. . . but the History major in me couldn't keep from posting this article off of CNN.com.
It is very thought-provoking that out of the entirety of World War I, we only have one single veteran from such a massive conflict left in the United States. It is amazing to me how quickly the "present" can transform into "history" without so many of us ever fully appreciating it.
Take a minute to recognize and ask questions of the Veterans in your family and circle of friends. They were a part of a history that seems to escape all too quickly.
1 comment:
One of the great pleasures in my life was driving my father and mother to the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII meeting of WWII Sub Vets. I met 11 shipmates from my father's boat, USS Seal, SS 183. I think it was two days of partying and story telling. The room was full of heros. I met Admiral Eugene Fluckey, MOH, Navy Cross and I don't know how many other awards. Spoke with him and got an autographed book. http://www.valoratsea.com/MoH.htm
The stories are legend. I learned things about my father I never knew. On the first day of hostilities my father was in Manila when the Japanese attacked. He and two other sailors got on an AA gun and fired at planes without any real training. He did not know the other two guys, he said they just got on and started shooting. He did eleven war patrols in a diesel boat (sub), handled a 50 caliber machine gun in surface battles, was wounded but refused to apply for a purple heart (it really didn't hurt). Yesterday would have been dad's 92nd birthday.
My mother built B-24s during the war. She worked 7 days a week, 12 hours a day for over two years. She only got off when she had appendicitis and returned home after surgery.
Edward D. Porter
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