Memorial Day as Time Passes

[Jim Koepke]

This is a couple of years old.

Jerry Yellen flew in the last combat mission of WW II. His wingman died on that mission and became the last casualty of WW II.

This is a powerful video:

https://www.dvidshub.net/video/395572/jerry-yellin-world-war-ii-veteran-interview

jtk

[Ralph Boumenot]

thanx for posting that Jim

[michael langman]

Peace and Love to all my fellow Veterans.

[Jim Koepke]

Found a full interview with Jerry Yellin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxYujOEikX0

He didn't pass his physical because of 20-30 vision in one eye. He figured a way to pass it. Later he failed it again but his Commander figured he was the right guy to be a fighter pilot.

~ 35 minutes.

jtk

[Mike Null]

I don't think we'll ever again see the like of those who brought this country through WW2. I think Tom Brokaw nailed it when he called them the Greatest Generation. My dad and 8 uncles who served would not have bought into that idea though--they were just doing their duty.

Thanks for posting.

[Mel Fulks]

Some would not be stopped from serving. Like the guys who were just a fraction too short to serve and went to bed fully clothed and were carried next morning on a stretcher to induction site. Made them just tall enough long enough to get in.

[Art Mann]

I don't know about that. A great friend and Congressional Medal of Honor winner by the name of Leo Thorsness recently passed away. He was a "Wild Weasel" pilot over Viet Nam and those of you who are familiar with it will know just how dangerous that was. A pretty good account of the actions that won him the medal is on Wikipedia. A little later, Leo was shot down and captured and spent several years in the Hanoi Hilton along with John McCain and many other good men. The stories he told of the courage and commitment to comrades of the prisoners in that hell hole will bring a grown man (including me) to tears. He never said a word about himself but his reputation as a hero is widely known. It is a shame that his sacrifice and that of thousands of other brave men who fought in Viet Nam Nam were wasted. I consider Leo to be as much of a hero as those who served in WW2.

I do agree with you that it will be a long time before a generation as great as the WW2 generation will come around again.


I don't think we'll ever again see the like of those who brought this country through WW2. I think Tom Brokaw nailed it when he called them the Greatest Generation. My dad and 8 uncles who served would not have bought into that idea though--they were just doing their duty.

Thanks for posting.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks for posting that Jim.

[Jim Koepke]

I do agree with you that it will be a long time before a generation as great as the WW2 generation will come around again.

Let us hope and pray that there is not soon a need for such a generation.

Capt. Yellen mentions about the difference in the generations. He said today's generation isn't about serving others. Today's youth and even leaders are all in it for the me. (as in themselves without regard to others.)

jtk

[Mike Null]

Art

You're right to recognize the heroic contributions of those who served in other of our wars. Certainly, those who served in Korea and Viet Nam were never given their just due for their service.

[Frederick Skelly]

Art

You're right to recognize the heroic contributions of those who served in other of our wars. Certainly, those who served in Korea and Viet Nam were never given their just due for their service.

+1. Korea really is The Forgotten War. And I cringe every time I hear that troops returning from Vietnam were booed and criticized - usually by those unwilling to serve themselves. I just can't abide that.

I know older guys who are permanently scarred (physically or mentally) from WW2 and Vietnam. I'm sure Korea has their share too. Long term, permanent impacts to their lives. These guys deserve my respect - and they get it.

Thanks Veterans.
Fred

[Rod Sheridan]

I don't think we'll ever again see the like of those who brought this country through WW2. I think Tom Brokaw nailed it when he called them the Greatest Generation. My dad and 8 uncles who served would not have bought into that idea though--they were just doing their duty.

Thanks for posting.

Mike, I would call them the broken generation, although there is a tendency to romanticize their generation.

My parents and of course all their siblings were part of that generation.

Their childhood was stolen by the depression, then they went to war, did and saw unspeakable things and were sent home with no support to carry on.

Their young adulthood had been taken, and their adulthood was also destroyed. They came home with what we call PTSD, and received no support or recognition of the toll it took on their lives. Men and women were expected to carry on, never complain, do your job, raise your children.

When I was young I was walking to the cenotaph with my father for Remembrance Day, and noticed I had lost my poppy and started crying.

My Dad gave me his, and then I was worried that other people would think he wasn't remembering the war. Of course I was too young to realize that non of his peers would ever think he had forgotten the worst years of his life, nor would strangers when he removed his hat at the service and all those scars were visible.

