The Lost Generation :: essays papers

The Lost Generation During World War I, many of the men who fought were only about nineteen years young. These men experienced horrors beyond belief in a matter of years, which is ten times worse than a normal man experiences his whole life. This generation of men, from 1914-1918, who fought in a great war and lived in constant fear of their last breathe, while we enjoy parties, the freedom of being a teenager, and able just to kick back and enjoy life at its prime. This is the lost generation. As tensions grew in Europe during the early twentieth century young teenagers throughout were going to grade school and enjoying life to its fullest. Little do these children know that in a matter of years they will be fighting in one of the most gruesome wars in history. While they were in school the leaders of Europe were contemplating the thought of war and forming alliances. Many people thought that if they went to war, it would be over and done with before they knew it. The people who said this were the lucky ones; they didn't have to fight in it. The kids who did fight in it didn't know what to expect. They were taken from their sheltered homes and thrown into unimaginable chaos. World War I should never have been fought. It was because of a royal family feud that caused millions of deaths. How would one feel if one saw their best friend blown up right before their very own eyes? These kids saw their comrades choke to death because of the fatal mustard gas. They saw friends get shot in the stomach and die slowly of excruciating pain. The dead bodies were innumerable and they had to face their enemy eye to eye and then kill them. These men starved and had to fight off giant rats. Most of these men died of a cause they did not know. If you look at The Gulf War back in 1991, any intelligent person would say how easily we won. We decimated Iraq in a few weeks for two reasons; because of top grade equipment and because of excellently trained men. The men who fought in The Gulf War were between 26 and 27 years old. They were properly trained and had the audacity that younger soldiers lack. The older men also do not loose their youth. They had something that no one can take away, memories of their childhood and teenage years.