D Day and Memorial Day

June 5, 2004

I grew up knowing all about the war--at least I thought so. My father was one of the millions of troops involved in W.W.II on all sides. He fought with the U.S.Marines in the Pacific Theater. He told me stories about the landing on Tarawa and about Saipan that would tweak any young man's interest. I later read some of the books on the subject and found that either he read the same books or his stories were very accurate. I am proud of the effort my father put forth before he was wounded on Saipan. I had the pleasure of meeting some of his comrades when I was young. I hid around the corner while they talked in the kitchen. What stories I heard!

I find that the majority of Americans think of D-Day as the defining moment in the war. I can certainly understand why. It is a daunting feat that accomplished something that almost all Americans at the time agreed with. The defeat of Hitler was a task that was understood by most. Pearl Harbor was a catalyst that started the war and the atomic bombs used on Japan were the exclamation point that ended it. In between, however, the task of freeing Europe and defeating the tyrant in Germany seemed to garner more attention than the Pacific theater. It was no more important but seems more remembered by the public.

We have all heard of the bravery that the landing troops exhibited. We of my generation have heard of the carnage and the horror of the landing. The accomplishment of the landing and the subsequent victory over Hitler is something that the "Greatest Generation" should be remembered for throughout the history of this country.

Sadly, I hear stories of recent high school graduates that don't know much more than who some of the combatants involved were and that we interred the Japanese Americans while the fighting was going on. The generals, the strategy, the battles, the terrific efforts expended by the warriors seem to be disappearing from the common knowledge. What we have is a result of the efforts of these and other heroes that gave their life, fortune and sacred honor. Many of them gave the greatest gift of all to this country, their lives. Almost 1 million Americans were killed or wounded. Think about that staggering number in reference to the casualties incurred in Iraq.

I have not yet been able to visit the new WWII Memorial in Washington. I have heard it is wonderful and I have heard that it is awful. What a surprise! I am, however, confident, that as a minimum it shows that the country was willing to spend the time and resources to honor them.
It is a shame that it took almost 60 years to recognize this group of heroes but at least it is a start. Now we need to see to it that history does not forget them. They earned that.