Canada Celebrates
World War II began on a warm late summer day as Hitler and his men marched into Poland. Poland fought valiantly, but fell to the Nazis a short time later. After much bloodshed, many tears and long months of fighting, the aggression ended on May 8, 1945 with the victory in Europe.
Fast forward to 2005. Canada has proclaimed this year to be the 'year of the veteran' to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the end of the of the war. There is everything from big band shows to tea parties to dances. Many Canadian veterans have also gone back to the battlefields for a visit as they have not seem them since the end of the war.
Are we doing enough for these vets? In my opinion, the answer would be no. These men and women risked life and limb so we could have the freedom we enjoy today. Some even paid for it with their lives. We have absolutely no idea what it means to be at war (well most of us) and take the hard earned freedom we have for granted. So if you take part in any of these celebrations or wait until the beginning of September to celebrate the victory in Japan, hug a vet and thank him or her for the job she did and the freedom you now enjoy!
Article comments
1 - SFC SKI
I get to work with some WWII thru Vietnam vets on a writing project. I am in awe of them and what hardships they survived.
2 - Dean
It's amazing how matter-of-fact they are about the events also.
I've met a guy who flew Mosquitos against German night fighters out of Scotland, another, one of the "D-Day Dodgers", who fought his way up Italy, fought at Arnham (where he met his Dutch wife) and in the Liberation of Holland. I worked briefly with another gentleman who plied the North Atlantic run and was sunk by u-boats. I had the privilage of playing tennis years ago with gentleman who flew supply and bombing missions over the Himalayas into Burma, supplying the Chindits.
The scale of both the events and the participants is scarcely to be believed.
3 - SFC SKI
World War II is such a huge field of study, it is almost impossible to read enough history to feel I have decent grasp of the subject. The China-India-Burma theater gets very short shrift these days as well.
I really regret that the man I once worked for died without telling his family the details of his WWI experinces, only after they went through his personal effects did they find a picture of him standing next to the place where they hung Mussolin's body. That must have been a story in itself.
4 - Dean
If you want to read an interesting first-hand account of the war in Burma, I recommend George McDonald Fraser's "Quartered Safe Out Here". He noted that due to the terrain and the overall conditions that it was very much a "19th century" war, up close, vicious and hand-fought.
5 - SFC SKI
Yet another book to add to my ever growing list, thanks a lot! LOL.
While the European theater is relatively well trodden ground, another book or two never hurts. I heartily recommend, "The Damned Engineers" and its companion piece, "THe GI Journal of SGT Henry Giles", incredibly well done books regarding a little known but tremendously important series of actions by one small unit during the Battle of the Bulge.
6 - Dean
I'm currently reading The Longest Winter by Alex Kershaw. It's also Battle of the Bulge-related, following the intelligence and reconnaissance platoon of the 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division which found itself sitting right in front of the Germans main advance.
It's an interesting read.