May 5, 1945 - we shall remember.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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My grandfather, who died in 1995, was a WWII veteran. He didn’t talk much about it at all. I knew that he was a prison guard at Sagano prison in Japan, but that’s all I knew, until just last week. I found out he saw combat, and a lot of it. My family is in the process of cleaning out my grandmother’s house, so my uncle can move in to it. My uncle found a knife with a swastika on it. Turns out, my grandfather took this knife off the body of a German soldier that he had killed in combat. The soldiers were instructed to take all the weapons they could, so that they would be unavailable to the “enemy.”

I cannot fathom the horror of war. I think it’s because I was born with freedom, and have been living in freedom for over 30 years now. Reading Coldfire’s post reminded me that not everyone has freedom, and my grandfather fought for freedom. Not mine, really. A corn-fed Iowa farm boy chose to enlist at the age of 16 (he lied to get in), and go fight for the freedom of the people living on another continent.

Thank you, Coldfire, for making me think for a minute. Thank you.

22

Well, this certainly choked me up.

My Dad fought against the Germans. He was wounded and captured and spent the last two years of the war as a POW.

It was an ugly, ugly time.

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Obviously a excellent post. I do appreciate the sentiment, and many Americans do feel tremendous pride over the events, justifiably so. Unforunately many people have been jaded by the politics of the Vietnamese war, and the noblest sacrifices in all wars as a result are lost to ignorance.

[hijack] I do wonder why you grouped the British with the Canadians and the Americans. AFAIK they were always in quite immediate danger strategically and econimically, and had no practical choice of whether to enter the war. [/hijack]

My grandfather was a first generation American, son of German born parents only a few years naturalized, he fought in the US Army in WWII. I imagine he was experiencing some deep issues being of German background at that time. He died when I was only a grade schooler and I never heard his stories, not even sure which theater he fought in. Wish I could change that, he was a quiet guy, didn’t share much about his life, or his past. He was definately old school, keeping his feelings to himself. I wonder what things died with him, never to be heard. My dad served in 'Nam, and he’s never shared his stories with me either. One day maybe that’ll change.
Anyways, its good to know certain things are kept in persective, and the memories are never truely dead. One of the things everyone should do, visiting the War memorials. Suddenly Elian doesn’t seem so damn important.

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Thank you Coldfire, and everybody who shared stories.

That was beautiful.

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Coldfire, that was fantastic. Thanks for posting that, I’m almost in tears.

I can only second Coldfires words: We owe the people who were there an enormous debt of gratitude, and we’re aware of it. If you know any, make sure to tell them that.

Back home, they put lit candles in the windows in the evening of the 4th - and the official ceremony is held in the very place where the Nazists executed resistance fighters. Sigh - I really long for home, now. This date is not really commemorated in Germany, as you might imagine.

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I knew I liked you Coldfire.

I recently found out that my great-grandfather fought against, and was captured by, the Germans in WWII. Eventually he was released and went home to the States to be with his family. He later went to Korea and was killed there by a sniper.

It takes an amazing individual to fight for the freedom of not only themselves, but for others as well. Everyone, everywhere, who has ever fought for the freedom of others, belongs in that category of amazing individuals.

As an American, it is easy to take for granted that you are a free person. Never forget that not only are you free, there are others in the world who want the same thing.

Freedom.

Thanks for making me remember that I am free.

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In 1973, the year Coldfire was born, I was already out in the wide world and was only a year away from getting married.

I take back all the ugly things I said about Gen X-ers (well, most of them).

:slight_smile:

P.S. I loved Soldier of Orange.

28

Coldfire, thank you for your eloquent and moving post. Thank you to all those who have responded as well.

My father joined the Navy only two months after the Germans surrendered. He had not quite finished basic training when the Japanese surrendered. He did, however, serve during Korea and Vietnam.

His father, my paternal grandfather, served in WWI in one of the first American units sent to France. He saw his commander and friend killed by a sniper bullet. My uncle is named for him. Grandfather served in five major battles, but never spoke of them until he was on his deathbed.

