Our nation is losing a precious resource, one we don’t appreciate as much as we should, and one we will never get back once it is gone.
That resource is the nation’s collection of World War II veterans, "The Greatest Generation" as pegged by newsman and author Tom Brokaw. With the war ending in Europe 63 years ago this month, the number of Americans who served in the world’s greatest conflict is dwindling to a precious few.
Today there are some 2.5 million left of the 16 million who served in World War II. Nearly all are in their 80s and older and dying at a rate of some 1,000 a day.
On this Memorial Day, we honor those who gave their lives for their nation’s freedom in both the recent and distant past, whatever our views of the wars in which they fought. In addition, let’s be sure to save a grateful salute to those who served so well and still are with us, for their days may be numbered.
It’s not just WWII vets we’re losing but also those who served in the Korean War (1950-1953). Fewer than 3 million of them remain. Meanwhile the nation is down to its last survivor from World War I (1917-1918).
We still have more than 7 million Vietnam vets living among us, but they, too, are growing grayer as they reach their golden years. A decade from now, they will be the generation whose reunions are attended by a scant few. Of the 23 million or so veterans of all wars still living in the United States, nearly 40 percent are age 65 or older, according to data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Why is this important? Because it’s vital that we and our children learn from those who gave so much of themselves for the cause of liberty. There is no truer test of one’s patriotism.
Today, our nation remains committed to missions in the Middle East that run hot and cold by the day. To date, more than 4,000 have been killed in Iraq, some 500 in Afghanistan.
The degree of sacrifice in these wars has been great for those who have served and their families and friends. Yet that number can’t begin to touch the impact felt by everyone, service members and civilians alike, during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. In those conflicts, nearly every family had a child, parent, aunt or uncle in uniform, as did every neighbor and co-worker. The effort was shared by the nation as a whole, not just those in the ranks of our all-volunteer forces, as is the case today.
That sense of common purpose is why we need to honor our older veterans’ service. They are the ones most likely to well up with pride and emotion when they see the American flag, hear the national anthem or watch a military parade because they know the heavy price that was paid to maintain our way of life.
Those who came home saw their buddies killed in action and felt the sting of war close-up. The rest of us now watch the war only on the TV news. They know what war is like more than we ever will. That’s a lesson they need to continue to teach us before they are gone.
If you have a veteran of World War II, Korea or Vietnam in the family or living around the corner, or if you know a service member still on active duty, be sure to let them know how important their sacrifice is to us all and how grateful we are. Listen to their stories and remember them; pass their legacy of courage on to their grandchildren and generations down the line so they will never be lost.
We can’t ever forget what they did. Likewise, it’s just as important to remember what they know and how they feel about war, patriotism and their country.
It’s an example we all can follow in our peacetime efforts to make our nation and the world a little better.