Americans' Lack of Education in History Is a Worry .

[Karina1974]

Boomers are babies born in the post-WWII baby boom. The fathers fought in the war. As the war ended in 1945 and men who fought in it were between 20 and 30, more or less, their children could have been born up until 1965.

However, not all children born in that time period had fathers who fought in the war. Mr. Japanfan was born in 1963 to a mom and dad who were both 20. His dad was too young to have gone to war, so technically he's not a baby boomer.

That's true. I have 10 1st cousins on my father's side. 8 of them were born between 1959 and 1965 (at least one every year, 2 in 1962), and all of their parents were kids during the war.

An even more oddball generational cross is the fact that I recently found out that my almost-72-year-old dad has a 16 year old 1st cousin. Yep, this kid's father was born in 1920, and was my paternal grandmother's youngest sibling. If you go by family tree, he's in my dad's generation, but by the generation definitions, he's a Generation Y.

[emason]

Boomers are babies born in the post-WWII baby boom.

Correct, and whether their fathers fought in the war is completely irrelevant. My father worked in a defense plant making maps; he was not in the service, but I was born in 1946 and I am a boomer. It's the time period that determines if one is a boomer or not.

[vesperholly]

Correct, and whether their fathers fought in the war is completely irrelevant. My father worked in a defense plant making maps; he was not in the service, but I was born in 1946 and I am a boomer. It's the time period that determines if one is a boomer or not.

That's reducing a generality to minutia. I said it as a rough guideline. Also, it's not irrelevant. Returning WWII veterans and the war itself ending were major causes of the boom, especially at the beginning. Certainly there were many people who were age-eligible to fight in WWII and did not, and whose children were boomers. There are exceptions to everything.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-Wo..._II_baby_boom:

Historical and Social background
When the war ended in 1945, millions of veterans returned home and were forced to integrate. To help the integration process, Congress passed the G.I. Bill of Rights. This bill encouraged home ownership and investment in higher education through the distribution of loans at low or no interest rates to veterans.
Returning G.I.’s were getting married, starting families, pursuing higher education and buying their first homes. With veteran’s benefits, the twenty-somethings found new homes in planned communities on the outskirts of American cities. This group, whose formative years covered the Great Depression, were a generation hardened by poverty and deprived of the security of a home or job. Now thriving on the American Dream, life was simple, jobs were plentiful and babies were booming.

[emason]

I was responding to Japanfan, not to you, vesperholly. Yes, the boom came because lots of servicemen returned home, but it also came because those who didn't go to war felt that bad times were over, good times were at hand and it was a safe time to start a family.

I am not reducing anything to minutia. It's a baby boom because the population surged and tons of babies were born; what their parents did or didn't do for the war effort is totally beside the point.

[smurfy]

When I was in college, I took several history classes, and the professor that taught US history was great. Older gent, always wore a bowtie, well prepared, great teacher and very kind and seemed reserved. One student that was a nerdy guy, and nicknamed 'Doonesbury' behind his back, always had to make some kind of statement to make things sound more complex etc and came across as obnoxious and a showoff. When we were discussing the baby boom, Doonesbury interjected something about economics and blah blah blah. The very proper professor stopped him short and said it was due to 'Sex'. The whole class was laughing so hard.

I always thought when a generation was named such as Baby Boom, Gen X, it relates to the year of birth, and nothing to do with the parents.

My dad turned 18 in Jan 46, was drafted and served in the Phillipines, and was allowed early discharge when his father died in 47, so he served less than 2 years. We learned when my father died he he was considered a WWII Era Vet, and we received a letter from the president, a flag and a cemetery stone. We were shocked he was in the classification.

[Karina1974]

My dad turned 18 in Jan 46, was drafted and served in the Phillipines, and was allowed early discharge when his father died in 47, so he served less than 2 years. We learned when my father died he he was considered a WWII Era Vet, and we received a letter from the president, a flag and a cemetery stone. We were shocked he was in the classification.

The key word there is "Era". I know someone who served in the USAF Security Service in Okinawa from 1960 to 1963. He has a jacket with a logo on the back that says "Vietnam Era Vet" even though he (to my knowledge) never served in Vietnam.

