Looking through the viewfinder of my camera at the soldiers lined up for my hometown Memorial Day services, I imagined that this day of remembrance took them back through the vivid memories of life and survival in a war zone. Though many decades have passed, they can still feel the recoil of the gun, still hear the sound of enemy planes, still see their comrade fall.Indeed, by the end of the day, Dad said it had been a difficult day of remembering.
In honor of my parents' service in WWII, I bring to you this story written by my father some years ago to include in a book of memories for my mother:
Do you remember when we were still in high school? War was about all there was in the news. Hitler had defeated Poland and then Norway, Denmark, and France and was looking across the channel at England. Japan had all the coastal ports of China and the only way we could get to China was from Burma and over the hump.
The United States had over one hundred war ships in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese made their surprise attack. Somebody must have really been asleep.
It wasn't long until the whole country was producing war material and the draft was taking all the men. I have heard that at one time there was not a man in New London of military age. All production of every factory went to the war effort Gasoline, sugar and many other things were rationed. The speed limit was thirty five miles per hour.
Most of the women then were homemakers and stayed at home with the kids, but with the war going many of them took jobs in factories and did the work of the men. None of us wanted to go into the military but when we were called we went because our country was in a position where we had no choice but to fight for our existence as a nation.
For me military service wasn't all that bad, there was good days and some really bad days but generally we just marked a lot of time. The thing that bothered me the most was the terrible loneliness. From the time I left home until I returned over three years later, I had not seen a person that I had seen before.
I was proud when you went in the service and I carried your picture in a frame that I made from a shipping crate with my pocket knife. We have that picture here on the wall today. We served our country and did what we were told, nothing heroic and nothing to be ashamed of either. We were good soldiers.
Thanks Dad for telling this story. I'm sure glad you came home! Happy Fathers' Day!
More stories to be told....
