Ed Kowalski
Guest Column
Vet humbled by World War II article; embarrassed by nature of society today
Ed Kowalski
Guest Column
I was simultaneously humbled and embarrassed after reading Bryan Sabella’s article about local World War II veterans ("Sixty years later" The Sentinel, June 3). I was humbled by the description of quiet, dutiful service World War II veterans performed. I was embarrassed by the tell-all, open nature of our society today.
Mr. Sabella explained in his article that family members of WWII vets stated they didn’t know what their fathers or husbands did in the war, because the veterans never discussed their wartime actions when they returned. Who wants to relive the memories of war? Furthermore, who wants to chronicle the horrors of war to their spouse or children?
Comparatively, Gulf War I veterans became authors and talk show celebrities and, in Gulf War II, game show celebrities became casualties of war.
I’m not criticizing Gulf War veterans. They were fighting a different kind of war in a different social atmosphere; a war with sound bites, kill-bots and celebrity activists. Our troops have been recorded so often and their stories recounted so often and so publicly, that when they return home from duty, it’s only natural those who have especially heroic or infamous stories become part of the media loop, whether cashing in or being exploited.
Veterans of WWII probably had reactions to the media ranging from, "Hey! I’m going to be on TV" to "I’ve been walking all day, I haven’t bathed in weeks, get that camera out of my face!" Perhaps a vet would have said "yes" to a book deal, perhaps he might have been confused at why any one would want to hear one single GI’s opinion. Either way, there was no string of talk shows for him to speak on, and the movie stars knew their places — they visited the front to entertain the troops, not to check up on them.
The average American of the ’30s-’40s probably didn’t want this much news either. He probably had two questions of interest: are we winning, and when is my son coming home?
They watched the news reels before movies, but those were 30-second clips.
I’d be happy with 30 seconds of news today. I’ve stopped watching CNN and listening to news radio. I’m thinking of sending them the bills for my anti-depression prescriptions.
Maybe what we lack today is simply a respect for war — and many other things I suppose. War today appears to be so much more political than back then.
But Roosevelt had his opponents, and we might be watching the TRN (Third Reich Network) now if they’d gotten their way. We went to war, no one revolted against George Jr. That’s that. Is there a point in debating whether we should have been there now?
Maybe that’s the problem — too much debating. Every one has an opinion, and I know free speech and debate are among the foundation of our country, but maybe we spend too much time analyzing events and trying to decided what’s just, while at the same time merciful.
Are you in favor of our soldiers, but against the war? Keep it to yourself — like the veterans of a bygone era did.
Ed Kowalski is a resident of East Brunswick.