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Hi all
My dad was being interviewd the other day for a documentary, regarding D-Day and the interviewer a young girl about 26 sort of implied that it was a long time ago,my dad replied yes it was but for who? ..he replied, "for me certain parts are like it was yesterday".
Although i live here in the US i speak to him every day(hes 80 now) he said there are cetain things that bring it back like garden centers the smell of soil always reminds him of digging foxholes and the fact that when you were digging them for some of his friends you were in effect digging a grave .
During the 60th when dad was ina Normandy village with his mate he was approuched by a man with two small children.He politely told them that he was a paciist and hated war.
My dad also told him that they also hated war and in a way he would probably find it difficult to understand.
We also politely pointed out that only by living in Freedom gave him the Choice to be what he wanted to be.
He also said that this isolated incident & was in stark
contrast to a perticulary moving occasions when young French mothers with their children told them,"We are the children and grand children your fallen comrades never had we are the children of Freedom..thank you.
Out of my dads section there are two left.
To all that never came back ..thank you.
Chris

About all I can say is a silent wow. I am sitting at this computer trying to find words and I can't find any. There is not much more that can be said. My grandfather is very old now. He served as a radioman aboard LST-1048 in the Pacific. One of his last port calls was Hiroshima shortly after the bombing (due to be 60 years ago in a couple of months). Luckily he was one of the few that didn't leave the ship due to duties, but many that did have died or are dying of cancers resulting from radiation exposure. It is these silent memories that veterans remember.

Thanks for the footnote.

Jeff

Chris,

I envy you. My dad was a WWII vet and seldom spoke of his experience. I'm glad that you have this connection. My dad died before I was able to get him to talk about it more.

Those guys have been and always will be my heroes.

Steve

I always find it interesting when people declare themselves "pacifists" and say that they hate war. I'd be willing to be that if you asked someone who has actually BEEN in combat, they'd say they hate war too, and I'd submit they have more of a right to say so.

I also really take exception to those whose intellect causes them to state that "war never solved anything".

1) The Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 didn't solve the issue of whether the United States was a separate and independent country?

2) The Civil War didn't eliminate legal slavery in the US, and ensure that we would stay one united country rather than two (or more!) much weaker nations?

3) World War II didn't replace Adolph Hitler's Nazi regime and the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" with strong and peaceful democracies?

4) The Cold War didn't finally lead to the spread of self determination throughout the countries occupied by Stalin's USSR?

While one may argue that other ways may also lead to the same end, in practice if your opponent's will is strong, you are unlikely to persuade him by any other means than force. Don't think so? Two words: Neville Chamberlain.

I can say two things about almost everyone I've ever known who wore the uniform. First they all hated the idea of having to fight, and second they all knew that if it came to it, they were ready, and it was entirely to allow those who understood and appreciated it the least to have the right to that opinion.

Tom

Amen

Very well said Tom.

Eddie