The label refers to the generation that went to war. Many were just old enough to vote for FDR’s 4th term. I was too young to soldier and my dad to old. We youngsters campaigned to sell defense stamps, cleaned and crushed tin cans for the recycle pickup and pedaled the can of bacon fat to the butcher to save gas and get the 12 cents.

My dad had long red flannel underwear that he wore to spend half the night atop the tallest building in town to watch for bombers. (East coast, first year)

We had buckets of and in the school halls to throw on “incendiary bombs.” Which, being magnesium flares, would burn more furiously if watered.

I would eat my cereal without sugar, putting a teaspoon’s worth in a jar until I had enough to make candy.

People who lavished their spare money on luxuries instead of buying War-bonds were called “Squander bugs.”

The American people functioned more in unison than possibly any other time in history.
It was an interesting time to be raised in.

" I don't think the WWII generation lands in my top 30."

If you even go back as far as 1624 (first settlers), there have been around 15 generations of white Americans.
Thankfully, most of us DO recognize the astounding sacrifices of my parent's (Great Depression, WWII, Korea) generation.
I doubt that this generation would ever rally to fight evil, like what was witnessed in WWII.

Consider the source of the label and the financial interest of that person. Can't sell any books to a dead generation. There have been many admirable people in every generation, but the leaders of America have declined pretty steadily over time. The biggest thing that the depression era generation accomplished was to prevent Nazi Germany from conquering Europe, but they also allowed government to take most rights away from individuals. Later generations have done just as badly on that front. All of us living should be ashamed of our generation's poor performance on defense of liberty.