Ignorance Is Bliss...Or Is It?

Peggy Terry wrote about her lack of knowledge about the Holocaust. As far as she knew, the Nazis made up a very small portion of Germany, and the Japanese were Americans' main enemy. Terry said, "We didn't know about concentration camps. I don't think anybody I knew did. With the Japanese , that was a whole different thing. We were just ready to wipe them out. They sure as heck didn't look like us. They were yellow little creatures that smiled when they bombed our boys" (193). Americans based their judgements about Germans and Japanese on appearances and one previous event. Germans looked more similar to Americans than Japanese did, and citizens of the U.S. liked the familiarity. Americans also assumed that because a fraction of the Japanese had planned the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all the country's citizens were evil. This was not the case, when in fact, the majority of Japan's citizens just wanted Americans' approval. Terry went on to say, "It's all the movies we saw, the Germans were always tall and handsome. There'd be one meanie, a little sort dumpy bad Nazi. But the main characters were good-lookin' and they looked like us. The Japanese were all evil. If you can go half your life and not recognize how you're being manipulated, that is sad and kinda scary" (193). Americans were brainwashed into hating the Japanese above all else. Because this hatred was pounded into their heads, they failed to recognize the injustice that was taking place in other parts of the world.
Americans on the homefront were ignorant about who exactly was fighting in the war. They believed the men were macho and heroic, and enjoyed being in their current situation. However, the soldiers were young, inexperienced men who were scared out of their minds. E.B. Sledge said, "There was nothing macho about the war at all. We were a bunch of scared kids who had to do a job. People tell me don't act like an ex-marine. How is an ex-marine supposed to act? They have some Hollywood stereotype in mind. No, I don't look like John Wayne. We were in it to get it over with, so we could go back home and do what we wanted to do with our lives" (196, 197). The soldiers were anxious to serve their duty and return home - it didn't matter that they might be considered "glorious" by fighting, they just wanted to get back to their loved ones. Although protecting their country was a priority, young men rightfully considered being with their families for many years to come to be more vital.