"...They will live a long time, these men of the South Pacific. They had an American quality. They, like their victories, will be remembered as long as our generation lives. After that, like the men of the Confederacy, they will become strangers. Longer and longer shadows will obscure them, until their Guadalcanal sounds distant on the ear like Shiloh and Valley Forge..."
It applies to all these men, not just those of the South Pacific. You could substitute "Schweinfurt" for "Guadalcanal", and "European Theater" for "South Pacific" and it would mean just the same.
Every time one of them passes, I hear this passage. My dad was one of those men. How I miss him.
Great post ... I miss my WWII dad too.
“...Every time one of them passes, I hear this passage. My dad was one of those men. How I miss him....”
Yes sir....truth to that. You’re not alone. Mine was also one of those guys; a young PFC in the USMC, BAR rifleman on the invasion of Okinawa. He was just a kid and lived thru it to come home to my mother. He passed two years ago and, like you, I miss him so much.
Yes. These men of that generation...it brings to mind one of my favorite quotes, yet bittersweet and sad from Tales of The South Pacific by James Michener:
“...They will live a long time, these men of the South Pacific. They had an American quality. They, like their victories, will be remembered as long as our generation lives. After that, like the men of the Confederacy, they will become strangers. Longer and longer shadows will obscure them, until their Guadalcanal sounds distant on the ear like Shiloh and Valley Forge...”
It applies to all these men, not just those of the South Pacific. You could substitute “Schweinfurt” for “Guadalcanal”, and “European Theater” for “South Pacific” and it would mean just the same.
Every time one of them passes, I hear this passage. My dad was one of those men. How I miss him.
I read your post a dozen times. Couldn’t agree more. Our country is truly blessed to have such gallant men stand and be counted. My Father was a B-29 pilot flying from Saipan. I miss him more every day...