The Great World War 2 Afterparty is over

The Great World War 2 Afterparty is Over

Our ancestors secured eighty years of peace, effective institutions, and moral clarity. My paternal grandfather served as a bombardier in Europe during World War 2.

One Christmas in 2002, I asked him to share everything he remembered about the war. I had always deeply respected my grandparents' generation and frequently asked for their stories. However, I avoided asking directly about combat, which silently shaped and gave meaning to all else.

My other grandfather, who fought as an infantryman in the Pacific, passed away a few years earlier, taking many dark secrets with him — such as why some objects made him physically ill, and the secret wound that earned him an extra Purple Heart.

Determined not to lose the stories of my remaining grandfather, I spent a night with him as he recounted every memory. We talked through the night and into the morning.

The war was far from the polished, idealized version often portrayed in popular culture; it was marked by foolish mistakes, serious incompetence, casual brutality, and petty vices.

Above all, I realized how confused and uncertain everyone truly was during those times.

Author's summary: The personal reflections reveal World War 2 as a complex, flawed reality shaped by confusion and hardship, rather than a simple heroic narrative.

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Noah Smith | Substack Noah Smith | Substack — 2025-11-03

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