My .04, adjusted for inflation. I'm a writer living in the Atlanta, Georgia area. I write about anything and everything from the point of view of a Christian conservative, and I try to keep it honest.
Their feet hit the water in the cold dawn of June 6, 1944. They splashed ashore underneath a hail of German bullets and between explosions of German shells.
Many of them did not make it onto the beach.
Many of them did not make it off the beach.
Those that did, they possessed territory step by step, inch by inch.
We know them as "the boys of Pointe du Hoc" (thanks to Ronald Reagan), and by other names; those that landed at Omaha, Juno, and Utah Beaches.
History calls it "D-Day", and in most newspapers of the day, the word "invasion" was a prominent part of the headline. The St. Petersburg Times, in their headline of June 6th, just had one word, in type as big as they could get it: "INVASION".
Today, it's 75 years since these men splashed off the boats and onto land, since men parachuted from the sky and landed on French territory, the order of the day from General Dwight D. Eisenhower perhaps ringing in their ears:
"Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces:
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944. Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned. The free men of the world are marching together to victory.
I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory.
Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."
In Amsterdam, a young girl in hiding in an attic wrote in her diary, "This is *the* day. The invasion has begun!"
Back on the home front, Americans like my maternal grandparents, my paternal grandmother, my parents (who would have been 11 and 6 at the time) and other relatives would have woken up to bulletins such as this from NBC radio or perhaps this from CBS radio.
One day later, Orson Welles would broadcast a magnificent portrait of what an ordinary American would have experienced on that June 6th through the eyes and voice of actress Agnes Moorehead.
Today, we know more about the human cost of war. We've known since the beginning of war about the physical cost--the deaths, the injuries, the destruction of homes and other properties. In the last 50 or so years, we've become more acquainted with the mental and psychological costs of war--post-traumatic stress disorder, survivor's guilt, nightmares, and in the case of Vietnam vets, active contempt for their service.
I hate war. But I also understand that sometimes, war is necessary. I wish it were not.
Today, we honor the men who fought at Normandy, these "boys of Pointe du Hoc", these men who parachuted and waded ashore because they believed in the cause of freedom. They probably hated war as much as I do, and probably more so since they experienced it. I never have.
Their numbers grow fewer every year. My own congregation lost a D-Day veteran just a year or two ago.
Even though their numbers grow fewer, their story must not be forgotten.
I close with Charles Schultz's comic from D-Day a number of years ago:
I have no idea exactly where my parents were or what they were doing on December 7th, 1941, 75 years ago today.
My father was nine years old and living in Harlan County, Kentucky; in the unincorporated area of Rosspoint. Thirty-seven days earlier, he'd lost his father when a train hit the car his father was riding in.
My mother was eleven days short of her fourth birthday.
My guess is that, around 2:30 or so that Sunday afternoon, after a morning spent at church and after having their tummies filled with Sunday dinner, they were sitting around the house listening to the radio. Maybe my grandmother or my Granny Mary was cleaning up after Sunday dinner. It's possible the kids were playing, or maybe fighting with each other.
Whatever they were doing, they were probably several of the millions of Americans who, at 2:30 p.m., heard John Charles Daly report that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japanese. (A history of the first radio bulletins can be found here.)
What happened next?
Probably, my parents and grandparents would have stopped what they were doing, frozen in shock. Then, they ran to the radio and listened. They tried to absorb the words, "Japanese," "bombing," "Hawaii," "Pearl Harbor," and that final word, "war."
There was no such thing as "breaking news" in 1941. CNN and Fox didn't exist. (Some people might think, "Thank goodness.") Rather, information came piecemeal, bit by bit, bulletin by bulletin.
Some things don't change. When 9/11 happened, information also trickled in bit by bit. Rumors flew. (I remember hearing that a car bomb had been found in front of the State Department.) What rumors would have flown in the hours and days following Pearl Harbor?
If my parents and grandparents were like I often am when "breaking news" happens, they were probably glued to the radio, wondering what was going to happen next. Would the Japanese start bombing Los Angeles next? Seattle? San Francisco?
Four years of war followed, four years of rationing, four years of being told to sacrifice "for the boys", "for the troops". If you listen to shows such as Fibber McGee and Molly, The Great Gildersleeve, and Jack Benny, you'll hear exhortations to save your rubber and paper, turn your fat into the butcher, make your cars and other appliances last, because new ones will not be made until after the war.
Seventy-five years later, what would we Americans do if we were hit in the same way that we were hit in 1941?
We were hit in a similar way on 9/11; in fact, 9/11 is often referred to as this generation's Pearl Harbor. Most of us remember exactly where we were when we heard that two planes had hit the World Trade Center.
We saw an upsurge in patriotism for a time . . . and then, we went back to attacking those in charge, those in power, questioning decisions, and fighting amongst ourselves.
In 1942, Americans sacrificed. They put up with no new cars, sugar rationing, and saying good-bye to fathers, brothers, and sons.
In 2016? I don't know if we'd be willing to make the same sacrifices that Americans were in the 1940's. Too many years of being exposed to news has left me cynical. I fear that, if Americans were told that manufacturing plants would be devoted to making war supplies, or that certain foods and other supplies would be rationed, a howl of protest would go up around the country, like spoiled children being denied a favorite toy.
On the other hand, I could be wrong. Thousands of Americans sacrifice, year after year, when they give their lives to the United States armed forces and leave their families behind. Their families sacrifice, learning how to get along without that loved one.
Forty-five days from now, we'll be inaugurating a new President. I pray to God that he will not have to hear anything like, "Air raid, Pearl Harbor - this is no drill."