Hopefully we never have another generation so damaged, and hopefully we will make it to a time when we have no veterans....................Regards, Rod.

[Dave Anderson NH]

I will partially disagree with you Jim. There are tens of thousands of young men and women who in this day and age are 100% dedicated to the service of each other AND their country. How else can we explain their enlisting and re-enlisting knowing they will serve multiple tours in combat zones away from friends and family and in constant danger of being killed or maimed. I have the privilege of helping veterans from WWII to the present as a volunteer at our local veteran's hospital and regularly see the unfortunate results of that dedication. Yet, almost unanimously they say they would do it again.

While I agree that the WWII generation did great things, I have trouble with the greatest generation moniker. The REAL greatest generation risked everything to bring this country into being.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

The "generation" labels are about the stupidest things I hear (and I hear a lot of stupid things nowadays). People are individuals. Being born in a certain year says nothing about your character. Lots of traitors and cowards in 1776, same as 1941, 1966, or now. If the current youthful generation is the one responsible for the state the country is in, somebody will have to explain that to me a little more. It seems to me the responsibility lies more with the elders who have had the responsibility to vote and hold office for 20, 30, 40, or 50 years rather than those who are just now coming of age.

The young Marines who cleared Fallujah in 2004 don't need to explain themselves or their "generation" to Captain Yellen or anybody else. Far as I am concerned they can stand right alongside the fellows who fought at Khe San, in the Chosin, on Iwo, or anywhere else. People have their own ideas about these wars, and it is a free country, but nobody goes door to door looking for IEDs and drugged up jihadis because they are out for their own self interest.

Plenty more I could say about this, but probably better if I just let it go.

[Mike Cutler]

I have the utmost respect for Capt. Yellen and his wingman, whom was lost on the final day.
Don't discount this current generation, or generalize that it is the "all about me" generation. There will will always be people that "step up",and they'll always be people that "step back". They're "stepping up".
They're "doing their time" in the Mideast and they're paying the same price. Both there and here.

[Bert Kemp]

I think if WW3 broke out tomorrow half the kids of age would run to Canada or hide someplace. Look at what happened when we went to Nam. Look at the collage kids today, protesting every conflict were involved in, burning Our Flag. Sure we have thousands of dedicated young men and women willing to serve and protect. These people signed up they want to serve but I think the majority don't care about this country at all. I watch videos of reporters interviewing collage kids, they stand there with their phone in their hands and earbuds and could careless. The reporter asks them what the DC stands for in Washington DC and they have no clue, they ask who is Vice President of the United States they have no Clue. Do you really think this generation will step up if all out war broke out tomorrow . I think Not they would flee buy the millions.

[paul cottingham]

Bert, if WWIII broke out, I seriously doubt anyone would "flee to Canada" as Canadians were in both world wars well before America was. My father was among the many, many Canadians who volunteered when WWII broke out. "Fleeing to Canada" would be fruitless, as we would be in the same war. Sorry, but these kinds of comments get my ire up.

[Frederick Skelly]

Bert, if WWIII broke out, I seriously doubt anyone would "flee to Canada" as Canadians were in both world wars well before America was. My father was among the many, many Canadians who volunteered when WWII broke out. "Fleeing to Canada" would be fruitless, as we would be in the same war. Sorry, but these kinds of comments get my ire up.

Paul, I dont think he intended anything negative in regard to Canada. We know Canada served long and hard in both World Wars and IIRC, Korea and Vietnam. I think we all respect Canada and her brave troops. I took Bert's comment to be a ding on US citizens who flee to avoid fighting.

We remember how many times Canada has been a loyal friend. I had friends whose airplanes were grounded in Canada after September 11. I also know it was brave Canadian diplomats who smuggled US citizens out of iran, at great risk to themselves.

Fred

[paul cottingham]

Paul, I dont think he intended anything negative in regard to Canada. We know Canada served long and hard in both World Wars and IIRC, Korea and Vietnam. I think we all respect Canada and her brave troops. I took Bert's comment to be a ding on US citizens who flee to avoid fighting.

We remember how many times Canada has been a loyal friend. I had friends whose airplanes were grounded in Canada after September 11. I also know it was brave Canadian diplomats who smuggled US citizens out of iran, at great risk to themselves.

Fred

I actually had a cousin at ground zero when it happened. He was there because he had worked for Morgan Stanley and they were trying to lure him back. He lead many people to safety. From what I understand he is still messed up by it. I apologize if I misunderstood Bert's post, but I don't think I did.

