Howard

[sparks]

In the small town I grew up in, we seemed to have our share of indigent people. Bums, public drunks, etc.

Howard was one of them. He'd stand on a street corner and pontificate about all manner of subjects. The horrors of war in particular. We, being a bunch of teenage punks, regularly taunted the hell out of him.

Howard passed away sometime in 1973.

He was found in an abandonded house, dead from complications of diabetes.

We then found out about Howard's past.

Howard was a part of the landing forces at Omaha Beach

Howard made his way into France, then Germany.

Howard was a victim of a misguided Allied bombing run.

Howard was severly shell shocked, his life forever changed.

Howard was a hero

June 6, 1944

[MountainDon]

Good post sparks. I'd been meaning all day to post something in the manner of a reminder to all that today is the Anniversary (64) of operation Overlord, the code name for the D-Day invasion of Nazi Germany occupied Normandy, France. One thing and another got in the way.

There are probably a lot of people alive today here in the USA who have never even been taught anything about what happened that day and in the months following. That's sad.

[sparks]

I hope to visit Normandy some day.

I believe Howard would understand.

[MountainDon]

I visited all 5 of the invasion beaches in the 70's. It was sort of an odd time to do that; to visit and remember those who had died there, what with all the Vietnam War protests and so on. It was very emotional for me.

[Sassy]

I work with these veterans...  the WWII vets are quickly leaving us as they age.  Many are only now able to speak about what they saw during the war, or are having "shell shock", "flashbacks" - PTSD they call it now (post traumatic stress disorder) since the latest wars.  Our Vietnam vets are the largest homeless population in America from what I've read.  We have them come into ER all the time.  So many are on drugs or alcohol...  the younger ones - from Gulf War I & now "Iraqi Operation Freedom" (they've changed the name I think, but can't remember)  The kids that are coming back from Iraq don't talk much about what happened over there - they are commanded, under threat of court martial, if they do.

The psychiatric, social worker & chemical dependency depts of the VA Administration have been increased significantly.  Don't know if it is because the younger generation can't handle things like the WWII vets or because there is so much more info out there, the war is so much more terrible, or that any discomfort nowadays is fixed with a pill...  we have a whole new protocol when we have a patient who states they've thought of killing themselves...  we have to call a code, the VA police are summoned, we place the pt in an observation room, check them for contraband (guns, knives, drugs, alcohol), have them strip down, put hospital PJ's on, there is a "sitter" who observes the pt at all times, plus a police officer is there, the pt is on camera...  all sorts of safeguards due to the high # of vets who are committing suicide or attempting to.  We've had nurses attacked with knives in the past, pt's attempt to grab the police's gun & actually get their hand on it, they yell threats & cuss us out if they've been forcefully taken from where they were living (street or home) by police & brought in by ambulance...   

If is all very sad...  war is so tragic...

Glenn & I went to Normandy & walked through the bunkers & explored the area...  US citizens, in patriotism & love for their country, put their lives on the line...  there have always been wars & always will be due to the nature of man...  are they always for "altruistic" reasons?  History proves that not to be true.  In the meantime, we have lives - they didn't die in war, but nevertheless they still died deep inside... 

I totally believe in supporting those who, in good conscience, go to war out of duty to our nation. I don't support those who conjure up these wars for profit & power - which most wars, when you come right down to it, are in that category. 

[MountainDon]

Glenn & I went to Normandy & walked through the bunkers & explored the area...  US citizens, in patriotism & love for their country, put their lives on the line... 

Not to be critical, but there were also thousands of Canadians and British, the Canadians had Juno Beach as a part of the British 2nd Army, the British at Gold and Sword Beaches, and the USA Utah and Omaha Beaches. As well there was a potpourri of soldiers from Australia, NZ, Poland, some Free French and many others fighting with the US and British Armies.

[glenn kangiser]

True, and Russia had a major role in this too.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/RUSsecond.htm

Many over there think it was primary.

http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/8261-2.cfm