One of my favorite bloggers, GP Cox posted a particularly compelling story today. It is a bit of a departure from his usual fascinating, historical posts, yet very much “on topic”. Please read and know that GP writes one of the top blogs on the Pacific war in WWII. Never forget the sacrifices of the young men and women we send into our wars!
I saw this on GPs site too. It is a great post, Doug.
He writes and produces one of the better history blogs, I think. Wouldn’t miss it for anything!
Thank you for sharing this interesting article. It reminds me of the stories that say the holocaust never happened because they are too young to remember and now grandparents are gone that actually went through the ordeal. What is the saying about remembering the past so we are not doomed to repeat it.
Jean
GP Cox always puts up an interesting post, but this one especially struck me.
Thank you, Doug, for helping me to pass on the information these wonderful veterans are trying to convey.
As you can see in the comments, people who follow me are interested in more than kitties. Your blog and your post I reblogged are too important to pass over. I hope the reblog helps bring you more followers, I feel that strongly about the mission you carry on!
I really like having it passed on, but as it’s on it’s way – I hope you get more followers due to it as well!
It is a different thing for me, but one of my interests….
How much I agree with Mr Harada ‘ s testimony.
I understand perfectly what he saud ( I read his page ) . War is awful for those below and for those who fight. I was in the Algerian war like an officer and when I came back home I could not sleep . Younger I was also under the Bombing of the war I. never , the war !
The problem in japan is ( if I remember well ) the prime minister would like change the constitution to re-arm the country but the Emperor is a pacifist and many japanese ,too. North Korea is a problem.
Great post ,Doug,
In friendship
ps ! at my beginning on xanga in 2001 -2002 I related my memories of War II but I abandonned this .
Michel, as a child citizen of Amiens during the invasion of Normandy in WWII, you have a unique and frightening insight into the impact of war on civilians.
I was unaware you’d served in Algeria, though I suppose i could have guessed you had. Anyway, you are correct about the prime minister of Japan.
Though the American occupation under General Douglas MacArthur imposed the current pacifist constitution on Japan, it was under that constitution they achieved the economic (if not political) spot of considerable influence (if not domination) of the world they hoped to achieve through military adventurism and a savage war.
One hopes that success and the success of denazification of Germany would set the model for world peace after war, and, possibly, the European EU process can show rival and aggressively warlike neighbors in the Levant and nearby how to reorder their priorities to work together instead of in a process of mutual destruction.
Whew! I don’t expect much, do I? Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Michel.
Thank you for sharing this. I hear the same from Russian friends that those who went through WWII are leaving us and the younger generation has no clue.
Roughly half the deaths of WWII occurred in Russia, so it would be especially tragic if the memory of that time faded away.