The sacrifices that these men and their families made can never really be repaid. The best we can do is to never forget what the cost of freedom is. I wish that more people had a better understanding of what those times were like for everyone involved.

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Thanks Coldy, that was truly beautiful.

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Ditto what everyone else said, Coldie. The one thing I’d have to disagree with it that we Americans were not fighting out of the goodness of our heart. We were in as much danger as the rest of you. We had it coming from Japan and Germany, from both sides. But Coldie, I am going to send your post to my father, he works for the Veteran’s Administration. I am sure his clients will appreachiate your post quite a bit.

For us Ammies, it is important to realise, to quote that WWII Memorial commerical with Tom Hanks: “These men did nothing less then save the world.” And that many of them have families that have moved, or died. Or maybe they don’t have any family. These are men who quite literally saved our asses, and many of them are lonely and forgotten. A couple hours with a vet, talking about his day, talking about your day, would mean a world of difference to some of these guys. Call the Amerian Legion, or your local nursing home. I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon.

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I’ll let my father know. Thanks.

Esprix

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To do good for mankind is the chivalrous plan,
And is oft as nobly requited.
So battle for freedom where’er you can,
And if not shot or hanged, you’ll be knighted.

Byron.

33

Thank you, Coldfire.
I literally had to wipe away the tears before I could post. I will share it with the last surviving WWII veteran in my family. I will also be posting up here at work. People need reminding once in a while.

blow kiss

34

I debated with myself about whether to post this, not knowing how it would be received, but I finally couldn’t help myself.

My great uncle was a dive bomber pilot in the Pacific theater. He died fairly recently, and while his family was going through his things, they found a stack of old newspaper clippings and letters, mostly from '44 and '45, taken from the local paper of a small town. I think his mother clipped them while he was overseas. I haven’t finished reading them all yet, but after looking over about 50 of them, I’m utterly amazed at the mindset displayed during the war years, both by the vets and by those at home. They were totally dedicated to their cause, and never seemed to have any thought that they would rather not have joined.

I was especially impressed with the way they dealt with their own injuries, both physical and psychological, with such resilience and good humor. My uncle was but one example, but I know his experience best through his letters. Shortly after the war ended in 1945, he was riding in an airplane that crashed on the end of the runway. He wound up being severly burned, mostly on his face and upper body. The stack of clippings includes both his letters about the incident and the official notice from the War Department that “Your son has been injured…” In his letters, he glossed over the burns. He insisted that all was well, and basically passed it off as if it was a scratch. He didn’t complain, and was perpetually optimistic, telling his family how much he wanted to get home so he could just resume simple pleasures. It turns out that when he finally did arrive home months later, his family didn’t recognize him due to the severity of the burns. Much later, when asked why he had hidden the nature of his injuries, he told them that he didn’t want to worry them. I think this says a lot about him and his generation. Here was a family, like many, many others, in which every member had a lot to be upset about. Those at home had been doing without for years, and were in constant worry anyway about their sons overseas. Yet, this seems to pale in comparison to those who actually were overseas, and very nearly died, walking away with terrible scars. If anyone had a right to be bitter, upset, and angry, it was him. He could have complained, and he could have lorded his experience over others thereafter. Instead, he tried to take care of their collective peace of mind by glossing over it. A man in such a painful condition took the time to write a letter to the local paper with jokes in it about how his gunner, who sat behind him in the plane they flew, was mad about the fact that they had just received their first bit of chewing tobacco in some time, and my uncle hadn’t quite mastered the art of spitting from an open cockpit without offending the gunner behind him (gross, I know, but it was funny nonetheless). And he continued to say that all was well, which was an exaggeration to say the least.

I truly wonder if we would display the same character traits in today’s “me-me” culture. After all, he was about 25 years old at the time, the same age that many of the posters on this message board are today. It just seems hard to relate.

It has been oft repeated in this thread that we owe these vets our gratitude. These old clippings make me realize that we also have to admire them, just for their guts under pressure and their ability to stay sane during extraordinary times.

As a side note, the clippings and letters are going to a museum after they make the rounds through my relatives. If anybody else has a similar collection, I encourage you to do the same.

