Listen to a Veteran today

My father served as a Radar Operator on a Patrol Craft, PC1198, in the Atlantic Ocean during World War 2. Thier responsibility was to provide security against submarine attacks for cargo vessels travelling between Cuba, New York City, and Spain.
I used to feel kind of underwhelmed by the nature of his service , I am asahmed to say, because it just didnt seem very "glamorous". But then I really began to study World War 2.
They say that more than 80 percent of High School Seniors in the United States today can't tell you who won WWII. I read an article a couple of years ago about how many college students have learned a new way to look at history, and therefore dont pass judgment on people, and in essays and papers will talk about how Adolph Hitler was a misunderstood, complex man and we should not judge him without taking into account his life experience and upbringing, and should not assume he was evil.
B.S.
If you dont know who won World War 2, and dont feel comfortable calling Hitler Evil, I would sugest you study up a bit. I wont go into the details of the how and why of this, as I would hope that the people I am reffering to arent people I would know who would read my puny blogs, and a recounting of the details of the War is not my peurpose in writng this today.
Suffice to say, the man had to be stopped at all costs.
As I have been studying the European Theatre of Operations lately, one reoccuring theme that has hit me is that one of the primary factors in our victory there is this: Despite the fact that the German Army was often only two or three hundred miles from thier scource of supply, while ours were thousands of miles away across an ocean, for the most part our troops were better supplied. This was only possible because thousands of ordinary people, including a kid from Rexburg, Idaho, who loved hot coccoa and was called "Westy" by his shipmates, put his life on the line to make sure those supplies got over there to supply our troops.
I cant tell you in person now, but, thanks, Dad.
I have been saying for years that I would love to do World War 2 reenactment, but I would not because I felt it was a dishonor to the few remaining vets who are still with us today. Last week I changed my mind.
The men and women who fought in WWII were heroes, each and every one. Then they came home and tried to make a good life for thier families.
People often make fun of how people were in the 50's. You know, like Ozzie and Harriet and Leave It To Beaver, because everyone seemed so "boring and conformist". But guess what, the reason they all seemed to act and think alike was because they had been part of the same team once. That generation of Americans all had to pull together, whether you were sleeping in a foxhole in Belgium, flying a B24 over the Marshall Islands,working at a shipyard in Washington , collecting grease and scrap metal for the war effort or singing with the USO. Pulling the entire nation together as a team was the only way they could do what needed to be done to stop evil.
And one common trait that these men and women seem to share, is that for the most part they werent after glory and they would not blow thier own horn, they were just giving everything they had to do what needed to be done.
Seems to me that Amercia should all be on the same team again now. But the problem is, America is at the mall.
I guess what I am trying to say is, I feel that thier story has to be told, but they wont do it themselves. For me, reenactment is one way to tell thier story and make sure that it is not forgotten. When General Eisenhower heard about the discovery of Jewish Concentration camps, he told the troops to take photographs and collect evidence, because "someday people will deny this ever happened". And people are denying it happened everytime some "progressive" college professor engages a discussion of why we shouldnt judge Hitler.
Make sure these stories are told and remembered. Not just those of WWII, either. Spend some time with a veteran and just listen to him., whether he is one of the few surviving World War 2 veterans, or Korea, or Viet Nam, or the War on Terror. Just shut up and let him talk awhile. And dont be surprised if he dosent want to talk about battles or combat. The memories will not be pleasant and these folks just dont blow thier own horn. Let him tell you about his grandchildren, his carreer, his church callings, his garden. I would give anything to listen to "Westy" for five minutes.
Even if they dont talk about the fighting, they are telling you what they were fighting for.