WWII veteran Samuel Hynes talks about the lasting effects of the war on his generation.

FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

RELATED CONTENT

A World War II veteran shares the story of the harrowing six months he spent in German prison camps and his eventual triumphant return to the United States. At just 18 years old, Hjalmar Johansson went on his first WWII mission as a nose gunner in a B-24 bomber. When his squadron came under heavy fire, Hjalmar and the rest of the crew were forced to abandon their plane behind enemy lines with no help in sight.

Take a look at how 9/11 became a benchmark for whole generations of young Americans, influencing their attitudes about service, terror, and hope.

Explore the existence of the generation gap that took place in the 1960's through this Ask Steve video. Steve Gillon explains there was even a larger gap between the Baby Boomers themselves than the Baby Boomers and the Greatest Generation. The massive Baby Boomers Generation was born between 1946 and 1964, consisting of nearly 78 million people. The Baby Boomers were coming of age in the 1960's, and held different cultural values than the Greatest Generation. The Greatest Generation lived in a time of self-denial, while the Baby Boomers were always seeking immediate gratification. However, the Baby Boomers were more divided amongst themselves. Not all of them were considered hippies and protesters. In fact, people under the age of 28 supported the Vietnam War in greater numbers than their parents. These divisions continue to play out today.

Thanks to WWII veteran Roger Durbin the National WWII Memorial opened at the Rainbow Pool in 1995.

The Allies use double agents, code breakers and spies to undermine the German military throughout WWII, but cracking the Enigma code proves to be their greatest breakthrough.

Senator Daniel Inouye fought to prove his American patriotism.