Thought this might be appropriate for Veteran's Day
- Thread starter Kiteboarder
- Start date
What a great lesson for that young boy. What a great experience to share his moments with many others or similar mind. I imagine that for most kids, WWII is an abstraction. I am far too young also, but I read a bit. And I know that what happened in Europe and the Pacific entailed the ultimate sacrifice. Those men and women were the greatest generation.
For those who have a bucket list, Normandy is a must. From the beaches and the memorials to the cemetery and the environs, it is a must. You also need to have an experienced guide, of which I would give you Mathias Leclere who spent the day with us touring and giving historical account, including the 5 beaches battles drawn in the beach sands of Omaha beach. a truly unforgettable experience. Spielberg's movie is about as close as you can come to seeing the actual experience those veterans withstood.
I was at NU but 15 years after the end of WWII and it seemed like a distant event even then, although there were military traditions in the fraternity from veterans who had lived there during that intervening time. Seriously, NU's Rose bowl game was 26 years ago and it seems like yesterday. Seems as though the current generation might be called the "whiner" generation, but in fairness, there are children of WWII who now seem to have no real understanding of what their elders sacrificed.
I got something in my eyes here at work 
. What an amazing kid. I read everything I can about WWII history because that was truly the greatest generation. Imagine that many of the soldiers what that died there were not a whole lot older than that boy. Some 16-17 year olds lied about their age to get INTO the service, imagine that sense of purpose and sacrifice.
I definitely have Normandy on my bucket list. My grandfather-in-law landed on Omaha Beach. My grandfather was a Bataan death march survivor. I have seen Arlington, the Punch Bowl cemetery on Oahu, and the American WWII cemetery in the Philippines.
. What an amazing kid. I read everything I can about WWII history because that was truly the greatest generation. Imagine that many of the soldiers what that died there were not a whole lot older than that boy. Some 16-17 year olds lied about their age to get INTO the service, imagine that sense of purpose and sacrifice. I definitely have Normandy on my bucket list. My grandfather-in-law landed on Omaha Beach. My grandfather was a Bataan death march survivor. I have seen Arlington, the Punch Bowl cemetery on Oahu, and the American WWII cemetery in the Philippines.