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Saddening Statistic - 5/28/2002 8:49:23 PM   
OberJager

 

Posts: 30
Joined: 5/28/2002
From: Ontario, Canada
Status: offline 		Hello! After years of observing I am finally taking the plunge and posting!

I have been playing Steel Panthers since SP1 and thank the Matrix team every time I play WAW.( which is far too often if you ask my family!)

Any way, The reason I decided to get of the fence was a disturbing statistic I came across while catching the end of a program on A&E. It stated that WWII veterans are dying at a rate of 1500 a day! I assumed that this was a US only stat as the show delt with veterans of Iwo Jima, IIRC. Regardless, it disturbingly points out the day is not far off when they will all be gone.

Maybe we should all thank them again before its too late.
Post #: 1
- 5/28/2002 9:29:49 PM   
Bing

 

Posts: 1366
Joined: 5/20/2000
From: Gaylord, MI, USA
Status: offline 		WW2 vets seem to be dieing on us faster and faster. Tom Hanks says 1,000 per day. Whichever stat is correct it is a sad one.

Most of the guys I knew (I grew up during WW2) who served in the South Pacific didn't live that long upon their return to civilian life. And I only knew one who served in the CBI Theater (China-Burma-India) or N. Guinea who did not come home with a tropical disease. Many of them came home with malaria. Malaria cannot be cured. Controlled, but not cured - attacks come at intervals and are no fun at all.

These men made the sacrifice. To a man they wished they could be elsewhere. Almost all of them - I would say 99.99% - understood duty and honor. New York firefighters remind me of them.

Bing

_____________________________

"For Those That Fought For It, Freedom Has a Taste And A Meaning The Protected Will Never Know. " -
From the 101st Airborne Division Association Website

(in reply to OberJager)
Post #: 2
Sad Indeed... - 5/29/2002 1:06:20 AM   
Orzel Bialy


Posts: 2664
Joined: 4/4/2002
From: Wisconsin USA
Status: offline 		My father served in the US Army Air Force in WW2.
He is currently a member of his American Legion Post's Honor Guard which attends the funeral services of vets that have passed away. Basically they fill in and perform all the flag and "Taps" duties that regular military honor guards would do for active members.
On average he is going to services three to four days a week and there are times it really gets to him. He is 80 years old...and in remarkable shape for his age...but he says that with each funeral he realizes his time on Earth is drawing to a close. That's a real "downer" for me...for no one wants to think about their parents not being around one day...but he told me what is worse is that the younger generations are not aware of the sacrifices his generation made.
Kids in school don't know who FDR or Churchill were...they don't know where Wake Island is or Guadalcanal...they couldn't tell you where the 8th Air Force was based or what it did. He subs for the local elementary school from time to time...and he was shocked that 5th and 6th graders knew so little about the greatest event of the 20th century.
That is what makes their passing so sad...for as these men go, so too does there story and unless more people take up the cause...their legacy may fade as well. I for one will always try to remember and pass on to my son and daughter the deeds these men did...so that what they gave up and what they gave each one of us will not fade completely.

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Post #: 3
All Ways remember them! - 5/29/2002 2:17:35 AM   
WhiteRook

 

Posts: 276
Joined: 4/9/2002
From: Minneapolis, MN
Status: offline 		My father served in General Kenny's 5th AAF in WWII. He was also in the VFW colors honor guard and was at the funerals of many vets the last two years of his life.
When I was about ten my dad started taking me to the funerals. I remained quiet and always stood stright and saluted as the color guard shot off their salute to the fallen. After the service my father would explain to me who the man was and what he did in WWII. I can not remember any real details after all these years but I can tell you that without fail 80-90% of the men were Pacific vets then. They had given much for their country and would not grow old and experiance their grandchildren.
Now for the saddest part for me. Unlike Orzel's dad, God bless him, my father died the day before my 11th birthday in December of 1968. Yes that long ago my dad was a color guard for WW II vets that were already droping like flies clear back then.
I will never forget them, nor will I forget any of our brave service men and women of any time period. That includes today also.
May God bless and protect each and every one of you!

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Post #: 4
Rook.... - 5/29/2002 2:33:07 AM   
Orzel Bialy


Posts: 2664
Joined: 4/4/2002
From: Wisconsin USA
Status: offline 		all I can really say to your post is.....Amen.

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Post #: 5
- 5/29/2002 3:02:32 AM   
Fallschirmjager


Posts: 6793
Joined: 3/18/2002
From: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Status: offline 		It is a very sad statistic.

My grandfather served in the Army Engineres in the south west Pacific. In fact his name is most likely somewhere in Uncommon Valor which if I had the cash I would buy just to check.

Anyways im the only person we will talk with about his army days. And fortunatly he is still with us. For some reason hes not that active in vetrens reunions or the programs (that I know about). I think he would just like to forget about what he went through.




