Fortunately, the Veterans History Project is collecting many of their stories.
http://www.loc.gov/vets/about.html
We're down to our last WWI Vet. He's 107. I hope they've got his story.
Standing on the Curb...Posted: May 29, 08 5:23pmToday, I flew on a Southwest Airlines flight from Louisville to Baltimore. I routinely fly this route, on this airline--but this time it was different. Profoundly different. On board, were 38 veterans of World War II who were flying in to see the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. for the day. It's a fabulous program that is run by volunteers and donations under the "Honor Flight Tri-State" organization. During the hour and a half flight, I listened to the awe-inspiring stories of these great Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. Most of them had never met each other before--all were from the State of Ohio. But for some of them, it was a reunion. One B-17 pilot I met had just learned that the Tuskegee Airman sitting beside him had flown security for some of his bombing missions over Germany and Italy. Another Soldier had discovered that the Marine sitting beside him was a 3rd Grade Classmate. Both boarding the airplane and prior to deplaning, this esteemed group of veterans received well-deserved ovations. Today, we are losing our World War II veterans by an estimated 1200 per day. I wondered where we found men of such character and courage...who willingly flew their bombers under the most formidable odds during the Doolittle Raid, who scaled Riva Ridge, who landed into the Normandy surf amidst heavy machine gun fire and artillery? Who were so willing to sacrifice themselves for our freedom so many decades ago? My answer came in a quote worn by one of the volunteers who accompanied the veterans: "Some of us get to stand on the curb and clap as they go by." -Will Rogers  13 Comments
// 7 Members
Posted: May 29, 08 5:32pmPosted: May 29, 08 5:44pmExactly--and they've written a book in concert with The Library of Congress. We purchased a copy during the National Book Fair in Washington, D.C. two years ago...it's excellent. Here's the companion site for the book (on the same site you mention): Posted: May 29, 08 6:08pmJohn, your story brought tears to my eyes. My father in law was a WWll vet who recently passed away. Those guys did not bemoan their fate or talk much about their time spent during the war. They served with uncommon valor. I am glad their stories are being told. I wish Dad's could have been. Posted: May 29, 08 6:25pmTried to set my Dad up with a couple from the local (Northern KY Area) public TV station to get his story. He decided not to do it. I really hope he does before he dies. Hell, I didn't know until years after I retired from the Air Force that he'd been in TWO plane crashes. Posted: May 30, 08 10:24am Tried to set my Dad up with a couple from the local (Northern KY Area) public TV station to get his story. He decided not to do it. I really hope he does before he dies. Hell, I didn't know until years after I retired from the Air Force that he'd been in TWO plane crashes.  Our friend's dad passed away last year and he had no idea that he had served in the service suring WWll until he came across some stuff in the atttic--he was a decorated veteran at that! His dad never mentioned it. Posted: May 30, 08 10:27amWhy did our WWII Vets suffer in silence? My Dad also refused to talk about the War. Posted: May 30, 08 10:40amDo you remember the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan? I know people who walked out because they couldn't take it. Now imagine you were there, the blood spattering on you, buddies dying right next to you, dozens, maybe hundreds, in agony around you and you can't help. Would you talk about it? Especially in a time when it was called "shell shock" and sufferers were often considered malingerers? | ADVERTISEMENT  |
