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Not so surprising, but another sad aspect to the pandemic.
Coronavirus depletes the keepers of Europe’s memory
“The memory is vanishing, and the coronavirus is accelerating this process,” said Rita Magnani, who worked with Negri at the local chapter of the National Association of Italian Partisans. “We are losing the people who can tell us in first person what happened. And it’s a shame because when we lose the historical memory, we lose ourselves.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...ry/ar-BB158ygY
While I agree with the premise of the OP about losing the first person contact with those who experienced The War (I shudder to think that today's newest adults were four generations removed from the patriots who saved the world from authoritarianism in the '40s and then outlasted them from the 50s into the '80s), but-- after all, if you were 10 in 1940, you'd turn 90 this year...How long do you expect them to live, CoV or not?...The remaining ones are already 10 yrs past the average life expectancy.
While I agree with the premise of the OP about losing the first person contact with those who experienced The War (I shudder to think that today's newest adults were four generations removed from the patriots who saved the world from authoritarianism in the '40s and then outlasted them from the 50s into the '80s), but-- after all, if you were 10 in 1940, you'd turn 90 this year...How long do you expect them to live, CoV or not?...The remaining ones are already 10 yrs past the average life expectancy.
While I agree the Coronavirus is a factor, like the poster above mentions the veterans were passing several years ago in large numbers. Simple math shows that most of those still living are in their mid to late nineties.
I am a civilian working along side the military and just a few years ago the honor guard at our command were getting overwhelmed with requests to attend gravesite services for veterans that passed.
While we have books and film telling the stories of that generation it not the same as a first persons account.
Not so surprising, but another sad aspect to the pandemic.
Coronavirus depletes the keepers of Europe’s memory
“The memory is vanishing, and the coronavirus is accelerating this process,” said Rita Magnani, who worked with Negri at the local chapter of the National Association of Italian Partisans. “We are losing the people who can tell us in first person what happened. And it’s a shame because when we lose the historical memory, we lose ourselves.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...ry/ar-BB158ygY
my grandfather was survivor of the war and he's gone now.i miss hearing his stories.Its sad that the Greatest Generation is leaving this earth so fast.
my grandfather was survivor of the war and he's gone now.i miss hearing his stories.Its sad that the Greatest Generation is leaving this earth so fast.
True, but as the other posters said, most vets are in their late 80's to early 90's by now.
While I agree with the premise of the OP about losing the first person contact with those who experienced The War (I shudder to think that today's newest adults were four generations removed from the patriots who saved the world from authoritarianism in the '40s and then outlasted them from the 50s into the '80s), but-- after all, if you were 10 in 1940, you'd turn 90 this year...How long do you expect them to live, CoV or not?...The remaining ones are already 10 yrs past the average life expectancy.
I agree!!
My father was a highly decorated veteran of WWII. He wasn't all that young, when he was drafted into the US Army. He was 25, working a full-time job, and already married to my mother, when he got his draft notice, in 1942. Unfortunately, he suffered a fatal heart attack and died, in 1975. However, had that not happened, and he was still alive today, he'd be 103 years of age. His younger brother, who was also a WWII veteran, would have been 101, were he still alive today.
Therefore, while unfortunate, the normal cycle of life would have most of the WWII veterans, except for the REALLY young ones, deceased by now.
My father was a highly decorated veteran of WWII. He wasn't all that young, when he was drafted into the US Army. He was 25, working a full-time job, and already married to my mother, when he got his draft notice, in 1942. Unfortunately, he suffered a fatal heart attack and died, in 1975. However, had that not happened, and he was still alive today, he'd be 103 years of age. His younger brother, who was also a WWII veteran, would have been 101, were he still alive today.
Therefore, while unfortunate, the normal cycle of life would have most of the WWII veterans, except for the REALLY young ones, deceased by now.
As I understand it, It wasn't until the 1944 after the previous years loss rates were analyzed that the US knew they underestimated the manpower needed and 18 year old's started to be drafted. Those young GI's in the ranks were mostly 1942 volunteers before no more volunteers were accepted and everyone waited for a draft call from 1943 forward.
The youngest surviving veterans today were probably from German, Japanese and Soviet armed forces along with member of partisan guerrilla groups.
The problem with the volunteers was that they were choosing the Army Air Force, the Marines and the Navy. The Army ground forces and especially the infantry didn’t have enough men.
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