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In My Humble Opinion
Jodi McDade
I’m back from my trip to New Orleans and the World War II Museum. I now realize that I don’t know anyone else who is as interested in WWII as I am.
I had really hoped that we would spend at least one full day – and maybe part of another – in the museum doing an IN DEPTH tour of all the buildings like reading the information and watching all the videos. Alas, I was wrong. We were there just a few hours, and the others did not want to go back over anything they had seen before. So – I will now make a trip with someone who has never been OR go back alone!
I had wanted to really look into the Pacific Theater info since we are going to Hawaii in December. Since most of the people I will be with have been several times and/or were stationed there, I’m thinking they are not going to want to do the full day tours of Pearl Harbor and the surrounding memorials. So again, I may just have to go on my own – but that’s OK.
After seeing Pearl Harbor, I will have three major “bucket list” items to do (as of now). I plan to cross another off while in Hawaii – being in a cage snorkeling to see sharks up close. What can I say, but I’m crazy!
The other two that will be left is skydiving (tandem) and going to Normandy to see the European Theater of WWII. And I am working on both of those getting done in the next couple of years.
Our Greatest Generation who fought against fascism so many years ago would not recognize the country we have now become. If they are watching from Heaven, they are shaking their heads.
They fought a war on foreign soil to protect the world from being taken over by a madman who wanted to create a master race of his choosing. He wanted to control the education of the children through indoctrination and either taking them away from their parents or teaching them to report their parents for wrongdoing.
His idea was for government to be in complete control and to annihilate everyone he did not approve of. His armies invaded almost every country in Europe, and he was well on his way to reaching his goals. This man’s name was Adolph Hitler, and I’m sure there are many of you (or your children/grandchildren) who do not know about him. And the gas chambers DID exist!
It’s strange how some of the countries we called allies back then are now our greatest enemies today – Russia and China. But at the same time, Japan and Germany are considered friends today when we were at war with both of them during WWII. These two countries are now standing with us against Russia and China.
So much of our history is being erased from our schools, and it is very important history for our young people to know. History is a subject that grows with each day, yet the history courses taught today just take parts out instead of teaching more classes directed at each era of history.
So much of the real history of WWII is not known because most of the soldiers came home and went right back into their lives. That’s how people were back then – suck it up and move on. Most of them never even discussed the war and their experiences with their families, much less strangers. So many of them took those memories with them to their grave.
I attended the seventieth anniversary of D-Day at the D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, with my uncle who flew on D-Day. There were people there doing taped interviews with many of the men who were then in their 80s-90s. Thankfully my uncle did share some of his stories after that. This was all before PTSD was recognized and treated.
My dad served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during WWII and helped with the construction of Camp Polk in Louisiana and Elmendorf Field in Alaska. He did not see combat, but was very proud of his service during the war.
I guess that is what instilled my interest and love for the patriotism of that generation. It breaks my heart to see how much things have changed, but I am thankfully surrounded by many retired veterans who share my love of country and our military. I’m not going to start naming names because I’ll forget some, but most of you know who they are.
Coosa County is blessed with so many who left to serve our country and then returned here to continue their lives and/or retire. Please remember to thank any and all veterans when you see them – they deserve every ounce of appreciation that can be shown to them.
God bless our struggling nation and protect us from ourselves.
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV