A Tribute to My Grandfather on His 100th Birthday: My Family Member from The Greatest Generation

A reflection on Tom Brokaw's book The Greatest Generation, a look into my own grandfather's life as a member of The Greatest Generation, and thoughts on what my own generation can learn from history.

A Tribute to My Grandfather on His 100th Birthday:

My Family Member from The Greatest Generation

By Elin K. Phipps

Written on August 24, 2018

My grandfather, Carl Thorngren, in my eyes, was an extraordinary man who lead a fairly common life. He was born on this day, August 24, in the year 1918. Today in particular, on what would have been his 100th birthday, brings back so many positive memories of my grandfather, even though he crosses my mind everyday. I feel fortunate to have had not only remarkable role models in my life, but have been able to visit my grandparents almost every day having been living less than one block away from them throughout my childhood. While I realize living so close to my grandparents is unique, another uncommon aspect of my life, specifically at my age (birth year 1994), is having a grandparent who was apart of what is often referred to as “The Greatest Generation.” Many people around my age have or had grandparents who were born after the year 1925. The Greatest Generation is a nickname that comes from the book, The Greatest Generation, published in 1998 and written by NBC television journalist and news anchor, Tom Brokaw. This generation is also formally referred to as the World War II generation or the G.I. generation (the military terminology which means "Government Issue”). Individuals who were born between the years 1900-1924 are included in this demographic.

There are many notable figures apart of The Greatest Generation who are still recognized and remembered today. Famous musicians/entertainers who created tunes that brought joy to the country after the war- Louis Armstrong, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole. Athletes who overcame barriers such as Louis Zamperini (1936 Olympic distance runner and the subject in the movie Unbroken), Jackie Robinson (professional baseball player and first African American to play in the MLB), and Archie Williams (1936 Olympic sprinter and world record holder)- who in addition to being successful athletes, all served their country in World War II. Businessmen whose names are well known today- David Rockefeller (banker and grandson of John D. Rockefeller) and Walt Disney (pioneer of the animation industry). Mathematicians who crossed gender and racial lines and served as human computers at NASA-Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. Religious leaders who influenced thousands of lives throughout the world for decades- Billy Graham (Christian Evangelicalist) and Mother Teresa (Catholic Nun and Missionary). United States Presidents all the way from John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan to George Bush Sr., who were all part of the U.S. military in World War II. These are only a few of the names that are known as notable figures amongst The Greatest Generation. Although there are many renowned individuals that could be included on this list, there are many more common individuals like my grandfather, who is one of many extraordinary common men and women apart of The Greatest Generation.

Tom Brokaw’s book, The Greatest Generation, highlights these common extraordinary people and their remarkable legacies they leave behind. This book has been sitting on my grandmother’s book shelf since the early 2000’s. As I am growing older and entering into the professional world I found myself reflecting and wondering; What was so special about The Greatest Generation and what is it that is missing from my generation? This year I took the book off the shelf and read through it page by page to learn more about the people of my grandfather’s generation. As I read the book it got me thinking about the common characteristics, values, morals, and ethics of this generation. Brokaw states in his book that “this generation was united not only by a common purpose, but also by common values -- duty, honor, economy, courage, service, love of family and country, and, above all, responsibility for oneself.” While I was reading this book, I was able to reflect on my own grandfather, a member of The Greatest Generation, and how he lead his life based on the experiences he went through during his coming of age.

Like many people from The Greatest Generation, my grandfather came from a family who immigrated through Ellis Island, helped his father with his work at a young age, built up his own business before and after the war, and served as a World War II serviceman. He was apart of a Swedish-born family who immigrated from Sweden to the United States. His Swedish ties were so strong that he didn’t even know how to speak English when he started school. He was always proud of and embraced his Swedish heritage but was also proud to live in the United States and serve in the military. Unlike my brother and myself, who participated in several childhood and high school activities, my grandfather grew up helping his father with work by assisting in the building of houses. My grandpa lead the building of his first house from the ground up on his own by the time he was 19 years old in 1937.

As a member of the U.S. Air-force, my grandfather served in World War II from 1943 to 1944. In Brokaw’s words, the people who contributed to the war efforts “fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was the right thing to do.” Some would say, what made the people of The Greatest Generation truly admirable is the qualities they developed from the challenges they had to face throughout their lifetime. In Brokaw’s book he said, "At every stage of their lives they were part of historic challenges and achievements of a magnitude the world had never before witnessed." The ability to persevere through many different struggles during the time of the war was truly heroic and didn’t go unrecognized, but as time passed the men and women who returned home from their war duties immediately began the task of rebuilding their lives.

