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