Remembering

Sorry Dad. It’s been a while since I visited. Memorial Day reminded me of the sacrifices you and countless others made to preserve our freedom. Some described the campaigns that you fought in Peleliu and Okinawa as the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War. Fierce fighting on two hellish little coral islands with 56,000 casualties .

Watching some of the scene’s in the “Pacific” series wasn't easy. In addition to conveying the horrific and bloody feeling for what that war was like, the film reminded many of the terrible loss suffered by a generation of Americans that Franklin Roosevelt once claimed had "a rendezvous with destiny." Eugene Sledge described the battles you fought and the trials you faced with the First Marine Division in his book ”With the Old Breed”.

Three years in the military helped mold you but it never defined you. God first, family second are the examples you established and I’ll always try to remember that. The persistence and resilience of your generation are frequently overshadowed by instant gratification and dependence of ours. Heroism and sacrifice of your contemporaries have given way to the cynicism and gain of today. Teamwork and collective purpose are lost to individualism and family cohesion has been replaced by families in fragmentation. Trust, in people and in institutions were more evident than in any other succeeding generation.

So anyway, thanks. Thanks for your service and most especially for your example. You certainly are one of The Greatest Generation.