Tuesday, July 03, 2007

let us not forget


A year ago when we were back visiting my family in WI, we took my parents on a roadtrip. We stopped for breakfast near the little town of Cadott and happened upon a very touching memorial to the events of 9/11. I was once again reminded that the pain of that day brought our country together in a way that I pray will remain... that memorials like this will never let us forget those lives that were senselessly taken that day.

I was also reminded, as I watched my Dad staring at the Memorial, that WWII had ended soon after he joined the Army in 1944 and that is when ~ "Eisenhower ordered every unit not in the battle line to be brought to see the horrors of the camps scattered about Germany". Eisenhower wanted the soldiers to SEE what he knew the world would not believe, when they heard about what had happened in those concentration camps. My Dad was one of those servicemen. I can't imagine what he witnessed...

A few years ago my brothers took my Dad to see the Holocaust Museum in Washinton D.C. My Dad saw a particular picture and told my brothers that he was there the day that picture was taken. Some women overheard him telling his sons the events of that day when dignitaries and soldiers came to that camp. My brothers and these women were in awe as they heard my Dad tell of that experience, that happened some 60 years ago, that we had never known before... and that we, as a Nation, will hopefully never forget.

2 comments:

Aimz said...

oh I SO agree, we must never forget what soldiers in history and around the world have done for freedom.

Sarah and Jack said...

:-(

My dad is a vietnam vet. He never, ever talks about it. I can only imagine how horrible it must have been.