This is probably not a new idea, but it occurs to me that maybe you don't actually have to do a thing to be a part of it. If someone can walk up to a warbird at an airshow, pat the fuselage fondly and feel respect and admiration for the men who flew it and the trials they endured, well to me that makes them part of the story.
Maybe that's the hidden purpose of a combat simulation? Previous generations would certainly not want us to suffer the horrors of war, but perhaps the game imparts a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made by our forebears, which in turn must help keep their memory alive.
Just a thought... it's probably been voiced before.