So guess what, World War I, the war to end all wars turns 100 in 2014

1. 78

   Credence2posted 10 years ago

   So how much time has passed. So now we are introduced to modern warfare and war weary populations during the 1920's, the stage being set for a subsequent and even greater conflict in the years to come.  Today I don't think that there are any surviving vets from this conflict. I had an uncle that served as a Navy cook during the war and told me a tale or two. Did any of you have any family members that shared with you that portion of their lives during that period?

   replyreport
   1. 72

      rhamsonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      My father served in Korea. Although not the same time he still had something to say about it all. Wars make no sense and change nothing. Humanity continues to make the same mistakes regardless.

      replyreport
2. 60

   John Holdenposted 10 years ago

   My grandfather was a prisoner of war during WW1. He flatly refused to to talk about it at all.

   replyreport
   1. 78

      Credence2posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your contribution, John. I knew many vets that did not have a great deal to say about their participation in these conflicts.

      replyreport
      1. 60

         John Holdenposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         I was just thinking what a great contrast he was to my father who would go into his experiences in WW2 in minute detail!

         replyreport
         1. 95

            wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            My Dad served in Korea (as a mule skinner, driving a team of mules pulling wagons to start, then a truck driver!).
            
            Only once did he ever talk about it, and then not for long before emotion overcame him and he went quiet.  Too many very bad memories.

            replyreport
            1. 60

               John Holdenposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Yup, I'm afraid my father served most of the war in Britain only seeing active service on the Mulberry harbours for a very short time with plenty of excitement and not much time for thinking in that short time.

               replyreport
               1. 95

                  wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

                  Yeah, the glory of war seemed to go down when it hit the jungles of Korea and Vietnam.

                  replyreport
            2. 72

               rhamsonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

               Before my Dad got very sick we asked him if we could take him to the Korean War memorial in D.C.? He said too that he could not bear the great sorrow he would feel for those that were lost in the War. He never went. As a side note when he returned to the states after the war in the fifties he was not accepted for enrollment in the VFW. Their excuse was that the Korean War was at best a conflict and at worst a police action and did not qualify as a prerequisite for membership in their organization. WOW!

               replyreport
3. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 10 years ago

   Definitely, World War II was seen as the glory war and for good reason.  However, there were many psychological, mental, and emotional casualities as a result of World War II which was seldom mentioned, let alone discussed.  Soldiers who endured such casualities were viewed as "losers" and were told to "toughen up".  However, with the VietNam War, there was greater acceptance of the psychosocial effects of war.   It seems that there is war of some kind or another.  As one of the movie characters stated, "War is always."

   replyreport