“The Good War”: An Oral History of World War II

Paul discusses what it was like growing up in New York as an Italian American during World War II. Italian Americans, especially those who fought in the war on the American side, “had something to prove, something macho” (140). After the war, Paul argues that Italian Americans became more assimilated and also more hostile to African American communities. However, while Italian Americans tried to join the postwar suburban dream, they were still stereotyped as criminals. In addition, “[t]he war bred the culture out of us” (143).

Although Jack Short insists wars are “all negative” (144), he credits World War II and the GI Bill with giving him a lucrative career at IBM and helping other veterans become professionals. However, he also claims that some veterans simply lived off the benefits from the GI Bill without pursuing an education. Jack adds that the experience of the Vietnam War made him question how and why the United States became involved in World War II.

A retired sheriff, McFadden recollects being a teenager who, since he was too young to enlist, worked in a factory. He was badly injured in a work accident, and his attempt to sue the factory was thrown out of court. He also recollects being arrested for violating curfew and joining the navy once he was eligible. Don notes that there was optimism during World War II, but this optimism faded after the war ended.

The mayor of Los Angeles talks about the Zoot Suit Riots of June 3-4, 1943. Since the military assigned him to handle the legal cases coming out of the riots, Tom Bradley was spared from being sent to the European front, something he credits with saving his life.

A Los Angeles upholsterer, Mickey discusses being from a poor Mexican American family and the experience of being illiterate and having a prison record in the army. Eventually, he went AWOL.

As an African American soldier in the war, Dempsey Travis recalls seeing German prisoners of war getting more freedom of movement than black American soldiers. He describes how black soldiers were heavily segregated on bases and given fewer resources than white soldiers. Once, Dempsey and a group of black soldiers were shot at in a racist attack on the base, which left Dempsey temporarily paralyzed.

A musician by the time he was interviewed, Win Strike’s experience of war was that most American soldiers were not “ideologically motivated” (160). Also, Win remembers singing a German folk song along with a German soldier, a moment of shared humanity across national and political boundaries. The GI Bill enabled Win to pursue a career in music once the war was over.

Johnny DeGrazio is a cab driver in Chicago. Drafted into the war, Johnny came from a neighborhood that highly valued masculinity and patriotism. When the possibility arose that he might be discharged on disability because of dermatitis, Johnny tried to resist. Still, most of his time in the military was spent gambling.