[Mike Cutler]

Bert

I think they would surprise you. They may have their earbuds in their ear and phone in hand, but I can tell you from my experience, as a supervisor, they are very focused on long term goals and the paths that get them there. They want plans.
There will always be protests against wars, as there should be. It's healthy. When your elected leaders participate, encourage and condone it is where that is wrong.
Vietnam was a tragedy of epic proportion. A complete failure of the elected leaders at that time. Zero cohesion or long term goal/strategy. It was a complete breakdown of DC. I wasn't old enough to be involved, it ended when I was 11, but I remember it. It was a stain on the moral fabric of this country the way the returning vets were treated was/is a national disgrace. Again, elected leadership of that time allowed that to happen.
I don't think they would go to Canada, the reference to draft dodging during Vietnam. Many would use the college deferral as did those during Vietnam.
I also don't worry about the younger generation fleeing by the millions. I worry more about our elected leadership fleeing their responsibility by hiding in the corridors of DC, just as they did during Vietnam.
They've been "stepping up" for many years now in the Mid East. Their numbers are more than "thousands".
Have faith my friend.

[Bert Kemp]

Paul I'm sorry if you took my comment the wrong way, no disrespect to you or Canadians , I was just saying our kids today here in the US would hide to avoid fighting.
Bert, if WWIII broke out, I seriously doubt anyone would "flee to Canada" as Canadians were in both world wars well before America was. My father was among the many, many Canadians who volunteered when WWII broke out. "Fleeing to Canada" would be fruitless, as we would be in the same war. Sorry, but these kinds of comments get my ire up.

[Bert Kemp]

There's always hope and I hope your right that they would surprise us. But from what I see today, We are teaching our kids not to love our country, No more pledge allegiance to the Flag, no more morning prayer. I was at the AZ memorial here in AZ and there were a bunch of school kids there and I asked them what they knew about the USS Arizona , they didn't have a clue all they cared about was they got out of school for half a day. So hope as we may .
Bert

I think they would surprise you. They may have their earbuds in their ear and phone in hand, but I can tell you from my experience, as a supervisor, they are very focused on long term goals and the paths that get them there. They want plans.
There will always be protests against wars, as there should be. It's healthy. When your elected leaders participate, encourage and condone it is where that is wrong.
Vietnam was a tragedy of epic proportion. A complete failure of the elected leaders at that time. Zero cohesion or long term goal/strategy. It was a complete breakdown of DC. I wasn't old enough to be involved, it ended when I was 11, but I remember it. It was a stain on the moral fabric of this country the way the returning vets were treated was/is a national disgrace. Again, elected leadership of that time allowed that to happen.
I don't think they would go to Canada, the reference to draft dodging during Vietnam. Many would use the college deferral as did those during Vietnam.
I also don't worry about the younger generation fleeing by the millions. I worry more about our elected leadership fleeing their responsibility by hiding in the corridors of DC, just as they did during Vietnam.
They've been "stepping up" for many years now in the Mid East. Their numbers are more than "thousands".
Have faith my friend.

[paul cottingham]

Paul I'm sorry if you took my comment the wrong way, no disrespect to you or Canadians , I was just saying our kids today here in the US would hide to avoid fighting.

Sorry I got touchy! I'm more prone to that these days...

[Jim Koepke]

There's always hope and I hope your right that they would surprise us. But from what I see today, We are teaching our kids not to love our country, No more pledge allegiance to the Flag, no more morning prayer. I was at the AZ memorial here in AZ and there were a bunch of school kids there and I asked them what they knew about the USS Arizona , they didn't have a clue all they cared about was they got out of school for half a day. So hope as we may .

I seriously doubt teachers today are teaching their students to not love America.

At what grade level were the students? I am not sure or cannot recall at what grade level in my education we learned about Pearl Harbor and WWII. Of course back then we had plenty of movies and news reels in the theaters to offer views on some recent history.

About half of the states require the pledge of allegiance to be recited on a daily basis. Some are opposed due to religious reasons. Some actually feel the phrase "under God" (added in 1954) is blasphemous as is "In God We Trust" (added in 1864) on our currency.

Morning prayer is a problem because some prefer to pray in private. People of various religions do not want to be forced to stand or recite a prayer from a different religion and others of no religion. Our nation was created by wise men who didn't want politics in their religion nor did they want religion in their politics. Sadly many have seemed to stray from the enlightenment of our founding fathers.

One has to remember American is a nation of inclusion not exclusion, even though some would prefer the latter.

jtk