The Good War: Peggy Terry and E.B. Sledge

Peggy Terry expressed how the war affected her life greatly each day, with every new piece of information on the war. She stated, "I believe the war was the beginning of my seeing things. You just can't stay uninvolved and not knowing when such a momentous things is happening. It's just little things that start happening and you put on piece with another. Suddenly, a puzzle begins to take shape" (193). Peggy's husband was paratrooper in the war and every thought of him brought her sadness; the war brutalized him. However, the war impacted her life and brought many "good times."

The war gave Peggy money, which allowed her to pay the rent and have food on the table. She had never had this much money ever, especially now with a new job dealing with detonators. With the war, many were hiring women to fill the spots of those who had gone to war. However, this new job was dangerous and involved chemicals that turned her orange, but she never asked if it was harmful. The working conditions were horrible. The fumes caused breathing problems and water was not easily accessible, causing dehydration. Peggy and her grandfather then moved to Jackson, Michigan for a better paying job where they met more people and learned about things they didn't even know existed. She learned about the concentration camps and the brutality soldiers were experiencing. She learned about the atomic bomb and felt angry because no bomb was dropped on the U.S. This bomb though was dropped on women and children that had no opinion on the war. Peggy felt very strongly that God did not make man to kill; she says, "The bible says, Thou shalt not kill, it doesn't say, Except in time of war" (195).

As Peggy stated, the war brutalized men. E.B. Sledgehammer was nineteen when he went to war. He constantly stated, "The only thing that kept you going was your faith in your buddies" (197). Comradeship. A soldier ended up fighting for their lives, forgetting the cause of war, and for their fellow comrades. The war was brutal, especially the one with the Japanese. They were guerrilla fighters and made each soldier act like savages. The Japanese did not surrender and felt as if it was a disgrace to be captured. With this attitude of no mercy, the United States soldiers developed this attitude as well. Hatred towards the Japanese was evident, making the war even more savage-like. They punched each other, kicked each other in the balls, etc. The United States soldiers even extracted gold teeth from dead Japanese, not realizing how immoral and inhumane it was. The war brutalized soldiers and turned them into savages and barbarians.

Even though the war seems to have brought good to the home front, its effect on the soldiers is immeasurable. It turned them into barbarians who did not fight for a cause, but rather for themselves. They sunk down to the same level as the Japanese, while still ridiculing them with hatred in their eyes. They were not men any more. The war transformed them into a whole new person, one who did not have morals or goals.

Band of Brothers

These clips of D-day saddened me because they were so realistic, making me feel as if I was there on the battlefield. When the soldiers were in the airplane and boats, waiting in anticipation, i felt a heaviness in my stomach and fear. I prayed and held my cross, just as they did. And when the soldiers were either released into the air with the parachutes or let out of the boats, my heart raced. Soldiers fell like dominoes. Many lost limbs and even had their insides pour out of their body.

After watching these movie clips, I feel very grateful to be alive. It felt as if every single soldier that stepped onto that battlefield died. I thank each and every soldier for risking their lives for the nation, even my life in a different aspect. But it makes me question: so many people died, so how did we win the war? Looking back, it seems almost impossible to be able to win a war and lose so many lives at the same time.

D-Day tested the United States soldiers, challenging how much the nation could endure. Other nations were seeing for how long America could endure all these losses. But most importantly, they were testing the soldiers' courage and loyalty towards the nation. Would these soldiers actually risk their life for their country or would they "chicken out" so to speak? On D-day, soldiers and America as a whole showed strength and bravery, leading them to a victory.

The Good War: Bob Rasmus

World War Two was a war that transformed boys into men. These boys went to war at age 18 with excitement to serve their country. Many were honored to be a part of the war; they were willing to fight for their value, for their family, for their rights, for their government, for their nation. But little did they know about the war. They knew the casualty rate was high, but they did not know what their specific role in the war was. Bob Rasmus was a rifleman, a position his mother did not want him to take because he surely would die. However, he gladly took the position and lifestyle of the war. As they traveled, Bob enjoyed pondering at the cities and towns of various countries. During the war, he created friendships with other soldiers his age and shared the same curiosity, fear, and excitement. Innocence was in every soldier's eyes until they experienced a true battle. Their first battle passed and each were fighting for their lives and comradeship; their cause vanished at the scene. When the battle ended, many were dead, having different expressions. Bob had never seen a dead man, nor had he ever felt so empty. His innocence was lost with his excitement and curiosity.

