Salute Rosie!
With the loss of another warrior from the Greatest Generation I'm drawn to comment.
For the past year, I've been working on a project with two goals: one to write a fictionalized story of my father's exploits and adventures during WWII. He crewed a B-29 flying the Hump out of India to China, and bombed Japan from Tinian. He was also involved in the conflict of the 1947 Partition of India after the war.
And second, to try to learn, understand and if I can, actually get feel for what it was like to live through that war and on the homefront. What was their day-to-day world? How and why did they laugh, cry, fight and then leave it all behind to go home and rebuild the world?
Just last night I was researching Operation Matterhorn, B-29's, the 20th AAF, and other units. I'm also starting to contact unit associations to find anyone who remembers my father, or can shed light on certain exploits. While there is still hope, I've sadly come to realize I will be very lucky to find someone who remembers him as these gallant men and women are going so fast from our midst.
The reason I'm so concerned is, while I remember the many "war stories" my father told me and my family when I was young, in his later years we only occasionally talked of his experiences. I realize now just how much I don't know and how many questions I have that he's not here to answer.
So with this salute to Rosie, I encourage anyone who has a relative who served in WWII, on the war front or the home front, or knows of a veteran as a friend or neighbor, that you take any and every opportunity to talk with them. Get to know and understand their "real" experience as best you can. Honor them with your interest and patient listening, and remember time is short.
They and their membories will be gone too soon from our grasp, but we can remember their ultimate fight for freedom forever.
