Just some thoughts

[ONETINSOLDIER 2]

Ive seen them all before, for the most part. Countless documentaries, recreations, movies. Ive played many computer war games, flight simulators and such. Valiantly flying through the blue skies, vanquishing the enemy, all without staining my hands with the blood of fellow humans.Without fear, without pain, without sorrow.

A convenient buffer for those of us that didnt have to be subjected to the realities of war.The bravery of being out of range.

But today is different, in a way I cant describe, but will try.

WW2 in HD.

A few new clips not seen before, but largely the same footage, remastered, so to speak.President Roosevelts decision to release uncensored film footage to the public was a huge one. The blood, the carnage. The only thing missing is the smell. The bittersweet coppery smell of blood, the thick stench of rotting flesh.

And then, a quote from a foot soldier on some central pacific island.

"Some guys are collecting gold teeth as souveniers. I collect a few and put them in my pocket. Things are getting out of hand, and I begin to wonder, what the hell are we doing here?"

And then, Saipan. Yes, Ive seen the footage before, my mind somehow letting it go by without thinking about it to deeply.

But somehow this time, its,,,, different. Civilians, jumping to their death.

MY GOD. How can they do this?

I sit and I weep, uncontrollably, almost 70 years after the fact. For people I never knew. And I ask myself, when will we finally not need to do this? When will we learn from our past?

And another quote from a field nurse in France in 1944.

"What do you do when you run out of tears?"

I hope I never have to learn that.

 

This is not an anti-war rant, nor an invitation to debate, these are just my thoughts.

Please think this over, more deeply than you ever have, and ask yoursel, when will we not have to do this.

 

 

[FalconC45 162]

Yeah saw it too. Brought my heart in my throat sometimes and tears in my eyes. Especially the episode about the concertation <sp> camps. This reminded me of my trip to DC and my visitation to the Holocaust Museum. I wheeled to every display and read every plaque to learn. Had my emotions in check too. Until...

 

I saw this small, tall and thin box as my folks watched uncensored footage of death squad "work", I already seen few of those but this box was kind of called me over. Inside the box was a very old full leg brace. At first I thought it was belonged to a prisoner until I read the plaque. Before the meeting for the "Final Solution" plan, the Nazi's first targeted the disabled, mental retarded and gyspies <sp>. I never knew that. My eyes began to swell with mixed of fury, anger and saddness. My heart was really pounded inside my chest, I could feel the beats. As I looked at the leg brace I thought "My god, if they won..." I gulped.

 

I always thanked the vets before but now I give them a very heart filled thank you, because they gave me more than freedom... They saved my life as well.

 

Falcon