[CaptainHaplo]

OK - as a student of history, there are reasons WHY the ETO is more often seen as the "major" area of conflict.

These are pointed out for discussion - so feel free to reasonably try and rebut them.

#1. The ETO was where the majority of Aggression against the Allied powers occured with great publicity. The invasion of Poland, France, the BoB, etc, where major news stories of the day. These occured while the PTO was a "Phony War" in many ways for the majority of the Allies - they were "minor" losses compared to the immediate "next door" threats.

#2. America in the PTO didn't get officially involved until late 41..... where the ETO was established in the Euro (and American) civilian mind since at least 1939. Yes, you had groups like the AVG fighting before Pearl, but those exploits were not "major news". Even to the Americans at the time prior to PH - the war was mainly a "European" one. After PH - that changed.

#3. Once VE day hit, the PTO was also already decided - it was a matter of time (barring a huge blunder) and there was little to nothing the Japanese could do about it. Adm. Yamato was prescient when he spoke of awakening the sleeping giant.

#4. The fact that WW1 was so recent in the civilian psycology - along with the way WW1 combat was sometimes romanticized (specifically the Air War) made the air war specifically suited to major interest for the media.

#5. Continuing this theme - Major media (and thus American Civilians) often did not see the threat the PTO held until Pearl Harbor.

#6. After PH - The west coast did not have to deal with seeing ships sunk - the East Coast had not only mandatory blackouts - but there were times you could see the war up close - watching a ship burn and sink from the beach. Thus - the Atlantic (and thus the ETO) came "home" in more ways than the PTO did (other than PH itself).

This is not to say that the PTO was easy or a "sideshow" - it definitely was not. But there are reasons why the ETO is still seen as the more "major" of the theatres. Doesn't mean that its accurate - war is hell no matter where its fought. But it is less recognized for many reasons - some of them listed above.