If yiu didn't fight in WW II.....

ArtKramr wrote:

If you didn't fight in WW II do you feel as though your had missed something?
Do you feel that given your druthers you'd rather have been there than not? Any
regrets at having missed it? Anyone?

Arthur Kramer

No regrets, Each era has its time..
someday history will be just that, History,
and hopefully learned & may it never be repeated.
101st Airborne (65-68)

(ArtKramr) wrote in message ...
If you didn't fight in WW II do you feel as though your had missed something?
Do you feel that given your druthers you'd rather have been there than not? Any
regrets at having missed it? Anyone?

I think I understand the onus of this question, and why people (as Art
mentioned) tell him "I wish I coulda been there". It's sort of the
latent desire to have been involved in a period of human strife that
was a turning point in history, brought on by some sort of deficit in
things to feel macho about. And I don't say that in derision, but it
is (it HAS to be) based in that Hollywood vision of what that war was
like, horrors and all. Take "Band Of Brothers" on HBO...the simple
title induces visions of quietly being heroes for each other in the
fields and villages against a common enemy. Men who weren't a part of
that (in any war, from WWII to Vietnam to today's conflicts) sometimes
wonder how they'd handle that situation, and I think it's safe to say
some think a little more highly of themselves than might be warranted.

Me personally, I can't say that I regret not having taken fire for my
country. If she asked, I would have, but she didn't, and my life's
course didn't steer me that way. But I honor those who did.

Subject: If yiu didn't fight in WW II.....
From: (Jeb Hoge)
Date: 2/27/04 9:55 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

(ArtKramr) wrote in message
...
If you didn't fight in WW II do you feel as though your had missed
something?
Do you feel that given your druthers you'd rather have been there than not?
Any
regrets at having missed it? Anyone?

I think I understand the onus of this question, and why people (as Art
mentioned) tell him "I wish I coulda been there". It's sort of the
latent desire to have been involved in a period of human strife that
was a turning point in history, brought on by some sort of deficit in
things to feel macho about. And I don't say that in derision, but it
is (it HAS to be) based in that Hollywood vision of what that war was
like, horrors and all. Take "Band Of Brothers" on HBO...the simple
title induces visions of quietly being heroes for each other in the
fields and villages against a common enemy. Men who weren't a part of
that (in any war, from WWII to Vietnam to today's conflicts) sometimes
wonder how they'd handle that situation, and I think it's safe to say
some think a little more highly of themselves than might be warranted.

Me personally, I can't say that I regret not having taken fire for my
country. If she asked, I would have, but she didn't, and my life's
course didn't steer me that way. But I honor those who did.



Thank you. Well said. Honest and forthright.



Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

On 27 Feb 2004 01:25:47 GMT, (ArtKramr) wrote:

If you didn't fight in WW II do you feel as though your had missed something?
Do you feel that given your druthers you'd rather have been there than not? Any
regrets at having missed it? Anyone?

I missed not getting killed.

Being Black, I missed not being treated worse than German and Italian
POWs.

Had I fought in the war, I would be proud.

I'm not sorry that I didn't.

Are you sorry you weren't in one of the twin towers?

You might have saved somebody's life... or you might be in
infinitessimally small pieces in the Fish Kills landfill.

--
More blood for oil... in my name!

(ArtKramr) wrote in message ...
If you didn't fight in WW II do you feel as though your had missed something?
Do you feel that given your druthers you'd rather have been there than not? Any
regrets at having missed it? Anyone?

I consider myself extremely fortunate that I've never been part of any
war. War is something to avoid, no long for.

Rob