My Little Views on The War

All wars may be hell, but no war can ever compare to the far- reaching events of World War II. It is true that barely a corner of the globe was left untouched, that many culturally rich cities were reduced to ruble, and two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population was erased from existence, but it's also true that barely a person on the planet had seen such courage and sacrifice for freedom. And it is for both these reasons that we remember World War II. Not only do we Americans view the Great War as a coming of age period for an entire generation of Americans, we also see it as a golden period in which we enjoyed a political, moral, and military influence for the first time in our history.

Thus, many Americans look back fifty years with remorse and a little longing for the past and try to remember those days of cultural creativity. And perhaps being a military dependent living in the very country where the "evil hordes" spilled across borders to conquer has made me even more aware of the importance of remembering. I see the conflict and death on international news broadcasts that seem so far away, but in reality is only a few thousand miles south and east of us from here in Germany. I truly feel that at this very moment, Europe is more volatile and ready to burst into flame than at any other time since World War II...even more unstable than in the time of the Berlin Wall crises.

For nearly fifty years Europe has been kept in a state of nuclear paranoia and fear of total annihilation. Now, the balance has been tipped. Without the Big Bear of Russia in the reigns, Europe has begun to boil again. It is now, fifty years since the war to end all wars, and it is now that the world must remember, no remember vividly the destruction and pain of total war. However, the words and memories of the ordinary people who experienced it all are fading. They tell the true story of World War II. They made history, and it seems that we are making it all over again by taking a huge step backwards...a step that may be into a nuclear abyss.

So it is important for us to listen - both to remember what happened and to learn why it must never happen again.