It saddens me to see congress is holding up the WW2 memorial because they dont want spoil their precious national mall. Maybe on the vetrens in congress will give them a swift kick in the *** to get them moving again on it.

_____________________________


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Post #: 6
- 5/29/2002 5:44:57 AM   
Goblin


Posts: 5547
Joined: 3/29/2002
From: Erie,Pa. USA
Status: offline 		OberJager,

Welcome, and excellent first thread!


Thanks to all the vets (my grandfather was in the PTO), and God Bless and keep you.

Goblin- A Goblin hates time's passing

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Post #: 7
- 5/29/2002 9:55:21 PM   
Les_the_Sarge_9_1

 

Posts: 4392
Joined: 12/29/2000
Status: offline 		At the risk of offending our honoured dead and our surviving vets, another greater tragedy is how the lessons of the past are dying as well.

Today when we look around, we do not see a world without war.

We also do not see a world free of religious hatred; it didn't end with our horrible treatment of the Jews (oh and I said "our" horrible treatment, because with the exception of totally isolated peoples like Borneo tribespeople, and Amazonian tribespeople, we all contributed to the Holocaust globally in some way).

We have not isolated genocide to the Jewish people either.

There was the Balkans, and Rwanda that I can recall immediately.

We have begun to forget, or is it possible we never learned a bloody thing.

Is it possible all those boy died pointlessly so long ago? Is it possible that all the civilian war dead are doomed to become some vague number in a dusty text book?

Is it any wonder that wargamers are looked at as "odd".

We that do not wish to forget, are not nearly numerous enough.

When our vets are gone, we will be all thats left.

I do not object to Mr. Bush's war for it's stated aims.... But I am a bit concerned that he does not remember the results of his decisions.

As a Canadian I am here to state "I am not upset about the 4 Canadian lads that died in that horrible bombing accident".
Our men in uniform know that their job is a dangerous one.
I am only angry at our politicians, that appear to lack an understanding of the dangerous job they send those same lads to do.

_____________________________

I LIKE that my life bothers them,
Why should I be the only one bothered by it eh.

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Post #: 8
- 5/30/2002 1:24:28 AM   
Waylander

 

Posts: 62
Joined: 9/3/2000
From: Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand
Status: offline 		At the risk of offending Les the Sarge and probably everyone else in "PC" land. I would like to state categorically that , along with several thousand cannibals in Borneo. I did not in any way contribute to the Holocaust. I am sick and tired of People bringing up the holocaust and the terrible things done there, especially those who use it to justify everything that is currently happening in Israel. Get real people, when in recorded history did religion NOT play a major part in every conflict this world has suffered?. I constantly hear that "mans inhumanity" plea, Sorry only man has the capability to make war and suffering on this scale, yes my heart bleeds for them all, but wouldn't we be a little better off if we all got rid of the great warmonger Religion??.
Yes Sarge all those boys died for nothing and Yes again all the civilian deaths meant nothing. My two grandfathers fought in the "war to end all wars" one was gassed at messines ridge and the other was badly wounded on Beatty's flagship at dogger bank, and did that change anything??, of course not. The sad fact is that war is just as prevelant now as it was 100/200/300 years ago, and due to advances in logistics weaponry and ideolagy is likely to increase, not decrease, so dont just mourn the falling veterans of W2, mourn those who still have to die, because there numbers do not decrease.

regards
Waylander

_____________________________

"You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terrors. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."

(in reply to OberJager)
Post #: 9
- 5/30/2002 2:04:40 AM   
mouse83

 

Posts: 11
Joined: 4/18/2001
From: Finland, Joroinen
Status: offline 		Hi!

You were talking about veterans so I decided to tell that my grandfather was in two war. Winter War and Continuation War (or what is it called in english?). He's 87 years old. He never talks about the war. I'm really thankfull to all of these veterans who saved our land(Finland) from Russia. It was very close that we lost whole country. Russian were very close to make breakthrought in Finlands defence lines.

By the way did you know that russians used Shermans agains Finland in continuation war? Those Shermans was meaned to use against germans. I was very surprised when I heard that in history lesson. There was also much other american equipment used in continuation war by Russians...

Sorry that there is a lot of grammar mistakes but I haven't used english for a long time...

(in reply to OberJager)
Post #: 10
- 5/30/2002 2:39:42 AM   
Belisarius


Posts: 4041
Joined: 5/26/2001
From: Gothenburg, Sweden
Status: offline 		Interesting, Mouse83. Thanks.

Speaking of veterans, I have a friend whose father is from Latvia. He served as a volounteer in the Waffen-SS, and came (fled?) to Sweden at that time. I haven't had the opportunity to talk to him yet, it'd be really interesting to know what unit he served in. For him it was a choice between the lesser of two evils. And he [I]really[/I] didn't like the Soviet Union...

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Got StuG?

