They have been described as courageous and patriotic. They have lived though wars and economic turmoil. Yet they also have been described as humble and hesitant to offer their opinions unless asked.

This generation of Americans, dubbed by Tom Brokaw as "the Greatest Generation," was born early in the 20th century and was shaped by their experiences in the Great Depression and WWII.

In his book, Mr. Brokaw describes this generation as being of "towering achievement" and "modest demeanor."

In their "tumultuous journey through adversity and achievement," Mr. Brokaw wrote, there were those who failed to measure up, but as a whole, this generation was motivated by duty and patriotism.

Over the past year, a seemingly limitless number of pundits have weighed in on the economy, the election of Barack Obama, and military issues such as the war in Iraq.

This Veterans Day, we sat down with some local veterans of World War II to ask their opinions on these issues.

Not surprisingly, their views on some issues are as varied as the general population.

On other issues, however, they often agree.

Veterans we talked to mostly agreed that today's economic downturn does not compare with the Great Depression. They also think that Americans should be more responsible with credit.

"You were lucky to have a job, and if you did, it paid very little," said Joe McCarthy, 85, of Mt. Lebanon, in describing the Great Depression. "There were no desserts or movies. It's hard to describe."

"Today, Americans spend money on too many things," said Mr. McCarthy, who served in the Army. He pays off his credit cards in full every month, he said.

"[Americans] are still throwing money around like we have it, and we don't," said William Warhold, 82, of Castle Shannon, who served in the Navy.

Americans need to "buckle up a little bit and ride it out," said Jim Theys, 87, of Cranberry, who recalls waiting in soup lines during the Depression.

Companies moving their businesses and operations abroad is hurting the economy, said George Herwig, 86, of West Mifflin, whose family "lost everything" in the Great Depression.

"Americans are starting to learn what it means to sacrifice," said Mr. Herwig, who served in the Coast Guard.

While the veterans were mixed on their support for Barack Obama as a candidate, they all agreed that they would support him now that he has been elected.

Most veterans declined to answer whether Mr. Obama will make a good commander-in-chief. That remains to be seen, they said. Successful military operations, they said, depend heavily "on the men and women on the ground."

Some questioned whether Obama has enough military experience to fulfill the role.

"Unless you've been there, you can't know what it's like," said Robert Daley, 81, of Mt. Lebanon, who served in the Marines.

But Mr. Warhold, who won a Purple Heart for his service in World War II, said that military experience was not crucial to being an effective commander-in-chief. The generals should be able to guide the president-elect, he said.

Some veterans in this casual poll said the war in Iraq is not winnable and the troops should pull out, while others, like Mr. Daley, said that pulling the troops out now would be a "fiasco."

"I wouldn't pull out yet. We'll be back if we pull out too early," Mr. Daley said.

Yet, other veterans, such as Mr. Warhold, support President-elect Obama's plan for a pullout. "It's a lost situation for us," he said of the war.

"It was a mistake to go in there in the first place," Mr. Herwig said. "But now that we're there, I'm hoping it will be an honorable exit."

Other veterans declined to comment on the war, saying the issue was complex.

While some veterans believe that sending more troops to Afghanistan was a good idea, others said they were unsure whether the war there is "winnable."

For Mr. Daley, Iran is a concern. "It's going to be a terrible threat," he said of the possibility that the country could acquire nuclear weapons.

Mr. Theys, who served in the Air Force, is concerned about tension with foreign countries and said that he thinks about threats from North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and Russia "every day."

America should keep its troops out of foreign countries and should instead provide others means of support, such as financial aid, for routing out terrorist groups like al-Qaida, Mr. Herwig said.

The veterans all said that they support Gen. David Petraeus, U. S. Central Command chief, calling him a "straight-shooter" and saying that "his men love him."

Not all agreed on whether America should return to a draft, and if so, whether women should be included.

Mike Cheberenchick, 87, of Castle Shannon, said that America's interests are best served with an all-volunteer military.

A draft would be good for men and women, Mr. Herwig said. "Young people should learn to protect themselves," he said, "and a draft would be good for the country."

America is overextending its troops by entering wars that it cannot win, said Mr. Warhold, and as a result, the country may be forced to return to a draft. If that happens, he said, women should be included.

Many said they would like to see the United States return to a position of greater respect and influence in the international community.

The strength of America is its families, said Mr. McCarthy, who has 10 children. "Children who are brought up properly seem to get good jobs and be successful," he said.

Mr. Theys agreed that values such as hard work, duty and loyalty are instilled from generation to generation. "How do you teach something like that?"

Studying American history is imperative, Mr. Theys said. "It's important to know where we've come, so we don't repeat our mistakes," he said.

Nothing replaces initiative, said Mr. Cheberenchick, who served in the Army. "People should not sit around and wait for someone to hand them things," he said. "Make your move and get what you want."

The strength of the country's military is its recruits, Mr. Daley said.

"I'm so very proud of the young people who are enlisting today," said Mr. Daley, whose brother was killed in World War II. "They serve out of a sense of patriotism and duty."