"Boardwalk Empire" and WWI vets

[gwb123]

Imagine... young men sent off to war in foreign land, exposed to unimaginable horrors, returning home physically and mentally scarred to broken relationships, inadequate medical care, gladhanding civilians, and no jobs.

 

Sound recent and familiar? Perhaps. But the time is 1920, the better part of a century ago.

 

My wife was kind enough to give me Season 1 of HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" over the holidays and I have quickly burned my way through it.

 

While it is the fictional story of power and corruption in Atlantic City during Prohibition, it is a quite credible rendering of the period.

 

Two of main characters are returning WWI veterans. While eager to forget the war, they have seen violence of the worse kind and do not shy away with using it as a means to make a living and move up in the world.

 

Before I get a storm of emails, of course not every WWI vet turned to a life of crime. For many, it was dependent on what opportunities they had or did not have when they returned.

 

However, there were those who did, and brought the weapons of modern war into the criminal realm. Violent crime was taken to a whole new level with the Colt, BAR and Thompson submachine gun. The echos of that escalation are still with us today.

 

But this is not just a cops and robbers story with unending explosions of Tommy gun fire. We see these men trying to reconnect to the world the left behind, especially their broken family relationships. It's painful to watch. It's the stories our grandparents did not tell us.

 

For those with an interest in this period, it makes you confront the question: What happened when the troops came home?

 

(CAUTION: Like many HBO series, Boardwalk Empire is full of explicit sex, vice and violence reflecting the mores and events of the time. If that is not something you wish to view, avoid this series.)

[Garandomatic]

I loved what I saw of it. Thought it captured the look and feel pretty well.

[TreasureHunter]

Awesome series, seen all 4 seasons. It does show many sides of America at the time what the veterans went thru.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I467 using Tapatalk

 

 

[Terry K.]

I too think it is a great series. The stories and how they put the original music to it is awsome

[teufelhunde.ret]

Have not missed an episode since coming onto HBO. Superb adaptation of Johnson's book, a worthwhile read and should be on everyone's must read list.

[brad k]

it's the only reason I pay for HBO, I love that show.

[abn325]

The character that was wounded in the face…..perfectly portrayed.

[strawberry 9]

Richard Harrow is my favorite character in the series. There is another character in the series that served in the Philippine-American war and he became an alcoholic afterwards.

[abn325]

Richard Harrow is my favorite character in the series. There is another character in the series that served in the Philippine-American war and he became an alcoholic afterwards.

Thats the guy, Richard Harrow, perfectly portrayed in my estimation.

[bellasilva]

Absolutely incredible show, impeccable acting. Unfortunately this fall will be the final season but stick it through, you will not regret it.

[Dave]

Wow...I had no idea that was the plot of the series. Once I get done with my book, I hope to get a chance to watch it.

 

As an aside...this part of wars always fascinates me...thus part of the reason I'm writing my book the way I am: a full biography of each of the medal recipients, to include what happened AFTER they came home. All too often, people think that as soon as the "bag guys" put their hands in the air and waved white flags, everything was a-okay; people went back to their jobs, the "winning" soldiers came home to ticker tape parades, loving wives, smiling girlfriends, and 2.1 children. And once the parades were over, they all got great paying jobs, stayed healthy, and were the force to bring our nation to greatness. That happened...sometimes, but it was more of a rarity than the rule.

 

Once the guns stopped firing, the embittered enemy had no where to go, nothing to eat, supporting a collapsed economy with starvation knocking at the doorstep. Both wars in Europe led to humanitarian disasters of unprecedented proportions. People were still getting shot and killed long after the "real" surrender, and when the "winning" troops came back to this country and after the ticker tape parades, they went home to find their wife or girlfriend had run off, they had no job, few appreciable skills and a whole load of bad memories. That was reality, but is forgotten by most everyone.

 

I really look forward to seeing the series!

 

Dave

[gwb123]

Dave... it's a subplot, not the main story line. But that is what is so good about the series... it interweaves a number of issues of the day ranging from bootlegging to the right for women to vote. I think you'll enjoy it.

[jguy1986]

I love Boardwalk Empire, at least up until the last episode they aired (still angry over that plot development -- other devoted viewers will understand what I'm referring to, but no spoilers here). I always hoped they'd show a more in-depth episode of both Jimmy's and Richard's experiences over there, to show the roots of their wounds, both physical and emotional.

 

-- Jon

[abn325]

Wow...I had no idea that was the plot of the series. Once I get done with my book, I hope to get a chance to watch it.

 

As an aside...this part of wars always fascinates me...thus part of the reason I'm writing my book the way I am: a full biography of each of the medal recipients, to include what happened AFTER they came home. All too often, people think that as soon as the "bag guys" put their hands in the air and waved white flags, everything was a-okay; people went back to their jobs, the "winning" soldiers came home to ticker tape parades, loving wives, smiling girlfriends, and 2.1 children. And once the parades were over, they all got great paying jobs, stayed healthy, and were the force to bring our nation to greatness. That happened...sometimes, but it was more of a rarity than the rule.

 

Once the guns stopped firing, the embittered enemy had no where to go, nothing to eat, supporting a collapsed economy with starvation knocking at the doorstep. Both wars in Europe led to humanitarian disasters of unprecedented proportions. People were still getting shot and killed long after the "real" surrender, and when the "winning" troops came back to this country and after the ticker tape parades, they went home to find their wife or girlfriend had run off, they had no job, few appreciable skills and a whole load of bad memories. That was reality, but is forgotten by most everyone.

 

I really look forward to seeing the series!

 

Dave

I think its always the same, I mean, what do you come home to? I can tell you honestly I had a hell of a time, still not out of the woods and I don't think I ever will be. I work as an outreach specialist in the Department of Veterans affairs and I see it every day, not just in my peer group of OIF/OEF, but WW2 on up to us. It is what it is brother.