From a Time When Most Served

Last evening I attended a memorial service for the father of a colleague.  This was the third funeral in the last year and a half I have attended where the person being honored fought in WWII.  For someone that grew up in the Vietnam era, and has become an adult in the post-Vietnam USA, something was said at each of the services that I find somewhat profound.

But first let me describe these men.  Two served in the Army, one the Navy.  The soldiers left the Army after the war, but the sailor served 30+ years before retiring.  The soldiers saw action in the European Theatre, while the sailor served in the Pacific for 42 months.  After their service each of the men worked until retirement. One was a farmer, one a radio/TV technician and one worked for the gas company.  All were solid men within their communities that attended church and helped others.

What was said?  None of them talked much about their service, and they said they had done nothing big while serving.  I find the description "nothing big" to be a huge understatement.  The two in the Army were a part of the force that fought in the Battle of the Bulge.  One of the bloodiest and difficult parts of the European campaign.  The sailor was on a ship 13 miles away to observe the atomic test on Bikini Atoll, in his words, "the biggest explosion I've ever seen."

Aside from the fact that most WWII servicemen have already died, I find it profound that many of these men and women quietly continued their service to others after the fighting was done.  They were a part of our towns and organizations, and made this country work.  Each day more die, but hopefully they won't be forgotten.  I won't forget what they accomplished.