THIS DAY – AT 11:52 A.M. ET: In two days we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the launching of the invasion, in 1944, to liberate northern Europe from the Nazis. But let us also remember that today, June 4th, was the date of liberation of Rome, in that same year. That liberation was overshadowed by the D-Day landings in France two days later.

The two dates remind us of the enormity of World War II. It literally was a world war. We were fighting in North Africa, Italy, in the skies over Germany. We were fighting on islands in the Pacific, including the Philippines, in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, in CBI – China, Burma, India. It is almost impossible for us to imagine the sheer magnitude of the conflict.

Of course we had allies. They were critical. We may hate to admit it, but the Soviet Union, a complete dictatorship, played a critical role in victory over the Nazis in Europe. The people of China were on our side, as they fought off the brutal Japanese occupation.

American women were mobilized, as never before, to work in war plants, especially the aircraft plants of California. "Rosie the riveter" became a national heroine.

"The War," as it was always called, saw a reluctant America emerge in 1945 as the world's leading superpower, the only nation that could build and deliver an atomic bomb.

Our young generation, which had lived through the depths of the Depression, performed well in World War II, and came back and built a new nation, moving westward.

We learned powerful lessons from "the war," the most important echoing George Washington's admonition that the best way to preserve peace is to prepare for war.

I fear we're forgetting that lesson.

Posted by: painonlinepharma at October 09, 2021 11:31 AM (NiT2f)

Posted by: painonlinepharma at October 09, 2021 11:37 AM (NiT2f)

Hide Comments | Add Comment