Of course, the description is era bound. However, the principles and displays of character are lacking in the men of today. Basic things like reliability and trust are harder to come by.
I believe that when the young men came back from the war they learned something of amazing value. They learned that if you can't count on someone with your life then you can't count on them at all. Therefore, they lived their lives so that others would be able to count on them.
It seems to me that this level of dedication and commitment isn't as common among the younger generations. People are always showing up late, missing appointments, forgetting about meetings, et cetera.