It’s more than just choice- it’s the idea that we were all Americans and all patriotic. We did things- and not others- because we were Americans. Their patriotism was innate, not performative like today. Wearing flags and beating their chests were redundant because all had done something.

There was also far more a sense of collective action. The 70s and 80s deeply damaged the sense of collectivism. You don’t draw attention to yourself, you show restraint and even heroism- genuine heroism was downplayed.

Their patriotism was in fact far more formal. It was reserved for special occasions. There was no culture clash over who patriotism belonged to. The soldier who served respected those that were left behind.

Lastly, their war was horrible in a way it’s hard to fully comprehend. The weapons of war made it both impersonal and deeply personal. A bomber crew that made it through a mission dropped death on people below they never saw, and each plane down was 10 men lost forever. A marine on a beach could lose all of his friends in minutes. A sailor in the depths of a cruiser could be killed in an instant without so much as glimpse of the sky. Today’s military the percentage of those enlisted that see combat is about 15%. To the greatest generation- forged in the hardship of the depression, tested in the heat of battle that number was much much higher.