[PDilemma]

The key word there is "Era". I know someone who served in the USAF Security Service in Okinawa from 1960 to 1963. He has a jacket with a logo on the back that says "Vietnam Era Vet" even though he (to my knowledge) never served in Vietnam.

My father was a USAF MP from 1960 to 1964. He served in the UK, Spain and on U.S. bases. He is officially considered a Vietnam era vet as well, but I really doubt he would wear such a jacket as he doesn't like to make that claim since he was never there.

[smurfy]

Was Vietnam ever officially declared a 'war'? I seem to remember it was not an official war, whatever that means, especially to those that gave their lives. Meaning Congress formally declares war??

[smurfy]

Was Vietnam ever officially declared a 'war'? I seem to remember it was not an official war, whatever that means, especially to those that gave their lives. Meaning Congress formally declares war??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declara..._United_States

I looked it up, and based on this, even Iraq and Afghanistan are not.

[Civic]

The key word there is "Era". I know someone who served in the USAF Security Service in Okinawa from 1960 to 1963. He has a jacket with a logo on the back that says "Vietnam Era Vet" even though he (to my knowledge) never served in Vietnam.

Yep. My father served in the USAF between 1953-57. He didn't see combat and never even left the US. However, he was still considered a Korean War era veteran. Which is not the same as being a Korean War veteran.

I always assumed my two elder sisters and I (born in 1954, 1958 and 1959 respectively) were baby boomers since we were born between 1946-1960.

[jlai]

Just wanna continue this discussion re: the usefulness of history...

Speaking of communications, I always wonder why unis don't require eta: more history or economics courses for journalism or ETA: public affairs degrees. Subject knowledge always helps IMHO. (I'm continuing that discussion there http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=80410&page=10)

[Orable]

Interesting convo...As for me, the reason I think knowing dates in history are important is because it helps the student (whether a child or an adult) link disparate events/movements together. The years 1948/1947 for example, were seminal decolonization years. They birthed Pakistan & India which is relevant today since it also birthed the "orphan" Kashmir. 1948 of course was also the year that Israel was created and the Palestinian saga started. Pakistan/India/Israel/Palestine may not all be in the same region, but their genesis was in the same 2 years and those two years were important bc they were when European colonial powers were devastated post-war and also led to decolonization and freedom for the majority of the peoples of Africa, the Middle East and Asia in the subsequent decade.

So, 1948? In and of itself, dates are not the most interesting things to remember. But to know about the different (seemingly unconnected) events in two different regions of the world and be able to link them to a bigger global movement that happened during that time and which affects us to this day? Priceless

Full disclosure: I am a history geek and nerd and freak and damn proud of it

[Holley Calmes]

Full disclosure: I am a history geek and nerd and freak and damn proud of it

Me too, and a lover of eras nobody probably cares about so I won't go totally full disclosure myself.

But I will say-nothing will give you a totally different turn on history than having close friends from different countries. Puts a whole different perspective on everything.

[gkelly]

Me too, and a lover of eras nobody probably cares about so I won't go totally full disclosure myself.

Are you embarrassed about your beloved eras?

[Holley Calmes]

No, I just don't want to bore anybody, because I can get on my soapbox and never get off. The American Revolution, particularly in the south, is my biggie. But I love everything about the Trojan War, Minoans, and TE Lawrence. Plus more, but that just gives you an idea of how scattered my brain tends to be.

[Vagabond]

The American Revolution, particularly in the south, is my biggie.

That was in the sixteenth century, right?

[Karina1974]

Full disclosure: I am a history geek and nerd and freak and damn proud of it

ITA. So am I, to the extent where I sometimes feel like I was born at the wrong time. My focus is more on the social/cultural history of certain time periods; basically, the late 1800s up through when I could remember things for myself.

If they ever do come with a way to time-travel, I would be the first in line!

[Holley Calmes]

That was in the sixteenth century, right?

Oh my God, how pathetic. How could ANYBODY think that????? Didn't he ever watch the Swamp Fox on Walt Disney????

Seriously, some fun stories came out of the Carolinas during 1779-81. But that's just my own weird little corner of history.

[kia_4EverOnIce]

Full disclosure: I am a history geek and nerd and freak and damn proud of it

me too...I'm in classics and late antiquity's history&archaeology, and I spent some teenagers days realising a big timeline (starting from 3000BC, I gave up around XIcentury AD!)