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Post #: 11
- 5/30/2002 5:46:28 AM   
tiggwigg

 

Posts: 118
Joined: 5/17/2001
From: Australia
Status: offline 		[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bing
[B]And I only knew one who served in the CBI Theater (China-Burma-India) or N. Guinea who did not come home with a tropical disease. Many of them came home with malaria. Malaria cannot be cured. Controlled, but not cured - attacks come at intervals and are no fun at all.

Bing [/B][/QUOTE]

30 years ago Marlaria couldn't be cured...quinine was relied on to control it. Any westerner who is suffering recurring bouts of malaria either needs to see a competent doctor or psychiatrist ASAP...

Of course impoverished local people can neither afford the luxury of drugs that control or cure...consequently tens of millions of people every year suffer from malaria (causing serious economic harm to the people and their country) and millions die...but because malaria is pre-dominantly a disease of thge third-world, improving drugs or finding a vaccine would provide little profit for the major drug companies...so although malaria kills and harms more people in the world then any other disease, research by drug companies is minimal...some might say they would prefer to save profits than lives!

These days it is a completely different...malaria is almost strains, which are generally fatal anyway, which are not or rely on very toxic drugs for the cure.

As for the other 99.99% of malaria cases...they are 100% curable...to the point that taking the prophylactic preventative drugs for less than a month is often more dangerous than risking catching malaria and taking the treatment cure on ones return home.

I have travelled extensively in malarial areas and the secret is behaviour
* do not wear brightly coloured clothes, as they attract mosquitoes...white is best;
* avoid foods that create certain body scents, for example bananas
* malarial mosquitoes only come out at night, particularly at dusk and dawn...sleep under a mosquito net
* wear clothes at night that provide full coverage and with a dense weave the mosquitoes can't bite through...long sleeve shirts and trousers
* wear insect repellant when out at night.

I have NEVER caught malaria because I have been careful...but if I did malaria takes 6 weeks to exhibit the first symptons...which are flu like. If travelling in malarial areas for less than six weeks, one will be back home where quality medical services are available before any symptons show themselves...simply get a course of the appropriate anti-malarial drug and the infection will be cured.

(in reply to OberJager)
Post #: 12
WW2 Vets - 5/30/2002 8:03:36 AM   
BruceAZ


Posts: 608
Joined: 10/9/2000
From: California
Status: offline 		You are so right.

My dad served in the US Navy during WW2 and so did all of my uncles.

In Arizona, we have a substantial number of WW2 veterans because we have a large number of retirees. When you throw in the Navajo Codetalkers, USS Arizona (Peral Harbor), Arizona is very big on Veterans. The sad statistic is correct. We lost two good Marines that served on Guadalcanal just this week according to the paper. Very sad.

I have gone to a couple of post meetings to interview Veterans when I did the Guadalcanal Campaign 1942. Some of them brought tears to my eyes. :(

Good post.

5th Recon
Semper Fi

_____________________________


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Post #: 13
- 5/31/2002 5:54:06 AM   
tiggwigg

 

Posts: 118
Joined: 5/17/2001
From: Australia
Status: offline 		It is sad when anyone dies...the grief of the family and the passing of memory and experience of that brilliant jewell we call the soul.

But should we really be disturbed by the passing of WW2 vets? All of them have had long and hopefully fulfilling lives. A lad of 20 in 1945 is now 75 years... these vets are ALL very old men at the end of their lives and dieing naturally. That is something to celebrate.

I lament the hundreds of thousands of Commonwealth and US casualties of the war, together with the millions of civilian and other casualties, which resulted from the most horrendously stupid epoch of the twentieth century.

Included in that are the emotional, the shell-shocked and the physically disable soldiers who are still suffering.

I think it is time to rejoice over their lives, their sacrafice and their achievements, not grieve for their passing...and as for giving thanks, don't we do that every year at Memorial Day, Anzac Day or Rememberance Day.

(in reply to OberJager)
Post #: 14
- 5/31/2002 5:39:19 PM   
antarctic

 

Posts: 132
Joined: 5/24/2001
From: Australia
Status: offline 		About a month ago, Australia celebrated ANZAC day. Despite the fact that the last ANZAC veteran died not many weeks ago, it is still a growing public ceremony in Australia, and more and more people are going to celebrate the honour of courage of the people who fought to defend freedom.
This tradition has been passed to us, the youger generation (I'm 16) through active participation. The RSL (Returned Services League) has proposed to allow children to march through the city streets as part of the commemorations. Also, many cadet units participate in ANZAC services around the country.
Everyone should take solace in this fact.


Antarctic

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Post #: 15
- 5/31/2002 6:07:09 PM   
Les_the_Sarge_9_1

 

Posts: 4392
Joined: 12/29/2000
Status: offline 		Your young voice is a refreshing one Antarctic, to the old dudes on this forum.

_____________________________

I LIKE that my life bothers them,
Why should I be the only one bothered by it eh.

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Post #: 16
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