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were there as volunteers, to help the elderly visitors maneuver
the shuttles, the tourist sites, and the subway system. Many
of us volunteered because we knew this was an historic occasion.
And, those of us familiar with the Civil War, were struck by
the similarities between the World War II Greatest Generation
Reunion held this Memorial Day on the National Mall in Washington
DC, and the 1913 Gettysburg Civil War 50 Year Reunion, held
just 90 miles away and more than 90 years ago.
At both events, thousands of war veterans came together to
remember what they did a generation before. At both, the honorees
were old men in old uniforms, which amazingly still fit, decorated
with dozens of medals. Just ask, and they would tell you the
story behind each one. You didn’t even have to ask.
Just like the Gettysburg Reunion, we learned that many who
joined the World War II army were farm boys. It was the first
time they owned clothes that hadn't belonged to someone else.
It was the first time they ate food they didn't kill or raise
themselves. Most of it came out of cans, a Civil War innovation
that began with beans and Borden’s milk. For a few, it
was the first time they owned shoes. And for most, it was the
first time they traveled away from home. As a result, they were
changed forever.
There were women at both reunions, too, and not just the wives
of veterans. The women talked about how the families managed
things at home without the men; or, how they cared for the men
after the battles; or, how they visited them in the field to
bring coffee and comfort and news from home.
 Like
the Gettysburg reunion, the men didn’t talk much about
the fighting. And we didn’t ask. We felt it somehow, that
that was the part they remembered most, but would most like
to forget. We all knew about it, whether it was 1862 or 1942.
About being ordered to run through a hail of bullets to take
a position on a beach or a hill or in a farmhouse. These experiences
caused nightmares and fractured lives. They didn’t have
a name for it then, but they do now. All veterans from all wars
suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome to some degree. That’s
one reason why they didn’t talk about comrades being killed
right next to them, or seeing bodies blown apart, or faces forever
disfigured. They remember it all, but they didn’t talk
about that, at least, not with us. For this, at this recent
reunion, anyway, they went into the biggest tent of all, Reunion
Hall. There, they left notes for others--or read the notes left
by others--hoping to make contact with someone who was there
when they were there, someone who saw what they saw, someone
they could talk to who would truly understand.
Although it was more than 90 years between the two reunions,
the technology was similar. Like the earlier reunion, we have
photographs and movies showing bearded veterans shaking hands.
But instead of just hazy movies and black and white photos,
the 2004 World War II Dedication Reunion is documented with
hundreds of thousands of photographs and videos in living color.
Professional television programs and satellite feeds broadcast
the events worldwide, in real-time. In addition, there are countless
family photos and videos taken by children and grandchildren
to document the events honoring their parents and grandparents.
For the World War II veterans, it was a cheerful celebration
to honor their youth, their hardships, and their contributions.
Without them, the world would be a very different place. For
the over 1000 World War II volunteers, it was a unique experience.
One volunteer said what we all felt. “Being there, talking
to them and hearing their stories, was the most meaningful thing
I ever did.”
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