Thank you Charlie for the moving tribute to day and to the Greatest generation. My dad got his draft notice right out of law school. The jag corp was full, so The army sent him to the defense language school in Monterey California, where they taught him to speak Japanese. He was on a ship in Tokyo harbor after we bombed japan, and was meant to be one of the people who would help the Japanese establish their new government after they surrendered. But General Macarther told President Truman that he would tell the Emperor Hirohito what to do and that the Emperor would tell the people what to do, and the Japanese people would do what the Emperor told them to do!
So this large ship, filled with men the army had trained to speak Japanese, went instead to Korea., where my father worked in military government, helping the koreans to put their country back together after the Japanese had taken it over. My dad always spoke fondly of the Koreans and later he and my mom went to Korea and visited some of the people he had known during his time there.
I am always moved to tears by your tributes to your mother's first husband and to the WWII generation more broadly. Thank you for reminding us all of the great sacrifices others have made for this grand experiment in liberty.
It has felt so often this past 10 years how undeserving we are as the inheritors of the country bequeathed to us. All one can do is make an argument for the liberal values on which this country was founded and you do that here, everyday.
Charlie: thank you for continuing to remember and call attention to the Greatest Generation. I am brought to tears of anger thinking about the current administration, and its cult, which is so ignorantly and selfishly tearing down everything these true patriots fought for.
Those of us reading this newsletter need to remember that we need to defend the work and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation against the current assaults on their legacy. By doing that, we honor them and show our gratitude.
My husband had the privilege of being a “guardian” on an Honor Flight and it was a life changing event. We kept in touch with “his veteran” and it was an honor to spend time with Ray Janucsz, hear his stories and be a tiny part of his life. He passed several years ago, but he will never be forgotten.
Hi Charlie. I loved reading this. I believe my father (Cedarburg resident and Korean war veteran) was on that 2013 Honor Flight or one shortly thereafter. An active member of Peter Wollner Post 288, he passed away in December. He spoke of the Honor Flight as one of the most impactful experiences of his life and was especially moved by meeting the WWII vets and witnessing what the experience meant to them. He would have loved this tribute.
I struggle sometimes to explain to my kids and grandkids about why the symbols we create in Washington are so important to our national culture--the one thing that binds all of us together despite political differences. To see these symbols desecrated by one man during our 250th anniversary as a nation makes me sad and very angry. Thanks, Charlie, for this beautiful remembrance of D-Day, and for your courageous voice.
I will never EVER forget the impact the US military had on the end of WWII. It pushed it over the line and all of those brave men and women made an enormous difference to millions of people. But never let it be forgotten that the US Government refused to be involved in this war that had a clear protagonist, for YEARS. Had they come in earlier how many millions of people would have survived rather than gone through hell.
You are stirring the embers of youthful patriotism.
While the following info may be more appropriate for another remembrance day.
My extended family members were not WW2 "super" patriots, they just did their duty.
At family gatherings, I never heard boastful hyper-patriotic musings of deeds done.
Actually...they only talked about seeing touristy-sights in Europe and the Pacific. Never about their military experiences.
- Enrique Font (paternal great uncle) - immigrant from the Danish Virgin Islands. Joined the U.S. Army to serve in the Spanish American War.
- Michael Wall (maternal great uncle) - immigrant from County Limerick, Ireland.
Joined the U.S. Army to serve in the European campaign in World War One.
- Sosthenes Wood (father) - son of an immigrant. Drafted into the U.S. Army at age 31, after surviving tuberculosis.
Served on the front lines in the European campaign.
- Walter Wood (uncle) - son of an immigrant. Drafted into the U.S. Army at age 30. Served on the team that determined the weather conditions for D-Day.
- John Wood (uncle) - son of an immigrant. Joined the Coast Guard to become a landing craft pilot on invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and D-Day.
- Frances O'Dea (maternal first cousin) - daughter of two immigrants. Joined the U.S. Navy as a Nurse. Served in the Pacific campaign.
Thank you Charlie for the moving tribute to day and to the Greatest generation. My dad got his draft notice right out of law school. The jag corp was full, so The army sent him to the defense language school in Monterey California, where they taught him to speak Japanese. He was on a ship in Tokyo harbor after we bombed japan, and was meant to be one of the people who would help the Japanese establish their new government after they surrendered. But General Macarther told President Truman that he would tell the Emperor Hirohito what to do and that the Emperor would tell the people what to do, and the Japanese people would do what the Emperor told them to do!
