Political Crossfire Forums

[Peacekeeper]

I think this is something each of us should consider, even for those who are not American. If you are not American, these men still died for you, and it's not just limited to American dead. For we all lost countrymen, and their nationality did not matter when it came to the personal sacrifice they made for us, mankind.

The Greatest Generation stopped their lives to fight in far off Lands. My God, they did so, selflessly. They flew in bombers when the life expectancy was 3 weeks. They climbed in Sherman tanks that were known as Zippo's by the enemy for their propensity to ignite, burning their crews to death. They waded ashore in blood and salt water through blistering explosions and hailing bullets. These supermen did sweat in stifling sweltering submarines while being depth charged, armed with %80 dud torpedoes. They sailed on, and took off from ships, out gunned by the Japanese Navy. They endured the harshest conditions on the battlefield and sometimes in POW camps.
Then they came home, and built our Nation in the phenomenal post-war era.

However, this letter is to those who didn't return.

You had aspirations, you were young. You were uprooted by the deadliest war in history. You left weeping mothers, teary-eyed fathers, and loving girls. You were doing your duty, and thats all you needed to know to push you on.
You were introduced to the fiercest fighting, and surrounded by the most deplorable conditions. You died so that others might live, and no greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for his friends.
You died broken and battered, before the roots of your life could really even take hold. You were buried in Europe, in forgotten Pacific Islands, sunken ships and planes, or maybe you were just vaporized.
But you weren't the only ones who lost life. When your life passed away, you left grieving family, friends, and lovers. They lost a life with you. Your unborn children, and subsequent generations were lost, guiltless victims of the war. Verily, so much of life's beauty died when you shed your blood.
Let me appreciate you everyday, for all the days of my life. Let me walk thoughtfully in your legacy, free and proud. Let me be your unborn, in spirit, if not in flesh. Adopt me as your grandson, I surely love you as the grandfather I never knew. Let me keep remembrance of you, exalting you when others scoff at your intent and significance. Let me always hold you in honor.
By God's sacrifice are our souls saved, but it was by His grace and your blood are we free.
Thank you and God Bless, Grandfather.

[cap'n queasy]

Touching.

People would do well to consider that.

[Rizla]

I hope I can add to that.

My grandfather told me to always respect your enemy, better still love them.
He certainly followed his own advice, traveling to Germany and Italy on many occassions and making a point of making friends with the veterens of the other side.

Iv'e been lucky enought to do the same on a couple of times. What I found is that there is always another side to the story. I met a man eager to join the SS so that he could fight communists. I met a man who believed the propaganda he was told.
They put their lives at no less risk than our boys did. Often they were fighting for what they believed in, no matter how misguided.
They also lost friends, they were also sons, fathers, brothers and the bleed the same red blood as British, Canadians, Austrailians, Russian and Americans.

The glory of war hides a huge tragedy of wasted lives on all sides.

Politicians make war, but a generation of soldiers and civilians alike are the poor souls who pay for it.

[Peacekeeper]

Reconciliation is absolutely needed, lest festering wounds of the past will cause a tragic repeat of hatred. I commend your grandfather.

That being said, we do not walk in a positive legacy left by the Axis. Their sacrifice was individually tragic (in most cases), however it was to further the cause of our destruction, not our betterment. They died for an intrinsically evil cause and that evil was self-evident. The individual Axis soldier may have been fighting for his Fatherland, but he had to know the regime was inherently brutal, installed to subjugate or exterminate the rest of the world. The collective destruction of their forces was not a loss, it was an improvement in the world. Had they succeeded it would have been the demise of everything we hold dear.

They died in vain, and thankfully so.

[Johannes]

Man, oh man.

I'm a senior in HS, and frankfully, I'm disgusted with the kids here today. As I'm reading this, kids are looking over my shoulder and reading the OP and smirking, gigling, and joking about it. THESE ARE 17 and 18 YEAR OLDS. I'm sorry to say, but those who have died for our freedom, and for all of the things that we believe in, have probably died in vain. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one in this area who apreciates the men who have died over a half century ago, and who looked at that OP and found it truly touching. I'm glad that I'm glad that I'm. Thanks PeaceKeeper for carrying the torch that so many have failed to do.

[milo1047]

Thank you for posting that. We need to remember these young men who died in pain and blood and tears so that we might have a better world. They are the greatest heroes of our time, and to forget them would be criminal.

[Bobicito]

Ive thought long about this. Why do we humans wage wars against eachother? Power? Land? Is it that important to people? You don't see animals going out there and waging war on themselves, do you? No.
People who have died in any war probably didn't have a choice and they just maybe wanted to protect there family rather then there homeland. Maybe the ability to have reason has doomed humans.