The war in Iraq and World War II have now both lasted three years, eight months and seven days. Veterans nostalgically recall the Good War as a time of unity on the homefront, shared sacrifice and national purpose. And Iraq? Not so much.

John Keegan, a renowned British military historian, has called World War II the greatest single event in the history of mankind. It was fought on six of the seven continents, in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and before it was over an estimated 50 million people had perished. The war in Iraq will have an indelible effect on the Middle East, and it has already deeply scarred America, but it is neither as sweeping nor as consequential as WWII.

For Americans there is another significant difference between the two wars that I find deeply troubling. In WWII, the United States was turned into a war machine and everyone had a role. Ivy League graduates were drafted or volunteered to serve alongside high school dropouts, while at home every family, rich and poor, was subject to gasoline, meat and sugar rationing. Now the American men and women who have volunteered to fight in Iraq are drawn mostly from working class communities. They're serving for modest wages at a high price while almost nothing in the way of sacrifice is being asked of those families who have no one involved. However one feels about the policies that have made such a mess of the Iraq war, it is politically and morally unacceptable to be so distanced from those in harm's way and their families.

-- Tom Brokaw, NBC special correspondent and author of "The Greatest Generation"

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A striking aspect of any comparison is that, intentionally or unintentionally, the country is doing everything in Iraq the opposite way from the way it dealt with WWII. Then, we had plans about what to do after military victory; this time, we had none. Then, we had a GI Bill of Rights for returning veterans; now, far from preparing for the problems of numerous returning wounded, Veterans Administration personnel are being cut. Then, we had higher taxes, especially on those with higher incomes; now we have lower taxes, especially for those with high incomes. Then, the president had family members in the military, one of whom died in Normandy, and his most important adviser had two sons in the war, one of whom was killed in the Marshall Islands; now, there appears to be no one in the White House with a family member in harm's way. Perhaps that is related to another difference: When our soldiers faced a new danger in Iraq, the president said "Bring ''em on"; during World War II, the president went on the radio and led the people in prayer.

-- Gerhard L. Weinberg, professor emeritus of history, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and author of "A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II"

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WWII was the seminal event of the last century and we paid a heavy price for our role, with more than 408,000 killed and even more wounded. We started the war in Iraq and what once seemed to be a relatively easy victory has turned into U.S. troops giving and risking their lives trying to quell sectarian violence with no clear victory in sight. In WWII, we had the goodwill of nearly all the American people. In Iraq, support is waning. In WWII, we knew who the enemy was. In Iraq, one is never certain. In WWII, the media coverage was far less intense, while heavy coverage of the war in Iraq contributes to the loss of American support.-

- Former senator Bob Dole (R-Kan.),served in the Army from 1942 to 1945*

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The current war in Iraq bears practically no resemblance to WWII.Fully aware that the homefront no longer supports its efforts, the American military I saw in Iraq has hunkered down. Avoiding risk, and subsequent casualties, has become a primary mission for soldiers and commanders who understand that their sacrifices have become a political liability and the subject of increasing public scorn. In Iraq, I saw Armed Forces Television commercials exhorting soldiers to "practice tactical safety." Both wars reflected the America that sent its soldiers to fight. One America rallied around an idea and committed itself to victory despite the horrible cost. One did not.

--Michael Gambone, author of "The GreatestGeneration Comes Home: The Veteran in AmericanSociety," was a military adviser attached to the 172nd Stryker Brigade, stationed at Forward Operating BaseCourage in Mosul, Iraq, from January to May 2006