So this large ship, filled with men the army had trained to speak Japanese, went instead to Korea., where my father worked in military government, helping the koreans to put their country back together after the Japanese had taken it over. My dad always spoke fondly of the Koreans and later he and my mom went to Korea and visited some of the people he had known during his time there.
Charlie Thank you . This made me cry . Thank you to all our military service men & women. Thank you to their families . ✌️🇺🇸
Charlie,
I am always moved to tears by your tributes to your mother's first husband and to the WWII generation more broadly. Thank you for reminding us all of the great sacrifices others have made for this grand experiment in liberty.
It has felt so often this past 10 years how undeserving we are as the inheritors of the country bequeathed to us. All one can do is make an argument for the liberal values on which this country was founded and you do that here, everyday.
Thank you.
Charlie: thank you for continuing to remember and call attention to the Greatest Generation. I am brought to tears of anger thinking about the current administration, and its cult, which is so ignorantly and selfishly tearing down everything these true patriots fought for.
Those of us reading this newsletter need to remember that we need to defend the work and sacrifices of the Greatest Generation against the current assaults on their legacy. By doing that, we honor them and show our gratitude.
My husband had the privilege of being a “guardian” on an Honor Flight and it was a life changing event. We kept in touch with “his veteran” and it was an honor to spend time with Ray Janucsz, hear his stories and be a tiny part of his life. He passed several years ago, but he will never be forgotten.
Hi Charlie. I loved reading this. I believe my father (Cedarburg resident and Korean war veteran) was on that 2013 Honor Flight or one shortly thereafter. An active member of Peter Wollner Post 288, he passed away in December. He spoke of the Honor Flight as one of the most impactful experiences of his life and was especially moved by meeting the WWII vets and witnessing what the experience meant to them. He would have loved this tribute.
I struggle sometimes to explain to my kids and grandkids about why the symbols we create in Washington are so important to our national culture--the one thing that binds all of us together despite political differences. To see these symbols desecrated by one man during our 250th anniversary as a nation makes me sad and very angry. Thanks, Charlie, for this beautiful remembrance of D-Day, and for your courageous voice.
Thank you, Charlie...
I will never EVER forget the impact the US military had on the end of WWII. It pushed it over the line and all of those brave men and women made an enormous difference to millions of people. But never let it be forgotten that the US Government refused to be involved in this war that had a clear protagonist, for YEARS. Had they come in earlier how many millions of people would have survived rather than gone through hell.
💙🗽☮️. Beautiful piece. Thank you.
Tears.................... Thank you, Charlie. This was beyond Beautiful.
Absolutely the GREATEST generation, imo. This took my breath away.
They are who made me proud to be an American. God BLESS every one of them.
Thank you, Charlie, for honoring those dear veterans!
Thank you Charlie, as we remember our heroes.
My dad and my husband's dad....truly the greatest generation.
Thanks, Charlie.
You are stirring the embers of youthful patriotism.
While the following info may be more appropriate for another remembrance day.
My extended family members were not WW2 "super" patriots, they just did their duty.
At family gatherings, I never heard boastful hyper-patriotic musings of deeds done.
Actually...they only talked about seeing touristy-sights in Europe and the Pacific. Never about their military experiences.
- Enrique Font (paternal great uncle) - immigrant from the Danish Virgin Islands. Joined the U.S. Army to serve in the Spanish American War.
- Michael Wall (maternal great uncle) - immigrant from County Limerick, Ireland.
Joined the U.S. Army to serve in the European campaign in World War One.
- Sosthenes Wood (father) - son of an immigrant. Drafted into the U.S. Army at age 31, after surviving tuberculosis.
Served on the front lines in the European campaign.
- Walter Wood (uncle) - son of an immigrant. Drafted into the U.S. Army at age 30. Served on the team that determined the weather conditions for D-Day.
- John Wood (uncle) - son of an immigrant. Joined the Coast Guard to become a landing craft pilot on invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and D-Day.
- Frances O'Dea (maternal first cousin) - daughter of two immigrants. Joined the U.S. Navy as a Nurse. Served in the Pacific campaign.
Thank you Charlie 🙏💙🕊️