Laowai

Did you happen to watch any of the Ken Burns documentary on World War II? It was really interesting. I am always fascinated with photos and stories of the war – it makes me think about my Grandpa and Grandma and what they went through.

The documentary was done from the perspective of four home towns in the US and how the war changed life for soldiers and everyone back home. It was very educational and interesting. The explanation of the war in the Pacific was particularly educational because I felt like I didn’t really know how that all progressed. I was struck by a few things: First it was amazing how everyone back home got so involved in the war. What a contrast to what is going on now. Regardless of what I think of this war I can’t think of a single sacrifice I’ve made or a single thing I’ve done to support a soldier. Also, throughout the program the numbers that they quoted were unbelievable. They described battle after battle and it was hard to believe how many soldiers and civilians were wounded and killed. More than 16 million Americans served and over 400,00 died! Last, they would occasionally show a mother with her child among the ruins of a village, or a child killed during bombing, or a child in a prisoner camp. Now that I’m a mom there is a new depth to the feelings and sympathy I have when I see pictures like that and try to imagine the horror of surviving such conditions with your child.

If you want to see The War there are several programs to the series and they are still being shown I think.

On a similar note, I was happy to hear that Grandpa Dice will be participating in the Honor Flight program. It’s a program where veterans are flown out to Washington DC to visit the WWII memorial. The organization’s web site says: “it’s our way of paying a small tribute to those that gave so much; to take a memorable, safe, and rewarding flight with honor!” I think the trip that grandpa is taking is being sponsored by Dow Chemical.

Here are a few photos of the memorial: