A couple of years ago I had the incredible honor of interviewing and writing about ten World War Two veterans and their experiences in a war and world incredibly different from anything we can imagine today. As these men prepared to go on an Honor Flight to the WW2 memorial in Washington D.C., they courageously relived some of the most horrendous days of their lives so I could chronicle their stories.
I would like to think I had paid better attention in history class. The truth was, I remembered only fragments of what I'd learned of big events and important names in history. What you don't hear about in school are all those individual stories, seemingly insignificant voices of average men who left everything behind to defend their country. And so many of them left it all behind. What absolutely struck me the most from every veteran I spoke to was the sentiment was that they were "just doing what had to be done." None of them felt the had done anything particularly heroic. It was their duty. Period.
I was naive and knew absolutely nothing about the war or how much was sacrificed until I spoke to these men. I would like to think I have a better idea now, however.
You can see seven of their stories by clicking "download file"
I would like to think I had paid better attention in history class. The truth was, I remembered only fragments of what I'd learned of big events and important names in history. What you don't hear about in school are all those individual stories, seemingly insignificant voices of average men who left everything behind to defend their country. And so many of them left it all behind. What absolutely struck me the most from every veteran I spoke to was the sentiment was that they were "just doing what had to be done." None of them felt the had done anything particularly heroic. It was their duty. Period.
I was naive and knew absolutely nothing about the war or how much was sacrificed until I spoke to these men. I would like to think I have a better idea now, however.
You can see seven of their stories by clicking "download file"
| Word War Two Veteran Profiles |