Upon returning from service, my grandpa picked back up where he left off and continued his work as a commercial and residential builder under his company name “Carl Thorngren Construction.” As Brokaw stated in reference to the World War II service men and women, “These are the people who made humble contributions to the war effort and then returned to their ordinary lives without achieving any fame or fortune.” This was true for several people including my grandpa. Life after the war went on and so did the work. I have always admired my grandfather’s hard work ethic, the homes he built, and his woodwork, but appreciate it even more as I am older. He valued quality, well thought out plans, and artistic details, which showed throughout his years of building. More importantly, he valued providing for his family and the men who worked for him. He adopted the hard work ethic habits that ran thick throughout his generation. Many Americans who were apart of The Greatest Generation knew what it was like to work from dusk till dawn and have jobs that were particularly physically taxing.

Of all these things he did in his life, the most admirable aspect of my grandfather’s life was in the way he loved and cared for his family and his desire to live his life for Christ. He was a man of faith, committed to following Christ and learning from God’s word. His most valued role was being a dedicated husband to my grandma and providing for his children, grandchildren, and family members. He was also particularly passionate about keeping up relationships with his extended family near and far, from across state lines and even all the way across the ocean in Sweden. The second oldest of five children, he was the last of his five siblings to pass away. He spent his last day on earth attending his sister’s funeral in the church he built and spent the evening by his family. Perhaps the timing of his passing was no coincidence and in my eyes, speaks as a testament to the way he lived his life. We were all blessed with the fact that my grandfather had a sharp mind and a strong heart up until the end, even though he had a weak body for many years. With all his heart and all his mind, he was dedicated to his family and Christ up until his last days on earth. I am thankful for these values he instilled in my life that I will be able to pass on to generations to come.

In the last few decades our society has seen a shift in U.S. culture. My own generation, “the Millennials” (birth year approximately 1980-1999), have been thrust into the spotlight in recent years as many people from this generation are now entering the professional world. Although there are many positive aspects about the Millennial generation, there are several negative themes and stereotypes that are often associated with this generation and brought up more in the recent decade -- entitlement, narcissistic tendencies, high maintenance, overly sensitive, lazy, and spoiled behaviors. It may not be particularly surprising that some young Americans aren’t thrilled about identifying themselves as Millennials. Some people are often quick to negatively generalize an entire generation and criticize or blame generations other than their own. In addition, some members of any given generation neglect to see how they can learn from other generations outside of their own and rely solely on the present and their own knowledge, ideas or opinions. Instead of focusing strictly on our own particular generation with self-pride or being quick to judge other generations, I believe it is important to consider the positive aspects of other generations and see what we can acquire from those around us. Today on my grandfather's 100th birthday, I am thankful I can look back and reflect on the lessons he taught me and what I learned from him first hand. I am blessed to have had a member of The Greatest Generation in my own life for seventeen years. We can all learn something from The Greatest Generation and take the strong values and characteristics that were a common theme throughout this generation and apply them into our own generation.

No generation is flawless. Brokaw points this out in his book. In reference to The Greatest Generation he states, “They weren’t perfect. They made mistakes. They allowed McCarthyism and racism to go unchallenged for too long. Women of the World War II generation, who had demonstrated so convincingly that they had so much more to offer beyond their traditional work, were the underpinning for the liberation of their gender, even as many of their husbands resisted the idea. When a new war broke out, many of the veterans initially failed to recognize the differences between their war and the one in Vietnam.” But collectively, they faced several different difficult times throughout their lifetime and they succeeded in overcoming these difficulties. No time in history is perfect. My generation is inheriting a world with several unsolved problems. Perhaps we can learn from the way The Greatest Generation endured through the problems they had to face. As a whole, The Greatest Generation responded by the millions to defend their country during World War II, persevered through the hard times of The Depression, adopted a strong work ethic at a young age to help their households, were committed to their families, devoted to their faith, gained a sense of accountability, and remained remarkably humble throughout their lifetime. “This generation gave us a world far better than they inherited,” stated Brokaw. My grandfather gave me a far better world than he inherited. I am forever grateful.

~ Happy 100th birthday to you~

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Love you always.