The Greatest Generation Revisited: Conscientious Objectors and the “Good War”

Abstract

More than 60 years after the end of Second World War, a strong, consistent metanarrative has evolved regarding the World War II generation. Heralding the special qualities of the World War II cohort's patriotism, tenacity, hard work, and sacrifice, journalist Tom Brokaw called it “the greatest generation any society has produced” (Brokaw 1998: xxx). Fighting in the war is seen as the defining moment of that generation. Left out of the narrative are the stories of those who refused to fight, conscientious objectors and war resisters who stood against the tide to oppose the “good war.” This article shares the wartime stories of three conscientious objectors who refused to fight in World War II. First, I briefly review the social and political context in which these individuals made the decision to resist. Then I share each man's story, focusing on the pre-war socialization that shaped their ideas about peace and war, the process of making the decision to resist, and the experience during the war. Finally, I touch briefly on the post-war activity of World War II conscientious objectors and war resisters and their cultural contribution to the modern peace and justice movement in the United States.