Why Don't we have a WWII Memorial

[bibarnes]

This is just a question. I was listening to the ever present ad by Tom Hanks promoting a memorial for the WWII Veterans. I want to know what everyone thinks about it.

I am a Vietnam Vet. I have been to DC many times and on the Mall, but have never been to the memorial. My father was a WWII vet as were his 3 brothers. I firmly believe that the VM (Vietnam memorial) was not for us, but to salve the consciences of the old hippies and peacenicks who spit on us when we came home.

When my Dad came home he was treated as a hero and rightly so. He served his country past the age he should have (33 with 2 kids) and served honorably as did 99% of them. His memorial was the gratitude and honor of a nation.

In my opinion a Memorial along the order of the abomination in DC for Vietnam would belittle the sacrifice.

Just my opinion, what's yours? Bill

[Mr. Bird]

In my opinion a Memorial along the order of the abomination in DC for Vietnam would belittle the sacrifice.

As one much too young to have been touched even indirectly by WWII, I still believe that trying to "memorialize" the events and heroes of that war would be a daunting, if not impossible, task.

Perhaps the only true memorial is the view outside windows and inside children's bedrooms, and the knowledge within our souls that millions died so that millions more could remain free.

[Ace the Biker]

I too have been to the mall many times, however my trips were always for one reason only, to visit the memorial and pay tribute to my fallen bros many of whom I served with and several who I was with when they were killed.

My father served in WWII and Korea and I'm glad to see that he has one memorial and one to come. He is now 86 and I hope that he lives to see the WWII memorial built.

[vmatt]

I firmly believe that the VM (Vietnam memorial) was not for us, but to salve the consciences of the old hippies and peacenicks who spit on us when we came home.

You mean the ones who raised enough hell that the government finally was forced to get us out, and saved us from a wall stretching for a couple miles? How many of those names ever dreamed we would be best of friends with the Chinese who supported the NVA? That one day you wouldn't be able to walk into a store without being surrounded by Chinese made goods? What did 50,000 dead soldiers accomplish?

[GOPyouth]

Not to say that there shouldn't be another memorial, because I'm glad they are doing it, but there are 2 structures in DC that are quite amazing that do represent the soldiers of WWII. The Tomb of the Unknown and the Iwo Jima statue. To anybody who has never seen the changing of the guard at the Tomb, it's a moving experience.

[tubebender]

There is a memorial to D-Day in some eastern state that is struggling financially because it ran millions over budget.

I had two brothers, a sister and two brotherinlaws in WW11. They all came home OK. One brother was shot down over Wiesbaden and spent some time in hitlers Hiltons. Other brother came and got a job guarding German POWs in the cotton fields of Calif. He was an MP in Europe plus other things.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Memorials are for egocentric narcissists like Bill Clinton.

They are not necessary for America's Greatest Generation. Their lives are memorial enough. Only people who lead ignominious lives need memorials to spin their "legacies."

[Peter W. Kessler]

The Nation in which we now live - prosperous, strong, wealthy beyond imagination - IS the memorial to those brave young men who served, fought, and sacrificed for our benefit.

Sadly, WWII Veterans are quickly passing from the scene.

As much as we need a physical monument to commemorate what they did, we need to be more like them - tough, self reliant, brave, patriotic, and optimistic.

We need to teach our young people what the World War Two Generation did, at home and abroad, and inspire them to be ready to rise to our present day challenges.

We owe all of our Veterans a debt we cannot repay. Living our lives as they did would certainly go a long way to memorializing their sacrifices.

[Newbomb Turk]

The true memorial is the success of America following WWII. Look around you.We have it made in this country. If you have traveled overseas you know what I mean. If you look around your part of America you will like what you see.We are free to do as we please for the most part.
Sure things could be better, heck it America we are allways striving for improvement and we don't care one bit how they do it over there.
Stop by a veterans hospital this week or a VFW and buy a round for some of those Great American Heros. Listen to a few stories and you may find you have life pretty good.

