87th Edition
The fifth in in my six-part series – “Six things we can do to make America better.”
No other event in the last one hundred years was as important
Without question, World War II was the defining event in history for the 20th and 21st century.
Here is a blog I wrote in June 2024 about WWII.
Air Show
Today I went to my first air show. All kinds of planes, old and new, single engine and jets. I tried to video their aerobatics with my iPhone, which was a silly thing to try to do. The air show was at the Duxford Air Museum in England. A huge air base dedicated to the RAF and the United States Army Air Force operations in WWII. A fascinating place, way too much to see and learn in a one-day visit. Two historians served as guides on our excursion, and both were informative. One of them, named Bob, a Brit, made a comment that was quite intriguing. As he explained, there continues to be an ongoing debate between the branches of the military – Army, Navy, and Air Force, regarding which deserves the lion share of credit for winning the war. Throughout the war, there were internal battles between the armed services for resources, and fierce arguments over military and political strategy and priorities. It seems only natural that they would argue about their relative roles in achieving ultimate victory. There is immense pride in the allied countries who were victorious in WWII, not just within the military but ingrained in the culture as well. But how long will this pride last? Is it already receding within the younger generations, who know less and less about this historic event? If so, what does it foretell for our country?
The more I study WWII, the more I am convinced that it is overflowing with important lessons that should be taught to and learned by every generation. There is no other event in modern history that comes close to having the lasting impact of WWII. More people fought and died, including military combatants and civilians than in any war in history. The breadth and scale of this global conflict was unprecedented and has never been equaled since.
In my mind, at least, it begs the question – What would the world be like today if the Allies had lost? In other words for what major purpose were the Allies fighting? Approximately 16 million Americans served in WWII and 416,000 died. They were all courageous and patriotic and have certainly earned the moniker – The Greatest Generation. But how does or how should America, particularly the younger generations, think about WWII today? Do they understand the significance of the victory that shaped the world for the next eighty years?
Back to the first question…. If Germany’s war strategy was determined by its Generals instead of Adolf Hitler, the war may have turned out very differently. If the American cryptologists, led by Joe Rosenthal failed to crack the Japanese codes, we might not have won the Battle of Midway, which turned the tide in the Pacific. Victory was not a guarantee, and it was fought for and won due to the efforts and sacrifices of millions of Allied soldiers, support troops, government officials, and citizens back home. It was a fight for freedom unlike anything the world has ever known, before or since. Winning was the only option. How can we expect the younger generations to understand this if they don’t learn the essential lessons from the war? In my view it is important that they do. Why?
If we take our freedom for granted, we are at greater risk of losing it. If we don’t play a leadership role in the world and work toward preserving peace, prosperity, and freedom throughout the world, all three could be fleeting. Meanwhile, there seems to be a growing concern about our military readiness in a world that is becoming less safe. These are unsettling trends and require serious discussion by experts at the highest level. Do we have confidence in our Commander in Chief to face any future military threat? I sure don’t.
For citizens to be proud of their country, the country has to accomplish something extraordinary, and it has to aspire to comprehensive greatness. What is that exactly? It is leadership at the highest level. Economically, politically, culturally, and morally. Where today are we falling short of being our very best as a nation? What and who can help us to be better? Questions to ponder, perhaps. Discuss and debate would be even better. A lot is at stake, and we should not take anything we cherish for granted.
With these thoughts in mind, it is imperative that we establish a comprehensive curriculum for grades 9 – 12, in order to teach these invaluable lessons from WWII to future generations. Importantly, the current curriculums in high school are cursory at best. Due to the significance of WWII, it is essential that the curriculum be enhanced and enriched.
The most formidable and obvious challenge to developing suitable curriculum is to determine how much detail and class time to devote to the most important people, events, decisions, battles, strategies, and political developments in order to make the experience meaningful and memorable to high school students. In essence, the curriculum should go deep enough but not too deep on any one topic, in order to cover all essential topics in four school years.
Moreover, the case will have to be made to education and school administrators that studying and teaching about WWII should be prioritized over other periods of history. While all lessons from history have relevance, no other period or event matches the importance of the lessons compared to the epic battle of WWII.
So, what are the essential lessons from WWII? First, is the inherent danger of appeasement and isolationism. Peace can only be maintained through strength, engagement, and ongoing diplomacy. Second, major conflicts require the coordination and teamwork between government, military, and industry. Beyond that, the importance of intelligence and communication cannot be overstated. Today, in the atomic age, we face new challenges. We should be ever vigilant and remember the prophetic words of Albert Einstein when he was asked what weapons would be used in WWIII. He said, “I have no idea, but WWIV will be fought with sticks and stones.” The fact that WWII came only two decades after WWI reinforces the importance of winning the peace. In addition, as the French army demonstrated, wars cannot be won by utilizing strategies and tactics from the previous one.
With that being said, here are a few guidelines for developing WWII curriculum for grades 9 – 12, that will ensure that the extraordinary life lessons from this unique event in history will be passed down to future generations.
Relevant topics of study (grades 9-12):
- Who were the greatest leaders? Why? What did they do that made them great?
- What happened at the most pivotal battles of the war?
- What were the best decisions of the war and who made them?
- What were the most significant mistakes made and by whom?
- Oral presentations from some of the combatants of the pivotal battles. What were they experiencing and feeling at that time?
- What were the strengths of the primary combatants? What were the most effective armaments during the war?
- Which countries suffered the most in terms of causalities and civilian deaths?
- What were the most significant technological breakthroughs during the war and who made them?
- Why did the war start?
- What were the strengths, weaknesses, and core beliefs of the political leaders on both sides?
- What sacrifices did the civilians make on both sides?
- What were the industrial strengths and weaknesses of the major combatants?
- What has prevented WWIII and what could start it?
Here is an excerpt from the book “Deadly Sky” by John C. McManus (page 292-293
For most American airmen, the bombing of civilians was a terrible fact of war, something that unfortunately went hand in hand with winning the war. Elmer Bendiner, a navigator in the 379th Bomb Group, pondered these issues in a memoir written after the war: “Many of the men who… manipulated the primal elements of fire, earth, air, and water were mild and tender fellows. I knew them well; I was one of them. We were not unconcerned with the hell we left behind us. If, decades after the war, one looks back at Hamburg and Schweinfurt, a terrible equation threatens to rise from the ruins. Were we and our enemies really one and the same? My own answer is an emphatic No. The equation is false and a phantom. Hamburg and Schweinfurt man be equated with London and Liverpool, but none of these with Dachau. It is smug to say that their cause was damned and ours was blessed. Yet what other words will do to chop the truth to digestible size? We were not an ideological army. Actually, those who spouted political convictions of any sort were suspect. But neither were we altogether mechanical in our loyalties. Most of us would have preferred a surgical technique by which we could excise the vital organs of Nazi Germany without unnecessary bloodshed. We clung to the theory that this was possible and that we were trying to accomplish it. I cannot take seriously those who adopt the pose of the disenchanted without having experienced the prerequisite enchantment. World War II had less starry-eyed enchantment than most wars. We were not gulled by slogans. Hitler was real and his victory had to be prevented. For many of us that was the only point of the war.”
It was a war that had to be won. Only if the next generation understands that, will they then understand that preserving peace and freedom requires moral fiber, military resolve, and diplomatic resoluteness. America had that in 1942. We need it today. And the foundation for building those strengths starts with an accurate understanding of WWII.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.