History isn't always as distant as we think. It's hard to believe the last Civil War veteran died just six years before I was born. All in all, there have not been an exhaustive number of generations since the birth of our nation, 243 years ago. There will be a time, when the children of some of the up-and-coming kids of today may realize that their parents lived on the same planet, at the same time, as soldiers who fought the battles of World War 2.
I am happy to foster an appreciation for our military men and women. Agree or disagree with the wars they fought (or events that occur during peace time), we can assuredly agree that their service was a personal and familial sacrifice.