What an insulting and incorrect comment.
Except for the Germans, Russians & Japanese, the casualty rate during WWII was nothing compared to WWI. For example, the UK lost 1m vs 350k; France 1.4 vs 250K. In fact, while the US lost 350k in WWII over a much longer & wider global scale, we lost 55k in less than 6 mos of fighting in WWI.
What an insulting and incorrect comment.
They don't call it the "Lost Generation" for nothing. During the first 2 years, before sentiment turned against the war, it was considered a noble undertaking to volunteer & fight. The soldiers climbing out of those trenches and getting mowed down by the tens of thousands in a single day weren't just mechanics; they were comprised of entire graduating classes from Oxbridge ie the future leaders.
The ones who survived where either (a) extremely lucky, or (b) most likely, those performing supporting roles or simply not engaged in battle.