Join us Thursday, October 15 at 5:30 p.m. for a Legacy Lecture by David Nasaw about his book The Wounded Generation: Coming Home After World War II. A book signing and reception will follow the presentation.
What happened after the victory parades ended?
World War II transformed the United States and the millions of Americans who served. When veterans returned, the public rituals of victory often concealed a far more difficult homecoming. Many carried physical wounds or symptoms now associated with post-traumatic stress: nightmares, rage, isolation, and despair. Families struggled to understand what had changed, while a severe housing shortage, disrupted marriages, workplace upheaval, and widespread alcoholism made readjustment harder. The benefits promised by the GI Bill opened extraordinary opportunities, but racial discrimination prevented many Black veterans from sharing equally in them.
In The Wounded Generation, historian David Nasaw moves beyond the familiar victory narrative to examine the war’s long aftermath in American homes, hospitals, workplaces, and communities. Drawing on memoirs, oral histories, and government records, he shows how veterans and their loved ones confronted suffering that medicine and public policy were often unprepared to recognize. Marshall built and sustained the citizen army that made Allied victory possible. This book follows those citizen-soldiers home, tracing their efforts to resume ordinary life and the nation’s uneven response to the obligations created by their service.
How can I attend?
The event is free to the public, but reservations are required. To reserve a seat, or for more information about the event, contact [email protected] or call 540.463.7103, ext. 138.
How can I watch from home?
The presentation will also be livestreamed on the Marshall Foundation YouTube channel (https://bit.ly/2Or0E8D) simultaneously. Viewers of the stream are encouraged to write questions using the live video chat (to the lower right of the video) or via email at [email protected]. Chat will be monitored for abusive comments.
Who is David Nasaw?
David Nasaw is a historian, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, and bestselling author. His books include The Last Million, The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy, Andrew Carnegie, and the Bancroft Prize-winning The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst. He is the Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Professor of History Emeritus at the CUNY Graduate Center and a past president of the Society of American Historians. In 2023, the New York Public Library named him a Library Lion.
Related content
Hear the uncensored voices of American servicemen discussing combat, mental and physical health, and their plans for life after the war in The American Soldier in World War II; learn how the Women Airforce Service Pilots fought for decades to receive veteran recognition and benefits; and explore how Black Americans fought fascism overseas while demanding democracy and equal treatment at home in Half American.
The George C. Marshall Foundation Legacy Series is sponsored by:
Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation; Edward Jones; CornerStone Bank; Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club; Raymond James; and Mr. Ted Judt