RECOGNIZING WORLD WAR II
By Bob Confer

December Seventh came and went this year, just as if it were any other day. There was limited fanfare, almost no press coverage and minimal remembrance. Sadly, to most Americans it really is just another day.

But, to many others – specifically our senior citizens – December Seventh is a crucial day on the calendar, a day to reflect on the moment that changed their lives, and the lives of everyone around them, forever. It was on that day 66 years ago that Pearl Harbor was attacked, bringing America into World War II. For those who lived through the emotional roller coaster of the 1940s, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, quite often more so than Veterans Day, is the day that the emotions and the memories come flooding back and WWII takes center stage in their hearts and minds.

Today’s youth and adults, from teens to Baby Boomers, are completely disconnected from those feelings, hence the day being lost in the shuffle. Some of that is warranted to a degree, while a great deal of it is based in indifference. Admittedly, we did not grow up during that era so there is no way that we can adequately share in the thoughts of our elders. On the other hand, all of us should be able to express something and share in the experience with a little empathy and patriotism.

Patriotism is the more difficult of the two feelings to project because honest-to-goodness patriotism is something lacking in modern life. It seems that my generation, those before it and those after it take our nation for granted and don’t have even the slightest inkling of the uniqueness and wonders of America, some people even buying into hatred for our country. From this comes a lack of attentiveness to history. We saw this on December Seventh when the anniversary of the attack was but a footnote in the news of day, nowhere near the top story with true coverage of our remaining vets utterly lacking.

Having empathy for them is a much easier and more meaningful task. Nowadays there are very few souls who can relate to what they went through, but the sheer scope of their acts and the trials they experienced can genuinely affect us all when we hear their tales. It’s really powerful stuff. Those who fought for global liberty served on lengthy tours away from their families, lived amongst the horrible elements, ran suicide attacks like that on Normandy where they wondered if they would see tomorrow, and, over the course of the war, saw almost a half million of their boyhood companions cut down (and many more maimed) in front of their very eyes. Those who stayed back on the home front were just as wonderful: they raised families while their men were away, tended the crops that fed our citizens and soldiers, built our war crafts, and brought our nation of the Great Depression. Everybody pitched in during World War II.

Sharing the feelings and hearing the stories of those who fought in or lived during the War are becoming increasingly-difficult tasks. WWII’s participants are well into their Golden Years and many of them in the twilights of their lives. Unfortunately, old age has taken its toll on many of them and the years gone by have truly come and gone, the images in their brains no longer vibrant. Worse yet, the youngest of World War II veterans are now in their 80s. All WWII vets have reached the peak of longevity and we are losing them at an alarming rate of 1,200 per day.

Because of this fragility of human life and the waning of existing memories, now, more than ever, we need to make a concerted effort to keep discussions and dedications about World War II alive and vibrant. We need to recognize our seniors, veterans and citizens alike, for their struggles and accomplishments during that era. It was a trying, deadly, and even a special time that showed the world the unlimited strength of American resolve and determination.

So, if you’ve never taken it upon yourself to thank your grandparents or your neighbors for everything they did to keep the USA going amidst the chaos or everything they did to save the world from even greater tragedy than the horrors it had experienced, please do so now. Show them the respect they deserve before it is too late.