS THRUST UPON YOU. >> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TODAY
>> THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TODAY AND THEN IS THAT WE NEED TO BE
AND THEN IS THAT WE NEED TO BE TOGETHER AGAINST THE VIRUS.
TOGETHER AGAINST THE VIRUS. IN WORLD WAR II, WE WON THAT WAR
IN WORLD WAR II, WE WON THAT WAR IN 3 1/2 YEARS, AND WE GOT TO
IN 3 1/2 YEARS, AND WE GOT TO REBUILD AMERICA.
REBUILD AMERICA. THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO RIGHT
