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Echoes of Honor: Reflections on the Life of Bill Halbert

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Echoes of Honor: Reflections on the Life of Bill Halbert ECHOES OF HONOR: REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF BILL HALBERT AND THE GREATEST GENERATION _____________ A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of History Sam Houston State University _____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Gerald David Mohr August, 2016 ECHOES OF HONOR: REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE OF BILL HALBERT AND THE GREATEST GENERATION by Gerald David Mohr ______________ APPROVED: Dr. J. Ross Dancy Thesis Chair Dr. James S. Olson Dr. Jeffrey L. Littlejohn Dr. Abbey Zink, Dean College of Humanities and Social Sciences DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the men, women, and children of the World War II generation whose faith, courage, and sacrifice not only saved the world from evil and injustice, but also preserved our nation and way of life. It is also offered on behalf of my devoted and loving wife, Rebecca, whose patience, kindness and patriotism are a genuine reflection of her remarkable father, about whom this story is told. iii ABSTRACT Mohr, Gerald David, Echoes of honor: Reflections on the life of Bill Halbert and the Greatest Generation. Master of Arts (History), August, 2016, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas. It was called the “Greatest Generation” – an era of Americans venerated for their extraordinary and selfless contributions to the preservation of freedom and democracy during World War II. They were a variegated mosaic of ambitious young adults and idealistic youths just coming of age, couples who had commenced budding families and nascent businesses, factory workers and farmers, manufacturing tycoons and military professionals, and little children who sensed from worried parents that their world was in peril. When the evils of German Nazism, Italian fascism, and Japanese imperialism congealed into a cancerous global cabal, the lives, liberty, and future of all were at stake. Confronting such malevolence accordingly placed unimaginable demands on the courage and character of freedom-loving people everywhere. When victory was finally secured, questions arose as to how it was ever possible against such determined, experienced and well-equipped foes. Certain conspicuous possibilities emerged: exceptional leadership in key positions of the government and military; the nation’s collective fury converted to determination and industry after the outrage of Pearl Harbor; and perhaps even the interposition of Divine Providence. But what was the degree of contribution made by the individual American at home and abroad? Could there have been extraordinary traits possessed by ordinary citizens of this generation that rendered victory certain? This work is based on the life of Bill Halbert, a U.S. Army Air Force bomber pilot assigned to the European Theatre of Operations when he was only a teenager. It explores and reveals the extraordinary attributes and actions of those citizens – before, during and iv after World War II – which distinguished that generation, and thereby rendered their country exceptional in its time. KEY WORDS: Greatest Generation, World War II, leadership, Exceptionalism, Europe. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Any work such as this requires much more than just the toils of the author. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the Sam Houston State University History Department professors who have dedicated their time, efforts and expertise to the advancement of their students and to my graduate studies for the last three years. I thank Librarian Erin Cassidy for her ready help in answering all my questions and giving sound guidance with research and readings. I expressly thank Professors J. Ross Dancy, James S. Olson, and Jeff L. Littlejohn for their patience and labors in reviewing the manuscript drafts, providing valued guidance, and rendering their scholarly influence in helping me complete this work. It has made all the difference. I am grateful to my friend and colleague Craig Huddleston for his thoughtful comments, expertise and insights. Lastly, my genuine esteem goes to Mundina Halbert O’Driscoll for her keen mastery of genealogy which, combined with thirty years of in-depth study and research, has succeeded in weaving together the heretofore lost and hidden threads of the vast Halbert family history. This project would never have been possible without her meticulous attention to detail and extraordinary efforts. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1: Background ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2: Historiography ................................................................................................ 8 1.3: Thesis Outline ............................................................................................... 23 II THE EARLY YEARS (1920 - 1939) ................................................................... 26 2.1: The Legacy of War: A Boiling Cauldron ..................................................... 27 2.2: Texas Becomes an Oil Colossus ................................................................... 43 2.3: Growing Up, Rough and Ready .................................................................... 47 III THE END OF INNOCENCE (1940-1945) .......................................................... 59 3.1: The Coming Storm........................................................................................ 62 3.2: Sneak Attack: America’s Response and Call to Action ............................... 68 3.3: Answering the Call: The American Soldier and Public Resolve ................. 70 3.4: On a Wing and a Prayer: A Texan Faces the Nazis ...................................... 73 IV WAR, WOMEN AND SONG (1946 – 1990) .................................................... 101 4.1: Post-War Prosperity: Crossroads and Contrasts ......................................... 102 4.2: The Communist Menace and a Long Cold War ......................................... 109 vii 4.3: The American Dream and the Age of Aquarius ......................................... 127 4.4: Quagmires, Quicksand and a Foundering Nation ....................................... 129 4.5: Baby Boom Babies ..................................................................................... 141 4.6: A Shining City on a Hill ............................................................................. 146 V CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 153 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 170 APPENDIX ..................................................................................................................... 177 VITA ............................................................................................................................... 194 viii 1 CHAPTER I Introduction 1.1: Background It was called the “Greatest Generation” – an era of Americans venerated for their extraordinary and selfless contributions to the preservation of freedom and democracy during World War II.1 They were a variegated mosaic of ambitious young adults and idealistic youths just coming of age, couples who had commenced budding families and nascent businesses, factory workers and farmers, manufacturing tycoons and military professionals, and little children who sensed from worried parents that their world was in peril. When the evils of German Nazism, Italian fascism, and Japanese imperialism congealed into a cancerous global cabal, the lives, liberty, and future of all were at stake. Confronting such malevolence accordingly placed unimaginable demands on the courage and character of freedom-loving people everywhere. This study is directed towards answering the question of whether Americans possessed singular and articulable attributes which distinguished the actions of the United States before, during and after World War II. It is presented through a biography of Bill Halbert, a U.S. Army Air Force pilot assigned to the European Theatre of Operations during the war. The Americans who labored and fought through this desperate period undoubtedly deserve monumental approbation for their profound sacrifice and their combined efforts in attaining victory against a powerful and pervasive enemy. However, 1 Tom Brokaw, The Greatest Generation (New York: Random House, 1998), xxx. 2 to have been appointed the “Greatest Generation” is a rather bold declaration given the other paragons of American history. To contrast the varying deeds of all the nation’s heroes over the entire span of its heritage is not the intention here. Most would agree the founders – with their ragtag army of gallant colonial farmers, and the Herculean exertions they made during the Revolution – have no equal. Nor could the prolific sacrifices of the Civil War ever be matched – which produced a butcher’s bill more dismal than any ever conceived, yet removed the scourge
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