Remorseful Remembrance

I don't have many regrets in my life. Sure, I wish I had studied more in school, maybe traveled the world some more, the normal stuff. But there is one thing that I fear will haunt me for the rest of my life.

My grandfather, and my namesake, was, from all accounts, a great man. Born in Chicago in 1914, he had a rough life. The oldest of 3, he at times had to protect his mother and siblings from an abusive father. Then, like thousands of other great Americans, he answered the call to service. He joined the Army at the outset of World War II, and saw plenty of action travelling from North Africa to Italy, and later Germany. He was eventually promoted to Lieutenant, and received a Purple Heart after taking shrapnel in his leg.

The thing I really regret is that I didn't know him better. I was 20 when he passed, and already a History major. It bothers me that I didn't take the time to ask him questions about his experiences, or what he could teach me about war and life. As it seems for most, I imagine, I viewed him as "out of touch", and "old". I hope somehow he knows now that the older I get, the more I respect what bravery it took for him and all his comrades (including my other Grandfather, and many other relatives) to serve and protect our freedom.

Listening to my Dad, I know that the war took a tremendous toll on Bumpa (growing up I thought this was the Polish word for "Grandpa", until I learned it was just our word as kids for him). Honestly, I can't imagine the mental and emotional impact ordering men to do something that will kill them takes on a person. Seeing your friends and comrades every day, and then ordering them to take a building, knowing full well that some of them are going to die in order to complete the objective, is a daunting thought for me. The fact that these men witnessed such horrors and came back to live great, normal lives is amazing and inspiring.

I think we too often take for granted what others went through to let us live how we now do. For hundreds of years (even thousands) men and women have fought and lived in some of the worst conditions anyone can imagine, all because they knew it was necessary for the propagation of life. We are indeed a strange race, in that we love peace and freedom, but so frequently forget, or get greedy, so that we must then put ourselves through hell only to recognize it again afterwards.

People often throw around the phrase "Greatest Generation". Now I don't know if I could call any generation greater than another, but the fact that so many men and women around the world stood up against evil and tyranny, and gave their lives so that others may live free, is truly a testament to the character of our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.

For all those that served, and who will serve to protect others in need: Thank you, and I hope your stories are never forgotten.

"I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, ‘Mother, what was war?'"
--Eve Merriam (American Poet)