I loath war, wish there were no weapons, wish we fought with our minds only, like a competition/game show and the winner won the 'battle' thanks for this much education this morning

Greetings.

You do know how to strike the engine of cerebration...

"A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future." — Robert Anson Heinlein

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." — Eleanor Roosevelt:

In respect and appreciation,

Andre Emmanuel Bendavi ben-YEHU

Yes and no. I knew some of those things, but not all.

A friend of mine told me that his father, an inventor, created the aiming system for the big guns that protected Puget Sound and Seattle from the Japanese. I had the privilege of meeting the man in 1968, still making sewing machine inventions in his garage workshop and crystal chandeliers with crystal he got from, Communist China.

World War II cargo ships were targets for Japanese and German submarines and aircraft. Living space on them probably was minimal. Many were lost because they couldn't be defended without accompanying warships.

The Japanese had conquered all the rubber plantations in Southeast Asia. Natural rubber was not available and only synthetic rubber, recently developed, provided our rolling stock with tires.

Since World War I, pilots and air crews were considered to be elite. I believe that thinking carried over into World War II.

The Russians produced a tremendous number of inferior aircraft, piloted by very green and inexperienced pilots. On the Russian front, some German Aces shot down over 1000 planes. The United States Aces shot down just over 100 planes. The difference was the Americans shot down Germans with superior planes like the Mustang.

My parents and grandparents lived near the railroad tracks where hobo camps sprung up as men “rode the rails––under the railroad cars because they couldn't get into the locked cars above” looking for work. My family regularly fed these men when they came to the door because they lived on farms and had food that they grew, or as my grandfather said, “I shot over fifty deer in those days.”

Good folks did what they had to do. God had little to do with it. My grandfather had a shine on cute girl so he visited her in her holy roller church. When everybody started jumping up and down and screaming, rolling in the aisles, he got the hell out of there. Like he always said, “Judas Priest…” No sense in riling the Lord when he is coming to get you.

Ron

God has blest the most successful country in the world which existence as a nation is the shortest. Thank you for your service WW11 veteran! Thank you for your review of history and your poetry without it no future! Your poem enlists enlightenment and self accusation. All the liberties we take for granted in America isn's free. Ultimate sacrifices were paid lives were given. Love your brothers and sisters and thank God we can! Peace!!!

Germany declared war on America before Japan invaded.
The world is still crazy!

I was having breakfast at a little diner
in Illinois Sunday morning, and Greg & I
were talking about all these situations
that the general public is not aware of
for example he told me about Hitler sending
boat loads of Jews over here to the U.S.
and our country said no & sent them back...
it's worth investigating I think

May God Bless Us All
& Forgive Us All Too
Glorious Is His Name
Vickie

World War II was explained to me through my Dad...Oh what a man! He was also in the Korean War...
You are right in saying we don't help like we need to and I think it is because people are scared to help. When we were young it was the thing to do. Now your neighbors change every week or every year and most don't trust. My faith is what leads me to do the right thing and my God leads me to trust in him! I think that is why I wrote the poem "A Thanksgiving to Remember" inspired by God!

Thanks for sharing!!

Teresa

John,

Thanks for this very informative write. I liked the part about neighbor helping neighbor. Not much of that goes on now, some don't even know their neighbors. Keep up the good work, John.

Blessings and love,
Linda+

John: My father was with the 101st Airborn Division in WWII. Tears came to his eyes when a total stranger would thank him for his service to our country. He kept a diary and part of it I wrote about in my book. I have always wanted to publish his diary, but he would turn to me and tell me to "not make a big deal about it." I've learned a lot thru reading his diary. My father passed in 2007 and my mother 36 Days Later. They were both laid to rest at Arlington Cemetery and I promised both of them that I would do the best I could to bring their only son, my brother who is still listed to-date as MIA/KIA from the Vietnam War. Budd is right, we never learn from history, but we should never give up!

Deborah

"May God bless our precious world."

Amen to that, John. We sorely need His blessing.

Love and peace to you,

Regis

Great way to share a lesson from history,John. Thank you and continued success.
Barbara J Henry

I was born in 1924 so I lived through the Great Depression and fought in Germany during ww2.I lived in a poor section of the Bronx NY We took care of each other and nobody thought they were poor but got along as best they could. It did not stop us kids from playing ball everyday unless we lost the ball and then the game was over as nobody had money to buy a 5 cent new ball. The great Depression would never have ended except ww2 got us out of it for a time. After the war times were still hectic trying to find jobs. Wages were so low for those who found work. I got a job for 27.00 dollars a week.

America's Greatest Generation is now sadly almost gone completely, And I fear we had so much more to learn from them then we did.

Quite 'stunning', John. But, what did we learn? What you asked, or other asking? God is relative, is a relative, is a child, or a flower, or.. maybe even me. Well, as you can see, I've pondered your words, and still, I don't know the answer!

Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen

I was just a small young boy. However I knew of the Germans outside of NYC. This was a very informative writing my friend. We can merge the attack on 9-11 with the events. I hope this year at least to understand the book of revelation.........GOD BLESS YOU.

Time and time again history has proven it does indeed repeat itself.

we never seem to learn from history
budd