The Forgotten Generation: American Children and World War II

by Lisa L. Ossian

Two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt addressed the nation by radio, saying, “We are all in it—all the way. Every single man, woman, and child is a partner in the most tremendous undertaking of our American history.” So began a continuing theme of the World War II the challenges of wartime would not be borne by adults alone. Men, women, and children would all be involved in the work of war.

The struggles endured by American civilians during the Second World War are well documented, but accounts of the war years have mostly deliberated on the grown-ups’ sacrifices. In The Forgotten American Children and World War II, Lisa L. Ossian explores the war’s full implications for the lives of children. In thematic chapters, the author delves into children’s experiences of family, school, play, work, and home, uncovering the range of effects the war had on youths of various ethnicities and backgrounds.

Since the larger U.S. culture so fervently supported the war effort, adults rarely sheltered children from the realities of the war and the trials of life on the home front. Children listened for news of battles over the radio, labored in munitions factories, and saved money for war bonds. They watched enlisted men—their fathers, uncles, and brothers—leave for duty and worried about the safety of soldiers overseas. They prayed during the D-Day invasion, mourned President Roosevelt’s death, and celebrated on V-J Day . . . all at an age when such sharp events are so difficult to understand. Ossian draws from a multitude of sources, including the writings of 1940s children, to demonstrate the great extent of these young people’s participation in the wartime culture.

World War II transformed a generation of youths as no other experience of the twentieth century would, but somehow the children at home during the war—compressed between the “Greatest Generation” and the “Baby Boomers”—slipped into the margins of U.S. history. The Forgotten American Children and World War II remembers these children and their engagement in “the most tremendous undertaking” that the war effort came to be. By bringing the depth of those experiences to light, Ossian makes a compelling contribution to the literature on American childhood and the research on this remarkable period of U.S. history.

Genres: World War II, History

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2011

Reviews

[Chris Aylott · Rating 3 out of 5]

My parents were small children during World War II, and it recently crossed my mind that I've never heard all that much about their childhood memories of the war. Apparently I'm not the only one -- there are very few books on what it was like to grow up on that time, so this one leapt out at me when I stumbled across it in the library. It's a brief academic overview of the times, but it's got some interesting stories in it, and gives me a few questions to ask my parents over the holidays.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for my history class this semester. It's a pretty quick read if you're dedicated (or procrastinated until the last minute like me). I think it was very accessible and easy to digest.

Ossian really hits home hard about how many children were the targets of propaganda during the era, yet many of them still suffered from the same government that encouraged (i.e. was desperate for) their participation. Many kids lost family members, education opportunities, and so much more in the name of war. However, kids still managed do incredible things! They collected endless amounts of scrap metals and paper, participated in parades, and mobilized adults to the war effort as well.

Not something I would read for fun normally, but it was an interesting insight into a group that gets almost no attention.