By TIM GRAY

I was six years old when I first picked up a book on World War II and thought to myself, “what incredible stories.”

When I was ten years old, my parents asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and I told them “cassette tapes of Edward R. Murrow’s radio broadcasts from London during the Blitz.”

They didn’t blink an eye. They knew me.

I’ve spent my entire life reading and, for the past 17 years, chronicling in 30+ documentaries, Virtual Reality (VR) videos, and in a large museum, the stories of those who fought, died, survived, and witnessed the events of World War II. What I’ve learned from that generation is incredible and still resonates with me and you today.

The World War II Generation blueprint, left to those of us by those who were there, includes the following checklist:

• Work as a team or as Jewish B-17 pilot Bruce Sundlun (shot down over Belgium in 1943) told me, “I’m gonna help you, but I also know you’re gonna help me, and together we’ll get the job done.”
• Be humble. The World War II generation saved the world, but they rarely talk about it. No other generation deserves the spotlight on them more, yet they don’t want it or need it despite their accomplishments.
• Put your country over yourself. As World War II veteran John F. Kennedy famously said, “Ask not what your country can do for you-- ask what you can do for your country.”
• Keep moving off the beach. No matter what adversity you face in life, keep moving forward. The only way to survive Omaha Beach on D-Day was to move forward, not back, stay still, and move forward. It’s the only way to survive.
• Recognize the warning signs. Be aware. Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo also left a blueprint. Recognize those signs before forming a cohesive plan and gaining momentum—history rhymes. Before 9/11, there was December 7, 1941, for example.
• Keep the stories of World War II alive. Teach them in schools and universities. The lessons learned from that period will go a long way in preparing students for the actual adversity and challenges they will face in life and how to overcome them.

Perhaps a young person will stop and think, “How best do I solve this problem? How would someone who saved the world go about it?”

Editor’s Note: Tim Gray is the President & Founder of the World War II Foundation