Oral History Of Our Nation’s Conflicts
For years a concerted effort has been made to record the World War II memories of individual veterans. We are losing hundreds of these veterans everyday, and without such an effort, a priceless oral history of the war would be lost. I know my Dad was reluctant to discuss his time on Guam, and if asked would downplay what he did. I wish we had been more forceful in getting him to relate his story before he passed.
If I have thought of it, I am sure others more capable have too, but I would hope that oral histories are being taken from Korean War veterans too. These men and women aren’t much younger than our WWII veterans. Someone who was 20 in 1952 is now 77 years old. Perhaps the dark humor of the movie and TV show M*A*S*H allows us a sense of what happened, but stories of our front-line fighters are just as important as those of doctors and nurses who helped heal them.
While 50 may be the new 30, Vietnam era veterans are aging like all baby-boomers. Maybe this is a war we would like to forget, but maybe, just maybe it is the one we should remember most. Again, if I thought of it, I am sure someone more capable has thought of a way to give Vietnam vets and outlet to share their memories. Never has a conflict so divided our nation. I have read plenty of what war protesters had to say-I was a part of it. I have read of what our political leaders have said. I would like to hear what a Marine at Khe Sanh or Hue has to say. Or the recollections of a helicopter crew member flying from Saigon just before it was overrun. Yes, I know, you can find almost anything on the internet. I guess I am a hard copy, book sort of guy, and maybe I haven’t been looking hard enough.
At some point in time the memories of veterans of Iraq 1 and 2 and Afghanistan need to be recorded too. We have more than enough biographies of war time Generals; we need to learn more of what the “little guy” suffered through. The old cliché about “if we don’t learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it” could more apt than evermore in Afghanistan.
Thanks for stopping by.
Dad was contacted a few years ago by the daughter of a guy he served with in WWII. Her dad passed away in the ’60’s and she wanted to learn more about what he did in the war. Through letters, phone calls, emails and tape recordings, she has put together a book about the 319th Bomb Group, which was Dad’s outfit. He provided her with photos that she put in the book. I attended a reunion last week in San Antonio with Dad & Mom that consisted of veterans from WWII, Korea and Viet Nam. There is a lot of history there that needs to be recorded before it’s too late.