Karmen:
Very interesting post!One though I think needed to be addressed.
I was born post war;'49.Heard many stories from my father,a Tpr.of the FGH.Mostly good time stories but a couple of statements he said to me still has an effect on me.The first, when I was a young teen, and the Maltise Cross was a fashion to wear.I came home with it on and my dad looked at it and said,"I used to kill people who wore that".I said it was Maltise and he said it looks the same as an Iron Cross, so I took it of and got rid of it.
The other,is when he told me of going into battle and bodies are lying in the way of his tanks path.He said he had to drive over them,not knowing whether they were alive or dead!That bothered him to no end.Bothers me Too.Not knowing.You had to do what is best in the overall.
My wife was born in Briton '41.She remembers being evacuated to a safe place during that time.The sound of the bombers still affect her.Where we live[St.Catharines,Ont.]there are fly-bys of the Lanchester Bomber and a Mitchel 25 and Harvard Trainers.My wife closes the windows to deaden the noise as it brings back unwanted memiorys.
My dad's cousion ,a vet of WW2,[Lincs & Winks], and Korea.[PPCLI],Drill Sgt.M.on Parliment Hill died of "Battle Fatique";a doctors diagonises,in the late '70's.He relived Korea almost every day!I witnessed an eposode during a weapons training exerzise where he was Showing how to dismantle and assemble an FNC1A1 in the dark.His demo took on an urgentecy and it sounded as if he was back in Korea!!Scary.
My neigbor is a Pole.He told me that he lived under Hitlerism,Stalinism and in concentration camps,his future wife also.He told me many stories.One being in the concentration camp and waking up in the morning.The person on his right had died as the one on his left!He thought,'Am I next!!!".He now celebrates "The day I landed on this glorious soil of Canada" over and above any other holiday.My wife and I are always welcomed to attend;been told we are his second familly;this otherwised, familly only ritual.We are honoured!
My children[some,I've only got six]] have listened to thier stories and have came away with a different point of view[better perseption?] and awed.
Karmen ,your post is great and has many potentuals.I could say a lot more ,but,I leave room for others.
Pardon my spelling,please.
Take care.
Wayne
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