We Were Amateur Soldiers: How the Great Generation Changed the Face of America

By Martin Olsen with Victor DiGenti

Martin Olsen, a veteran of WW II, considered himself a lucky man. He was an amateur soldier who fought in the European theater and became part of the Great Generation that launched new industries and sent men to the moon. His story is one of faith and self-confidence, recounting how he emerged from the war to grow his father’s small business into a market leader. It is Marty’s story, and yet America’s story as well.1