VIDEO: Reflecting On America’s Greatest Generation

AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – ‘Rabbit’ Kennedy was one of the few World War II veterans living.

More than 16 million American soldiers went off to fight in World War II, now there’s less than four percent still living.

Some reports say that by 2036, there won’t be any of those veterans alive.

“World War II generation is your greatest generation,” says Amory resident, Doug Cuthbert.

When World War II started over 70 years ago, most of the American soldiers were teenagers.

They went to war fighting and sacrificing for our country and didn’t think twice about it.

“It’s a generation that we’ll never have again and once we lose them, those memories are gone, you know, I had Vietnam and Desert Storm, but they went through five years of just pure hell,” says Vietnam veteran Jerry Jones.

When they returned from overseas, they went straight back to work and most didn’t talk about their war experiences until their last few years of life.

“It’s that generation. The way they were raised and the values that were instilled in them that you do your part for your country and their work ethic then was awesome. Now, it’s not,” says U.S. Marine mom, Mary Tate.

The half a million of World War II vets still living were born in the 1920’s.

“You’ve got to remember, World War II veterans are in their 90’s now, so there’s very, very few left and it won’t be long until there’s any left to talk to,” says Cuthbert.

As more of them pass away, the rest of us lose a big part of history.

That’s why it’s important to keep the World War II legacy living by educating today’s younger generations.

“We’ve got to wake them up and show them what’s going on and let them know what this generation was about and what they’ve already done,” says Vietnam veteran, Larry Marshall.