[donozark]

They only prolonged the war by aiding and abetting our communist enemy. Vietnam was but one battle in the WAR against International Monolithic communism. An evil which claimed far more lives than fascism or Nazism combined.

The communists in VN were every bit as evil as the Taliban, and killed far more. And still are killing. Only last spring they launched a pogrom against Christians in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. This was a DIVISION size operation. After the Reds took over in 1975 they virtually exterminated the H'Moung, Meo, and Montagnard peoples of Indochina. Where were all these "protesters" then?

[Clintons Are White Trash]

I agree wholeheartedly! I lost two great uncles in WWII, Edward was killed at Leyte Gulf and Floyd was on the USS Quincy at Guadalcanal. I think of them often now with the current war and circumstances - with a 23 year old son, it really makes me wonder how my great grandmother survived losing 2 of her boys.

[john in orinda]

I thought that the Tom Hanks commercial was to raise money to pay for the memorial that is planned and will be built west of the Washington Monument. I look forward to visiting it.

My dad spent the war in Oak Ridge, purifying uranium to build Fat Man and Little Boy. I'm proud of and grateful for his service.
Regards,

[cherrycapital]

World War 2 was a disgraceful war to save Stalin, Chiang, Mao, and the British Empire. It can plausibly be defended on the grounds of necessity- but anyone who thinks it was some great crusade to protect democracy is a complete fool.

[john in orinda]

HERE is a link to the WWII Memorial

[kidd]

I was only 13 when the Vietnam war ended. I was old enough to think that the peaceniks at the time were weird, but I was more concerned with other things (school, girls, baseball, etc). To a 13 year old, the war was only a bunch of news stories.

When I was in my 30s, I went to DC for the first time. I didn't think that I wall was much of a memorial, compared to the other fabulous memorials. I went to see it anyway. When I got close enough to read individual names, I began to imagine what each one represented. Each person was someone's kid, and each death represented a lot of pain for those who lost a loved one. At the same time, I thought how each one served a particular function in the military, and how each one of these people gave their lives to protect me. Then I looked to my left and to my right and saw an endless wall of names. Each name represented a hero, yet each name was practically forgotten, except for on this wall.

I left the memorial with a tear in my eye. I have rarely been so moved. I immediately gained a deep respect for those in the military. That respect has only become stronger since then.

Maybe the WWII memorial is not for you. I think the rest of us may need it.

[RightWhale]

There is a huge Russian war memorial that is the most powerfully aesthetic non-religious structure on the planet, IMHO. It consists of a torch being held up by a hand rising from the ground.

[donozark]

Foolishness. Ever heard of Pearl Harbor?

[DoughtyOne]

The reason I've chosen not to support the memorial Hanks is hawking, is because I do not believe the WWII memorial should have to compete with the Lincoln memorial. It should be in a location which focuses solely on the men and women who died in WWII. It's sad that a memorial hasn't been privided for them, and that should be remedied. But it should be remedied by someone with a little common sense, something not so comming W., D.C. these days.

While Bill Clinton was spitting on the Military and gutting our defense forces and selling our national secrets to China for a pittance, Tom Hanks and his buds were providing $10,000 a pop for chances to attend Clinton fundraisers. If you think I want that pond scum hawking anything remotely related to our military heroes, think again!

[VOA]

The reason I've chosen not to support the memorial Hanks is hawking, is because I do not believe
the WWII memorial should have to compete with the Lincoln memorial.

I am probably revealing my hillbilly origins from Oklahoma and Missouri...
but I always grew up thinking of the Iwo Jima statue as "the WWII memorial".
Only with the noise from Hanks, et al about a belated general memorial to WWII
did I realize that the Iwo Jima statue is viewed a "Marine Corps" memorial.

Maybe it's just because I grew up in the "afterward" of WWII, but I still don't quite see how
the teamwork, strength and sacrifice in the Iwo Jima statue could be topped by a new memorial.
Just my opinion...and I respect ones that would disagree with my position.

[RightOnline]

I speak English as my first language rather than German or Japanese.

I consider that to be more than enough of a "memorial" to our brave WWII vets.