On the home front lifestyle changed vastly as well during the war. All the concentration switched from the New Deal onto the war. Money was taken from programs created, to benefit the war. Factories were booming and asking for women to work, while farming also improved. No one knew what was happening with the war and were clueless on its progress. The only thing families, now torn, were able to do was to pray. Pray for the war to end, pray for their husband or son, pray for their nation, pray for everlasting peace.



National World War Two Memorial in Washington DC

 If I were an 18 year-old male living during the war I would be so frightened. I would be frightened to enter a war that the nation for so long tried to not be involved in. I would be scared for my family and hope the best for them. I would be scared for my fellow friends that also would enter the war. I would be frightened to see death. I would fear death itself. All of these fears would swarm in my mind all day, everyday I lived in the war. I would pray for health, peace, my family and friends, the nation, for my own life, and to be remembered and honored.

Hard Times in the Great Depression

After reading the stories of the Yoder and Terry families, I feel very fortunate. During the great depression, whites lost so much money that they sunk to a black family's status. This was a big jump for white families because they always felt superior, but now that had something in common; they were poor. Living in the depression caused much suffering. In "Peggy Terry and her mother, Mary Owsley," I read that there were people who lived in holes in the ground. This really frightened and shocked me. How could someone truly dig a hole that deep and actually live in it? People could barely feed themselves and many moved around to not feel the depression. However, all the hardships people went through during the depression made them stronger. Whites learned to accept blacks for who they were, because they shared a common struggle. In the depression people were also very generous. I read how several people took in Peggy Terry and fed her when she was pregnant. What shocked me the most was that most were not ashamed of themselves and their social standing; they accepted themselves and found that helping each other only brought friends and family closer together, for they were trying to overcome the same struggle. I feel as if I can learn from these stories and to never be ashamed, but proud of how far my family has come. My grandpa immigrated to the U.S. from Greece with barely any money and raised four children who were very successful. My family has come a long way, and even though the nation is going through a recession, I believe that my family will be able to stay strong and find pride in how hard we have worked. Money can not buy my happiness.

Hard Times in the Great Depression

Before the Great Depression, many were investing in stocks and businesses, but few knew that the stock market was soon to crash. Many that were wealthy were investing in businesses and receiving part of the profit because they invested. Many though failed to pull out of the investment and take their money out of banks. When the stock market crashed and millions of businesses became bankrupt, millions of people lost the money they had with a bank or had invested in a stock or business. Those who took out their money were safe and would last through the depression.

The Great Depression was a devastating time for almost everyone. Some families lived off barely any money, and some families sunk so low that they were ashamed to be of the same economic class as black Americans. In Clifford Burke, I read how different social classes were affected by the depression. Blacks didn't feel an impact because they were "born in depression" (105). They were always struggling to be accepted and for money, so the depression made them work just a little harder. With the depression, many families tore apart. The wealthy that became poor were shamefully kicked out of their homes because they were not making big bucks. However the common man who sunk to a black man's status came home to a family and wife that accepted his hard work. White men were the superior figure for so long, that it was hard to accept that some were as poor as a black man.

The recession we are currently in does not seem as bad as the Great Depression. I am so grateful that my family is able to still live a happy life in this recession. I'm not saying that we don't feel the recession, it is just that it is not as bad as some of the experiences I've read about. Both my parents are working, raising two children, and paying for college tuition at the same time. My dad's business is struggling and not doing as well as other years, but that is expected to happen to all businesses in recession. With this recession our families expenses have been cut down; my family has become smart spenders and savers. We only spend it when necessary. I hope this recession does not become nearly as bad as the Great Depression.