"The Way We Were"

 

I saw this article from Michael Smith and it made me think, it was something that I read that a soldier commented during the Korean war and it was really driven home during the Vietnam war and every war since.  There has been a disconnect between the G.I's fighting and the American people, as one commented "Its like they don't even know that there is a war on except for the evening news and the caskets coming home, there is no sense of urgency, no sense of sacrifice, 24 hours after you catch the freedom bird you are home. and you feel lost.  The people at home have no clue what you went through, they have no frame of reference. nothing."  This sentiment has gone on through every war since Korea, now the WWII vets had an idea so that helped with Korea, but after that, there was no frame of reference.   This disconnect has caused a chasm between the actions of the U.S. Military and the society.  The WWII generation would have understood what President Trump was trying to do to keep the Mad Mullahs' from getting nuclear weapons.  But this generation is soo coddled so inured, they have no sense of sacrifice, they can't endure any discomfort, what was to happen if we were to get into a war with a peer or a near peer adversary, our soft society couldn't handle the strain, they would fold rather than fight to save the country, rather than endure, not realizing what would happen in the future is much worse.  I fear for this country. for the country that my son will inherit.

I just paid $3.79 per gallon for regular gas to fill up my truck. Two months ago, that was $2.49 per gallon.

As I was thinking about that change, I also thought about going through my mom’s stuff after she died and finding ration coupons from the WWII era and it trigged a consideration about just how soft and coddled America is as compared to the war effort against the Axis powers and how some are not willing to pay even a small price or experience a tiny amount of discomfort as America seeks to end a global threat.

My dad was a Seargent First Class in the Army Corps of Engineers and was on the beach at Normandy as a combat engineer. I remember him talking about the start of the war and how the people of rural Mississippi pulled together as husbands, fathers, brothers and sons enlisted, left the farms and went to war. I remember my mom and my extended family of grandparents, aunts and uncles, talking about what it was like during the war and the sacrifices they willingly made.

How different it seems today.

During World War II, the American home front became an extension of the battlefield, not through combat, but through discipline, restraint, and a shared understanding that victory required sacrifice from everyone. The government did not simply ask for support, it organized daily life around it, and ordinary citizens adjusted accordingly.

Rationing was the most visible expression of that shift. Basic staples such as sugar, meat, butter, and coffee were no longer items of casual purchase but controlled commodities, distributed through coupon books that limited how much any household could buy. The system was not merely about scarcity; it was about fairness and prioritization. Soldiers needed food first, and industry needed raw materials, so civilians learned to stretch meals, substitute ingredients, and accept that abundance was temporarily off the table. In backyards across the country, “Victory Gardens” appeared, turning private property into small-scale food production and reinforcing the idea that self-reliance was part of national service.

Fuel and transportation were similarly constrained. Gasoline was rationed, and tires became precious due to rubber shortages, forcing Americans to rethink mobility. Carpooling was encouraged, unnecessary travel discouraged, and even speed limits were lowered to conserve fuel and extend tire life. The automobile, long a symbol of American freedom, became subject to collective necessity. Convenience gave way to coordination.

Clothing and consumer goods followed the same pattern. Fabric, leather, and rubber were diverted to military use, leaving civilians with fewer options and a clear message: use what you have. The phrase “make do and mend” was not a slogan but a practical instruction. Clothes were repaired instead of replaced, wardrobes simplified, and even small luxuries, like nylon stockings, disappeared almost overnight because those materials were needed for parachutes and other military equipment.

Perhaps the most participatory aspect of the home front effort was the nationwide push for scrap collection and recycling. Americans were asked to gather metal, rubber, paper, and even used cooking grease, all of which could be repurposed for war production. These drives turned neighborhoods, schools, and civic groups into active contributors to the industrial war machine. It was not enough to conserve, one was expected to contribute.

Even energy use became a matter of national concern. Households were encouraged to limit electricity and heating consumption, and in coastal areas, blackout measures were enforced to reduce visibility to potential enemy attacks. Daily routines were adjusted in small but meaningful ways, reinforcing the sense that the war touched every aspect of life.

Rationing wasn’t just about scarcity, it was about true shared sacrifice and discipline, not the made up virtue signaling crap of today. The government framed it as a civic duty: every pound of sugar saved, every mile not driven, every scrap collected contributed, at least symbolically, to victory.

It created a culture where restraint and conservation were patriotic, and waste and excess were quietly frowned upon.

Taken together, these measures reshaped American habits and expectations. Comfort was reduced, convenience curtailed, and consumption disciplined, and in exchange, there was a widely shared belief that these sacrifices mattered. The home front operated on a simple premise: that millions of small acts of restraint and contribution could add up to something decisive.

There is no doubt that presidents, politicians, and planners played a large role in crushing the spirit of unity. From Jack Kennedy to the Biden administration, America cocked up pretty much every military operation, and our military paid the price. Soldiers and sailors returning from Vietnam were spit on and called “baby killers.”

I get the feeling that tide has turned, at least for most of America. I hope so, given we are engaged in what I and many others believe is the alteration of the global power structure in a positive direction for everybody but America’s stated enemies.

Something we should remember as we head into our 250th year.