greatest generation

PBS’ American Experience has a great  episode and site chronicling the Zoot Suit Riot in Los Angeles. These hipster youths, cultural and style rebels of the time, were closely linked to the attitude and rebellious spirit of Nazi Germany’s Edelweiss Pirates, or Swing Kids, as the larger youth movement was referred to. If you follow Greatest Generation, you will note our fascination with the Swing Kids and the Christian Bale movie…

Both were brutalized for making a stand and helped inspire future post-war youth movements in their respective countries. Strange how today’s youth knows virtually nothing about these kids!

Jose Lopez MOH Citation

This month, the US Army is doing a special focus on Hispanic Americans in the military so we thought we would post one of the Medal Of Honor recipients from World War II. You can read more about Jose and his comrades here.

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Army, 23d Infantry, 2d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Krinkelt, Belgium, 17 December 1944. Entered service at: Brownsville, Tex. Birth: Mission, Tex. G.O. No.: 47, 18 June 1945. Citation: On his own initiative, he carried his heavy machinegun from Company K’s right flank to its left, in order to protect that flank which was in danger of being overrun by advancing enemy infantry supported by tanks. Occupying a shallow hole offering no protection above his waist, he cut down a group of 10 Germans. Ignoring enemy fire from an advancing tank, he held his position and cut down 25 more enemy infantry attempting to turn his flank. Glancing to his right, he saw a large number of infantry swarming in from the front. Although dazed and shaken from enemy artillery fire which had crashed into the ground only a few yards away, he realized that his position soon would be outflanked. Again, alone, he carried his machinegun to a position to the right rear of the sector; enemy tanks and infantry were forcing a withdrawal. Blown over backward by the concussion of enemy fire, he immediately reset his gun and continued his fire. Single-handed he held off the German horde until he was satisfied his company had effected its retirement. Again he loaded his gun on his back and in a hail of small arms fire he ran to a point where a few of his comrades were attempting to set up another defense against the onrushing enemy. He fired from this position until his ammunition was exhausted. Still carrying his gun, he fell back with his small group to Krinkelt. Sgt. Lopez’s gallantry and intrepidity, on seemingly suicidal missions in which he killed at least 100 of the enemy, were almost solely responsible for allowing Company K to avoid being enveloped, to withdraw successfully and to give other forces coming up in support time to build a line which repelled the enemy drive.