35

Sigmund, it’s important to remember that many of the men and women who fought in WWII also grew up during the depression, often fighting to help thier families survive. Then they reach adulthood, and fight WWII. Tom Brokaw did a great series entitled “The Greatest Generation.” You might want to check it out, I think you’d enjoy it.

36

I read this topic last night and was so overwhelmed by emotions that I couldn’t find the words to respond. Had I tried, I wouldn’t even have been able to see them through the tears streaming down my face. Coldfire, thank you for the most touching and poignant post I’ve ever read.

I don’t have any family members who either fought in the War or who lived in Europe at that time (at least not that I know of). But being Jewish, I have always felt that I had about 10 million family members there - including those who were exterminated and those who survived. As a Jew, I feel I owe to those who put their lives on the line, and often lost them, a debt of gratitude beyond that which I am capable of expressing.

It’s just not enough, but thank you to each and every man and woman who has ever worn a uniform and fought in the name of Peace and Freedom for people everywhere.

Thank you to everyone here who has shared their stories. And welcome, London. It seems you’ll be a fine addition to the Straight Dope community.

Bless you, Coldfire, for this beautiful topic.

37

COLDFIRE – Add me to the list of readers reduced to tears by your post. It was beautiful. It’s words like yours that help ensure that we can keep the promise we made at the end of that war: Never Again. When I have children, I will take pride in telling them about how a man born 30 years after the war ended still felt compelled to express his gratitute to those who assisted his country.

And if my grandfather was still with us, he would beam at you and tell you that you are very welcome.

38

Let me join the chorus thanking you, Coldfire, for a very thoughtful and moving post. Gave me the chillies.

Very quietly, with no fanfare, throughout North America and Europe, something very profound and bittersweet is happening right now. The generation that literally saved our planet – the World War II veterans and those who served the cause on the homefront – are leaving us, passing away.

In the U.S., we now average 1,000 World War II vets passing away every day. In many small towns, the Memorial Day parades can no longer be conducted, because the oldtimers can no longer walk the route, or there’s just too few left.

Sometimes I feel a little angry at those who don’t recognize what these people did for all of us. Who don’t appreciate it like Coldfire has expressed. Who look at Memorial Day as nothing more than barbecues and a long weekend.

But then I think, maybe that’s part of what these brave men and women’s cause was all about. Preserving a way of life, so that future generations would never know the perils we once faced. I’m pretty confident the thoughtful among us like Coldfire will not let us forget, as this amazing story passes from one generation to the next to the next.

I have not seen the ceremony in the Netherlands to which you refer, Coldfire. But one of the most moving things I can ever remember seeing was this week: Footage of that moment on Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel May 2, when everyone stopped, stood in place, hung their heads and was silent. Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, still and quiet, frozen in remembrance. I’ll never forget it.

P.S. - While the deeds of America, Canada and Europe have rightfully been recognized in this thread, please never forget the contribution of the Russian people. The way they held The Russian Front through impossible conditions was one of the most heroic actions in the history of humankind, and was key to the Allied victory.

39

Thanks, Coldfire. I will pass along your kind words to my uncle, who was there.

But allow me also to pass along a story to demonstrate that the sentiment flows in both directions.

I am an attorney in Atlanta. A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of representing a pair of Dutch gentlemen in a lawsuit that was pending here. We needed an attorney to testify in the case, and I turned to a friend of mine from law school, who happened to be Jewish.

He was a bit reluctant to involve himself in the matter…until he learned that my clients were Dutch. His words: “Please tell your clients that we have not forgotten what the Dutch did to hide and protect Jews during the War. We have not forgotten the risks that they took to help us. Anything I can ever do to return that favor in some small way, I will gladly do. Just let me know when I need to be at the Courthouse.”

The Dutch suffered greatly during that War. Many subjected themselves to enormous personal danger to do the right thing, and some paid the ultimate price for their honor. I hope my story lets you know that the courage of the Dutch people has not been forgotten on these shores.

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Americans who wish to contribute the the National World War II Memorial can do so here: http://www.wwiimemorial.com/