Veterans Day 2015

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Century Village and all our residents around the globe.

Stew Richland

On December 7^th 1941, I was at a birthday party for my friend Ted. I remember distinctly hearing shouting outside the house.  We all went out to see what was happening. Our neighbors were shouting, “Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, we are at war!”  At the time I had no idea what all this meant, and the consequences it would have on the people I knew.

We were kids and the impact of the war was minimal at first.  However, ever so slowly life began to change.  We ate three meals a day, but the portions were smaller, and I listened to my mother talk about how rationing was changing our diets.  We went to school each day, there was discussions on how the war was beginning to change our lives. We lived in New York and since it was a major port, blackout regulations were put into place very quickly.  Volunteers were patrolling the streets, insuring that all windows were covered so that no light would be visible to any enemy aircraft.  There was no television and so the newspapers and radio become our source for war news. I remember going around with my friends and collecting scrap and bringing it to the collection depot.  In school, we were given a booklet to fill up with purchases of 25 cent War Stamps.  When we filled the book up with $18.75 in stamps, the whole class went to the bank and traded in our books for a $25.00 war bond.

Going to the local movie theater also brought the war into focus. Pathe news showed images of the war.  I remember how silent the audience became when death and destruction was being shown.  At least once a week, every movie theater became a focal point for War Bond sales.  On would go the lights, the theater manager would walk on stage and encourage people to purchase War Bonds. Periodically we would have celebrities encouraging the movie goers to dig deeper into their pockets. Movie themes changed also. A tremendous amount of movies were produced that explained why we were at war.  Propaganda at its Hollywood best.  All the war movies depicted the Axis powers as very bad nasty beasts.  I can still remember yelling Boo Boo when images of Japanese were shown on the screen.  Cops and Robbers and Cowboy and Indian themes were replaced with “Kill the dirty Japs, the back stabbers etc.”

I soon began to see silver stars displayed on many of my neighbors windows. When we noticed a Western Union car pull up to a house we knew this was bad news.  We would hear the yelling, sobbing first, the deliver of bad news quickly exit the home and then the crying would begin in earnest.  Soon after the news was delivered, the silver star was replaced with a gold one.  The tragedy of the war had become personal.

Slowly the war news become more encouraging The United States and their Allies were winning the war.  When ever a service man was seen walking down our street carrying his duffle bag, everyone applauded, slapped him on the back and wished him good luck. 

Finally, the war was over.  For about a year afterward, every block held some sort of  block party celebrating the end of the war and the return of those that survived the war that lived on our block.

The world changed, America faced new challenges and war erupted again. North Korea attacked the south, President Truman supported the policy of Containment, which meant the US would prevent the expansion of Communism any where in the world. 

Now it was my turn to serve.  All my friends volunteered for military service. Most of joined the navy.  We all served for four years.  My military service changed my life. I took advantage of the GI Bill went to college became a teacher of American History and government did this for 54 years.

My sense of pride of being a citizen of the greatest nation ever is still as strong as it was when I was 10 years old.
 

My college studies helped me put into perspective all of the short and long term causes of WWII and the Korean conflict.  The world is a complex and ever changing place. Yet in all this chaos, there is the United States, the one shinning example of how men of good will could created a Constitution and  society that is still, after all these years as the shining example for all other people to follow.

So on this special day, I would like to salute all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for generations to come.
 

As Lincoln said: “  

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Amen!