By David S. Kerr
GUEST COUMNIST
They’re snippets in the newspaper or on Internet sites. A paragraph or two announcing the passing of the last survivor of a particular World War II action or battle. For instance, the last member of the crew of the USS Arizona, the famous battleship that was sunk by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, passed on in April.
Tom Brokaw named his book about this generation of Americans, hardened by the depression and then by the war, “the Greatest Generation.” It was an apt description. Franklin Roosevelt said of this group of young Americans, in a speech before the war, “…to other generations much is given, from other generations much is expected – this generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.” And that they did.
During World War II, out of a population of 132 million, 16 million American men and women, at one point or another during the war, were in uniform. Like all veterans we honor today, they did their jobs, and in their case, won the war. Then, for most of them, it was home, and getting on with the life they had put on hold.
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To me, the World War II generation is special and always will be. This is true of many people my age. You see, the World War II vets were our parents, mothers, and fathers, and it was their values, experiences, and expectations that shaped us.
I am not fond of the term “Baby Boomer,” but that’s the generation we belonged too. Even some of my students of years past knew the World War II generation. But, in their case, they knew them as their grandparents and even their great grandparents. Now, hardly anyone in Generation Z knows, or has in all likelihood, even met a World War II veteran. That’s just the way it is.
Some told stories of the war, others, remained relatively quiet.
Their contribution after the war was remarkable. Perhaps no generation has left such a mark They were our teachers, ministers, coaches, and scout leaders. They set a wonderful example. My elementary school principal had been, what they called during World War II, a “Woman Marine.” She was a great teacher and wonderful educational leader. And true to form, Ms. Yeager, never stopped being a Marine.
My Dad was a storyteller. I heard a lot about the war. Other children of WWII vets will say that their parents rarely mentioned it. Perhaps their experiences were too terrible to recall, or as was often the case with this modest group, some would say they didn’t consider their experiences anything special.
They’re still World War II vets among us, but their numbers are dwindling. Roughly 110,000 remain. That’s out of the 16 million I mentioned. And these men and women are old. Assuming someone was drafted or joined the military in 1945 at age 18 they’re now 96 years. And they’re the youngest of the WWII vets. My Dad, a veteran of the war, would be 105.
Their contribution after the war was remarkable. Perhaps no generation has left such a mark. Four U.S. Presidents were World War II vets, hundreds of members of Congress served in the war, and countless more were leaders in business and in their communities.
They were also our teachers, ministers, coaches, and scout leaders. They set a wonderful example. My elementary school principal had been, what they called during World War II, a “Woman Marine.” She was a great teacher and wonderful educational leader. And true to form, Ms. Yeager, never stopped being a Marine.
They also continued to lead in the military, reaching the highest ranks, through Korea and Vietnam. Even as late as the 1980’s, General John Vessey, a World War II vet, served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Ronald Reagan.
As I said, this is not a eulogy. Rather, this column is a thank you to a special group of veterans that is now gently passing into the history books. They, like all veterans we honor on Veteran’s Day, interrupted their lives, often putting themselves in harm’s way, to serve their country.
Thank you for all you did. And Happy Veteran’s Day.
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