AG and MM Board

VE-Day

Posted by John Haynes on May 9, 2011, 8:37 pm

VE Day. Yesterday, May 8th was the 66th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. I received the following message from a friend in Russia. “Big hugs, salute with 21 guns and long drink to your health - dear friends! Russians will never forget what you did for them!!!” In all the news I watched there was no mention what-so-ever of VE Day. Have we forgotten?
John Haynes

Re: VE-Day

Posted by Roy Brown on May 15, 2011, 3:10 pm, in reply to "VE-Day"

Hello shipmates. My wife and I talked abut the same subject a few days ago (May 8th) and agreed that soon theren will be no remembrance of World War II except by a FEW old vets. What a pity.
In the very near future I believe there will be a war that cause the present, and following generations, to have their "own memories ". Probably not very good ones at that.
I spent a lot of time in the European Theater as many of you did. Everywhere there was death and destruction. Finally "peace" came and now there is no memory EXCEPT by we old guys and a few old gals.
I have no idea whether WWII is taught in schools now. It certainly should be.
I believe there are enough old veterans of WWII that could qualify to teach about the war in a very lucid and knowledgeable manner even though they do not have a teaching degree. THAT will never happen.
God Bless America.
Roy Brown

Re: VE-Day

Posted by Francis Kent on May 15, 2011, 10:40 pm, in reply to "Re: VE-Day"

Roy: I don't know what sort of history the schools are teaching but if nothing has changed since my day it probably doesn't matter. The problem then, and probably continues to be, that the history texts were painfully dull. I didn't discover until well into my adult years that history, if well written, could be more enjoyable than fiction. Be sure that your grandchildren are exposed, as early as possible, to history as it should be. It's out there, tons of it.

Re: VE-Day

Posted by Francis Kent on May 9, 2011, 10:04 pm, in reply to "VE-Day"

How sad, John, that this milestone anniversary passed with what seems to have been no public recognition. I neither heard nor saw any mention of it here in Los Angeles. I'm afraid the public has shoved our war into a dark corner of history. Still, it will remain fresh in our memories.

Re: VE-Day

Posted by Francis Kent on May 11, 2011, 10:18 pm, in reply to "Re: VE-Day"

I'll amend the above. Slightly. The local paper carried a picture (inside) yesterday of a ceremony in Europe comemmorating VE Day, but the caption said the event recalled the day Nazi Germany "surrendered to the Soviet Union." Unless my memory is flawed, the surrender took place simultaneously in the West as well as the East. How soon we forget.

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