Au contraire, mon ami, but you have been at war, and remain so on a daily basis. A war, not as described by Owens, perhaps, but one fighting ignorance, poverty, substance abuse, bad choices, a sick environment, genetics, bad luck, misfortune, all on a daily basis. We are conductors on the train of life, a one way journey for us all, and our role is to prevent passengers from disembarking prematurely. We are not always successful, however. Like in Dover Beach, “where ignorant armies clash by night”, we are facing odds stacked against us, but we needn’t give up the fight.
My husband's father was enlisted in the Navy at an early age by his mother, who was trying to raise a family after the death of her husband. Hugh was stationed in Japan pre- Pearl Harbor. By the time of that attack, he had already served 3 years and been discharged. A month after that he reenlisted and was stationed in the Pacific. He wrote letters but really didn't speak of what atrocities he was seeing. He battled alcoholism and died when my husband was 10 or 11; my mother in law said she was sure he had flashbacks and drinking was his way of trying to drown those nightmares.
My mother in law remarried and her second husband Burl had also served in WWII. He was in the Army--real "boots on the ground". He was part of the second wave to land on Omaha Beach the day after D Day. He never talked about it until a couple years before he passed away in 2000. Even then, the only comment he made was "we saw things no man should ever have to see." He never drank. At all.
Two men, same war, different responses. They paid a huge price for our freedom.
I’ve met those men over the years. I think my generation men will always “hold our manhoods cheap” compared with them, as Shakespeare said in the St. Crispins’ Day speech. What they endured we can never comprehend or compensate.
You are absolutely right. Reading the letters Mr Viele wrote to his mom and siblings while he was in the Navy was quite interesting. He kept things as light as possible, just said they were very "busy"...and then talked about the gun training he was going through. That in itself let me know he saw some pretty hot action. And I was incorrect. He wasn't in Japan. He was in China--fighting against the Japanese who were attacking China. Late 1930's. An enlightening view of history, because all I ever really had read or learned about was post Pearl Harbor when the US "officially" entered WWII.
Our son’s school had a special service on Remembrance Day (Nov 11th here in Canada) and this poem was always read by one of the students. Very evocative. M
Au contraire, mon ami, but you have been at war, and remain so on a daily basis. A war, not as described by Owens, perhaps, but one fighting ignorance, poverty, substance abuse, bad choices, a sick environment, genetics, bad luck, misfortune, all on a daily basis. We are conductors on the train of life, a one way journey for us all, and our role is to prevent passengers from disembarking prematurely. We are not always successful, however. Like in Dover Beach, “where ignorant armies clash by night”, we are facing odds stacked against us, but we needn’t give up the fight.
Thanks my friend. I really needed that reminder.
I doubt you need the reminder; it's every day, of course.
My husband's father was enlisted in the Navy at an early age by his mother, who was trying to raise a family after the death of her husband. Hugh was stationed in Japan pre- Pearl Harbor. By the time of that attack, he had already served 3 years and been discharged. A month after that he reenlisted and was stationed in the Pacific. He wrote letters but really didn't speak of what atrocities he was seeing. He battled alcoholism and died when my husband was 10 or 11; my mother in law said she was sure he had flashbacks and drinking was his way of trying to drown those nightmares.
My mother in law remarried and her second husband Burl had also served in WWII. He was in the Army--real "boots on the ground". He was part of the second wave to land on Omaha Beach the day after D Day. He never talked about it until a couple years before he passed away in 2000. Even then, the only comment he made was "we saw things no man should ever have to see." He never drank. At all.
Two men, same war, different responses. They paid a huge price for our freedom.
Profound poem, thank you for sharing.
I’ve met those men over the years. I think my generation men will always “hold our manhoods cheap” compared with them, as Shakespeare said in the St. Crispins’ Day speech. What they endured we can never comprehend or compensate.
You are absolutely right. Reading the letters Mr Viele wrote to his mom and siblings while he was in the Navy was quite interesting. He kept things as light as possible, just said they were very "busy"...and then talked about the gun training he was going through. That in itself let me know he saw some pretty hot action. And I was incorrect. He wasn't in Japan. He was in China--fighting against the Japanese who were attacking China. Late 1930's. An enlightening view of history, because all I ever really had read or learned about was post Pearl Harbor when the US "officially" entered WWII.
There's a lot we never learned about! US soldiers fighting in the Boxer Rebellion in China, with the white Russians after the revolution, etc.
Our son’s school had a special service on Remembrance Day (Nov 11th here in Canada) and this poem was always read by one of the students. Very evocative. M