I'm a Whovian. For the ignorant and/or uninitiated, 'Whovians" are fans of the BBC science fiction program "Doctor Who". The Doctor, as he is known, is a time lord who travels throughout time fighting enemies and helping people. There have been twelve doctors in the 52-year history of the program. The latest Doctor is played by Peter Capaldi.
The Doctor traditionally travels with at least one companion, and that companion is, more often than not, female. His most recent companion is Clara Oswald, played by Jenna Coleman. In the Doctor's latest adventure with Clara, his enemy is an alien race call the Zygons. As part of the plot, one of the Zygons has commandeered Clara's face and is looking for something called the Osgood box. In the climax, there are two Osgood boxes with two buttons: Truth or Consequences.
Push the wrong button, and serious consequences would ensue for either the Zygons or the humans.
The fake Clara and another character, Kate, are facing each other, ready to push the button.
And at that moment, the Doctor delivers one of the best speeches I have ever heard on war and revolution:
I found a transcript of the Doctor's speech that someone posted at Reddit.com, and I'm using it as part of this blog post:
The Doctor: Ah. And when this war is over, when -- when you have the homeland free from humans, what do you think it's going to be like? Do you know? Have you thought about it? Have you given it any consideration? Because you're very close to getting what you want. What's it going to be like? Paint me a picture. Are you going to live in houses? Do you want people to go to work? What'll be holidays? Oh! Will there be music? Do you think people will be allowed to play violins? Who will make the violins? Well? Oh, You don't actually know, do you? Because, just like every other tantruming child in history, Bonnie, you don't actually know what you want. So, let me ask you a question about this brave new world of yours. When you've killed all the bad guys, and it's all perfect and just and fair, when you have finally got it exactly the way you want it, what are you going to do with the people like you? The troublemakers. How are you going to protect your glorious revolution from the next one?
Bonnie (fake Clara): We'll win.
Doctor: Oh, will you? Well maybe -- maybe you will win. But nobody wins for long. The wheel just keepts turning. So, come on. Break the cycle.
* * * * * * * * *
The Doctor: Because it's not a game, Kate. This is a scale model of war. Every war ever fought right there in front of you. Because it's always the same. When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die. You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken! How many lives shattered! How much blood will spill until everybody does what they're always going to have to do from the very beginning -- sit down and talk! Listen to me, listen. I just -- I just want you to think. Do you know what thinking is? It's just a fancy word for changing your mind.
Bonnie: I will not change my mind.
The Doctor: Then you will die stupid. Alternatively, you could step away from that box. You could walk right out of that door, and you could stand your revolution down.
* * * * *
The Doctor: I don't understand? Are you kidding? Me? Of course I understand. I mean, do you call this a war, this funny little thing? This is not a war. I fought in a bigger war than you will ever know. I did worse things than you could ever imagine, and when I close my eyes... I hear more screams than anyone could ever be able to count! And do you know what you do with all that pain? Shall I tell you where you put it? You hold it tight... Til it burns your hand. And you say this -- no one else will ever have to live like this. No one else will ever have to feel this pain. Not on my watch.
Here's what got my attention: What happens when "it's all perfect and just and fair, when you have finally got it exactly the way you want it"?
What happens with those who support Bernie Sanders, an avowed Socalist, when they have it "perfect and just and fair", the way they define "perfect and just and fair?"
Or what happens with those who support Hillary Clinton, and who support what she thinks is "perfect and just and fair"?
What about the conservatives in the Republican Party, and their definition of "perfect and just and fair"?
Each group can get their world "perfect and just and fair", but what do they do with the troublemakers? What do they do with those that don't agree? What do they do with the people that don't think that everything is "perfect and just and fair?"
Right now, according to the coundown on my blog, there are 364 days until Election Day in the United States. Although I say "each side", as if there were only two sides to this election, there are really multiple sides right now. I'll address this to all sides:
You have your definition of what is perfect and just and fair . . . but what are you going to do with those that don't agree with your definition of perfect and just and fair? Because right now, on all sides, there are people who don't agree, don't even like, other's definitions of perfect and just and fair.
Face it, there will be no definition of perfect and just and fair that is going to make everyone happy. Not with conservatives, who are unhappy with the current state of affairs in the Republican Party. Not with moderate Republicans, who think conservatives are too rigid. Not with Republicans vs. Democrats, who both see the world through their own particular lens and believe that if one or the other party is elected, the United States of America is headed for certain doom. Not with differing wings of the Democratic Party, with Bernie Sanders as a socialist and Hillary Clinton defending her record as a Senator and Secretary of State. We may think that war and revolution are going to solve everything. Each party, or group, may think that when they're in charge, the world is going to be perfect. Socialists believe that if everything can be divided equally, then the world will be just and fair and perfect. Conservatives believe that if everyone is given the opportunity with as little government interference as possible to better themselves, the world will be fair and just and perfect.
I happen to fall into the latter category. Socialism has not worked in the countries where it has been tried. I believe we all are intelligent enough to take advantage of opportunities and that we have the responsibility to help others along the way, without being coerced by a law that will force us to do so. True charity comes from the heart.
But on both sides, there are the "troublemakers". There are those who don't think that conservatism is fair, just, and perfect; just as there are those who don't think that socialism is fair, just and perfect. And that's because no system is fair, just, or perfect. Not even systems I believe in, such as conservatism, or democracy, or the US Constitution.
The Doctor spoke more about war than I have covered in this blog post. My question to consider is: Do we really think that the world is going to be perfect, just, and fair when we get everything exactly the way we want it?
Answer: No, it will not; because we will always have the dissenters and the troublemakers.
How, then, do we learn to work together?
That's a question that only we can answer when we, as the Doctor has said, learn how to think.
