June 6 is D-Day. Or the 65th anniversary of D-Day, to be exact. It's hard to believe that that momentous day, when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy and marked the beginning of the end of World War II, is now old enough to qualify for Social Security.
And if the day itself is old enough for retirement, that means that the men who fought there ?ranging from teenagers to older soldiers in their 30s and even 40s ?are all now entering the twilight phase of life. Or they're already gone. American veterans of the Second World War are now dying at a staggering rate of more than 1000 a day. Of the 16 million Americans who served in the conflict, only a little more than 2 million are still with us.
So if you have an elderly WWII veteran in your family, now is the time to talk to him (or, in rarer cases, her). Now is the time to listen to his stories, to learn the true story of what the awful experience of that war was really like. Not the Hollywood version, as powerful as films like "Saving Private Ryan" may be. Not the literary version, as unforgettable as Slaughterhouse-5 or Catch-22 may be. No, the version that's most important now is your grandpa's version.
Take the time to hear it before it's gone.
And if the day itself is old enough for retirement, that means that the men who fought there ?ranging from teenagers to older soldiers in their 30s and even 40s ?are all now entering the twilight phase of life. Or they're already gone. American veterans of the Second World War are now dying at a staggering rate of more than 1000 a day. Of the 16 million Americans who served in the conflict, only a little more than 2 million are still with us.
So if you have an elderly WWII veteran in your family, now is the time to talk to him (or, in rarer cases, her). Now is the time to listen to his stories, to learn the true story of what the awful experience of that war was really like. Not the Hollywood version, as powerful as films like "Saving Private Ryan" may be. Not the literary version, as unforgettable as Slaughterhouse-5 or Catch-22 may be. No, the version that's most important now is your grandpa's version.
Take the time to hear it before it's gone.
No comments:
Post a Comment