The Second World War looms large over our collective memory, and how could it not? It practically defines the 20th century. Tens of millions of people fought around the world in a war to end fascism, culminating in the dawn of the atomic age and the onset of the Cold War. World War II saw some of the U.S. military’s greatest triumphs. What else could represent the Marine Corps at its official memorial other than raising the flag at Iwo Jima? And is it a coincidence that the Army has in recent years returned to its WWII-era dress uniform, or chosen to re-flag its troops in Alaska as the WWII-era 11th Airborne Division?
The Army may give soldiers who reenlist more money and time off
The movie industry has been no different. At this point, there are almost too many WWII movies to count, even in just the past 40 or so years, and to quote Brad Pitt’s character in Inglourious Basterds: “business is a-boomin.” Hollywood has made $2.4 billion re-winning the war on the big screen. It’s not slowing down, either, even as the WWII generation of service members is rapidly passing on. The last surviving Medal of Honor recipient, Herschel “Woody” Williams just passed away, but the latest Tom Hanks-produced mini-series, Masters of the Air, is already in production and is set to chronicle the exploits of the 8th Air Force during their brutal bombing campaign against Germany.
