"The Greatest Generation" describes the generation that came of age during World War II. As a society, they faced and overcame immense challenges; they survived the deprivation of the Great Depression and went on to foster the defeat of fascism. Tom Brokaw's laudatory The Greatest Generation characterizes this age group as a group with a powerful sense of duty and a strong commitment to community. Studs Terkel, author of Coming of Age, selects more idiosyncratic individuals from the Greatest Generation—activists, union organizers, civil rights proponents, artists, and writers. Despite their atypical nature, those portrayed in Coming of Age compliment Brokaw's depiction; they too clearly possess the values of personal responsibility and community. Though the two books portray radically different cross-sections of the Greatest Generation, they both ultimately reflect a generation characterized by universal core values.
The individuals profiled by Brokaw clearly value community in the traditional sense—he writes extensively of returning veterans making substantial contributions to the good of their towns and neighborhoods and maintaining active social lives. One such example of returning veterans' dedication to community is the career path chosen by Charles Van Gorder after being discharged from the Medical Corps. Gorder, despite the opportunity to take a lucrative fellowship in reconstructive surgery, instead opened a small practice in the small town of Andrews, North Carolina where his parents lived. There he worked long hours, making nightly house calls, earning the respect and trust of fellow members of his community. The extent of Van Gorder's service to his community was so great, his son recalls, that he often fell asleep at the dinner table (Brokaw 31). Van Gorder's commitment to the point of exhaustion exemplifies the value placed in community by his entire generation.
The individuals profiled by Brokaw clearly value community in the traditional sense—he writes extensively of returning veterans making substantial contributions to the good of their towns and neighborhoods and maintaining active social lives. One such example of returning veterans' dedication to community is the career path chosen by Charles Van Gorder after being discharged from the Medical Corps. Gorder, despite the opportunity to take a lucrative fellowship in reconstructive surgery, instead opened a small practice in the small town of Andrews, North Carolina where his parents lived. There he worked long hours, making nightly house calls, earning the respect and trust of fellow members of his community. The extent of Van Gorder's service to his community was so great, his son recalls, that he often fell asleep at the dinner table (Brokaw 31). Van Gorder's commitment to the point of exhaustion exemplifies the value placed in community by his entire generation.
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