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Retired US Army Colonel Douglas McKenzie salutes the flag before the start of the 87th Veterans' Day Parade in New York. The parade commemorated the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II. (Photo: Timothy A. Clary / AFP-Getty Images) |
Over 1,300 veterans of World War II disappear each month. The "Greatest Generation" is quickly slipping into the past and becoming a vestige of memory. On this July 4th, the public has an opportunity once again to shake their hands and remember their extraordinary contributions.
This theme of remembrance was part of the motivation for writing "The Secret Road Home." Author Robert L. Wise traveled across Europe, following the advance of the Allied Army during the European conflict in preparing the novel. Driving across Germany, Belgium, and France, he observed the battle lines where the most severe conflicts of the war were fought. Out of this exploration, his story emerged. Later, during a monthly gathering of prisoners of war survivors Wise met George R. Simmons, a pilot who was shot down over Germany in his P-47. After being captured by the German military, Simmons spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft 1, North III Compound. The extraordinary pilot became the model for the hero in Wise's book.
When Wise received his first copies of the new book published by Broadman & Holman, he drove to George Simmons's house with a copy for the pilot. The man who answered the door was unknown but introduced himself as Simmon's son. Wise responded that he had a book for his father.
The son paused and said slowly, "Dad died four months ago."
Shocked by this unexpected turn of events, Wise found himself faced with the same dilemma confronting many Americans today as these giants of the past fade from the current scene. One of the reasons that Wise writes is to capture the fascinating stories they leave.
While World War II is sixty years behind us, the ideals of that conflict remain vital and instructive to contemporary Americans. Coming out of the Depression Days of the Thirties, Americans had faced hard times and demanding circumstances. The average solider was the product of farm or small town life where communities stood close and families hung together. They understood the meaning of loss, struggle, the value of integrity, and the necessity of standing against international tyranny. These ideals were the qualities that defined their excellence. The Thirties set the stage for what would follow.
The Forties represented a different world than exists today; it was an era when issues were less complex and more straightforward. Flag-burning would have been unimaginable. Political strife remained a definite reality, but division over the support of the troops or winning the war was an unknown. The country stood arm-in-arm with Rosie the Riveter working next to Mac the Hammer, taking care of the nation's business. Clarity of purpose sprung out of the ashes of Pearl Harbor and was sustained through the intense conflict.
Wise describes characters that pursued their destiny with this same vigor in his novel. When the pilot is shot down after a bombing run on Germany, he is severely burned and must elude his captors while attempting to endure excruciating pain. The relentless chase is on and without the help of a Madam Brusselman, a woman who hides soldiers in her Brussel's flat, he would have been lost.
Julien and Ann Brusselman were real people who with their children Yvonne and Jacques were honored by the Belgium, British, and American governments for their services to escaping soldiers. "The Secret Road Home" ran through their living room. At the risk of their own lives, the Brusselman family helped countless soldiers escape the Nazis pursuit. Even though of a different nationality, people like the Brusselman's are part of the July 4th story.
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"The Secret Road Home" at Amazon.com. |
The diversity of participants in World War II reminds Americans on this 4th of July that the nation is a composite of many nationalities joined together in opposition to the Reich. While different in many respects, their diverse skills blended into a unity that proved impossible to defeat. Their stories remain beacon lights for the future.
Today's military bears a striking similarity to the men and women who fought in the Forties. Contemporary military personnel continue to believe in their cause and the role they play in maintaining the stability of American life. Often, they are critical of how their operations are described and many believe their successes are not accurately and consistently reported. Like their World War II forbearers, they take great pride in the schools, service centers, public utilities, and other vital installations they build and maintain. The average solider still has an eye out for helping children when it is possible. The social and political issues are more complex but the motivation of the military has not changed.
This year's Independence Day celebration with rousing Sousa marches and rockets bursting in the sky offers another opportunity to reach out to these hero's of yesterday and learn their stories. Often, they have been reluctant to tell their tales of the near-misses with death and sights that are too traumatic to speak of easily. Nevertheless, these stories of bravery and courage can put us in touch with the ideals and values that have made this country significant. It is a time to remember before we lose those who offer the stories we must not forget.
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