V Was for Victory.... (8)

Politics and American Culture During WWII (8). John Morton Blum. New York and London: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 1976.

Why read it? Perspective from the Home Front in World War II. The effects of American propaganda on the American people. A completely different view of a war from our more recent wars, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan.

Ideas:

“The President, deliberately avoiding talk about grand post-war plans, concentrated on victory first and almost exclusively.” p. 68.

“But all I want to do is beat these Nazi sons-of-bitches so we can get at those little Jap bastards.” p. 69.

Ernie Pyle: “You don’t fight a Kraut by Marquis of Queensbury rules.  You shoot him in the back, you blow him apart with mines, you kill or maim him…with the least danger to yourself and he does the same to you…and if you don’t beat him at his own game, you don’t live to appreciate your own nobleness.” p. 69.

Billboard over Tulagi harbor: “Kill Japs; kill more Japs; you will be doing your part if you help to kill those yellow bastards.” p. 69.

“German reporting stressed the bravery of military groups rather than individual soldiers.” p. 71.

To be continued.