Ken Burns' The War
There's no way I can find the right words to say what I want to say. So I'll just say it.This Ken Burns TV presentation of WWII is the best thing I've ever seen on television. I was so moved that at the end I just sat and cried, didn't move.
One reason I found it so moving, and so important too, is that a lot of people today don't know that the US wasn't always militarily strong and mighty as we are now. We had a military the size of that of Romania. We could have lost WWII and almost did at least a couple of times. Another thing that's so great about the film is that it reminds us that at that time we were all together; we were probably as united as it's possible to be. And America comes out looking awfully good; excuse me for feeling proud. Another thing is that I was there, in a way, even though there's no way I or anyone not in it will ever understand what the infantry went through. I was 21 when I joined the WAVES. I remember how we felt at VJ Day. We sort of stood around together and smiled at each other, and beamed, and cried too. Another thing is that my boyfriend was killed when his B17 was shot down over Belgium. Another thing is that both of my husbands were in the Pacific. Fagg was a private in the infantry. The Japanese really were as depicted in the film. I'm also remembering seeing German prisoners of war on the base where I was stationed, the Naval Air Station outside of Memphis, TN. They looked healthy and marched right along.
And on top of all this we are now in the stupidest war imaginable and we're not getting out of it as we should, NOW. I opposed it before we invaded Iraq, along with Kucinich and Obama and Gravel too I think. And along with them I say we can and should get out now, in orderly fashion as George McGovern outlined it. What kind of a country are we? We've never been like this before, not in my memory or understanding of history. We know what's brought us to this, or who has, I should say: the worst president in our history.
One reason I found it so moving, and so important too, is that a lot of people today don't know that the US wasn't always militarily strong and mighty as we are now. We had a military the size of that of Romania. We could have lost WWII and almost did at least a couple of times. Another thing that's so great about the film is that it reminds us that at that time we were all together; we were probably as united as it's possible to be. And America comes out looking awfully good; excuse me for feeling proud. Another thing is that I was there, in a way, even though there's no way I or anyone not in it will ever understand what the infantry went through. I was 21 when I joined the WAVES. I remember how we felt at VJ Day. We sort of stood around together and smiled at each other, and beamed, and cried too. Another thing is that my boyfriend was killed when his B17 was shot down over Belgium. Another thing is that both of my husbands were in the Pacific. Fagg was a private in the infantry. The Japanese really were as depicted in the film. I'm also remembering seeing German prisoners of war on the base where I was stationed, the Naval Air Station outside of Memphis, TN. They looked healthy and marched right along.
And on top of all this we are now in the stupidest war imaginable and we're not getting out of it as we should, NOW. I opposed it before we invaded Iraq, along with Kucinich and Obama and Gravel too I think. And along with them I say we can and should get out now, in orderly fashion as George McGovern outlined it. What kind of a country are we? We've never been like this before, not in my memory or understanding of history. We know what's brought us to this, or who has, I should say: the worst president in our history.
posted by Gladys at 8:49 PM
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