Are any of you watching the new Ken Burns documentary on PBS? I know, WWII has been done so many times, but this is a really good documentary. He is approach is that it affected everyone and his interviews are not with the leaders but the folks at home and the guys fighting it. He also brings out a lot of information that was kept secret for many many years. He also brings out the stupidities, like the major cities keeping their lights on for six months - despite all the ships on the East coast being sunk by German U boats - because it might hurt tourism.Anyhow, I've been online trying to find out a little more about Green Island where my dad spent the 1st of March 1944 to August 13 1944. He was a Master Techincal Seargant in the 1st Marine Are Corp Wing Fleet. One of his jobs was to see that when the planes crash landed on this air strip, that his men put out the fires and pull out the burning bodies - in hope of saving some of the crew.
Dad started the war working in a munitions plant in Connecticut so was exempt from the draft, eventually though he could not stand it any more so enlisted - lying about his age because he was too old. My Dad never spoke about the war so I have to try to find out what I can. I did write to the military requesting his service records. We will see how long that takes. His medals arrived in the mid 1980's. Just a few years after the war had ended. Anyhow, check out PBS. It is on tonight.
9 comments:
I'm not much of a history buff, but this does interest me. I will have to DVR this. Darin would also be interested, actually Hunter would like it too. Thanks for the heads up. How's the car?
Funny, Julio and I are watching it right now! They are focusing on Sacramento as one of the cities. Interesting. I wished I learned more about Grandpa's experiences during the war. Dad says he never liked to talk about it.
Watching this does help you to understand why. I'm sure it was something he just did not want to relive. One thing I think was interesting is how much the New Zealand Army did - when they are such a small place. I do know dad called their soldiers Kiwis - The kiwis caught Green Island first then we came in.
Also, Aunt Florence's husband Uncle Art was under Patton.
Mom was telling me when she was in junior high her parents were separated and she and Grandma lived in an apartment where Mom was home alone alot. This would have been 1943. One day all of the neighbours were in an uproar saying that a plane had gone down near Wilshire and Figeroa. She never knew if it was true or not, but was terrified so hid in her room. Franz and I looked it up and there was a plane that went down near there but it was one of ours.
I started to watch but it is a lot to graphic for me. The horrors of war are hard enough without having to relive them over and over. I'd rather just know the generals without having to see the horrible details. It must have been awful for grandpa!
I guess the way I see it is that the generals are all the government and media gave out for years and it is the details that are what is real. The reality of war is ugly. Too many people sort of idealise WWII as the "good" war. There is no good war. Too much about WWII is not revisited - like how we dealt with the blacks and the American Japanese.
When I interviewed Jack and Sharon he had lost a great deal of his memory but a few fragments from the war did come out. I suspect that he never had a full emotional recovery from the war, something that appears to be common.
When I talk to family members who served in WWII its always difficulty. My dad never saw a battle but just the experience of being locked below decks on a troop ship every time there was a sub alert left a big impression on him. Imagine being in an environment where life is so cheap, who lives and dies so random, and the horrors so great.
I'd like not to imagine... I have to think you are right about recovery. How does one recover from such horrors? You know it would stay with them forever. I have often wondered - no research to back me up - but wonder if these traumas influece the rate of alzheimers?
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