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Losing our nation's rich heritage
LETTERS, FAXES AND E-MAILS TO THE EDITOR

Your May 19 editorial on students' lack of historical knowledge was long overdue. But the sources of that lack of knowledge were not addressed.

Some time ago, a pop song said, "Don't know much about history." How true of today's post-World War II generations.

I taught broadcast news a few years ago at a trade school where the administrator had a hard-and-fast directive: "If the student doesn't learn, the teacher is not teaching."

Recently, I addressed a group of history teachers and gave them a pop quiz. I was greeted with smiles and giggles when I asked, "Who can tell me what events occurred west of Pearl Harbor during the 48 hours following the Japanese attack on Hawaii?"

I was not surprised to be greeted by a sea of blank stares. Not one of those "history" teachers knew that, during that period, the Japanese invaded the Philippine Islands, attacked Guam and Wake Island and began their assault on Singapore and Hong Kong.

They also were unaware that the siege of Bataan and Corregidor lasted nearly six months, while Singapore and Hong Kong fell early on. They were unaware that the defenders of the Philippines decimated a Japanese army and that reinforcements were needed to defeat the defenders.

They did not know that those reinforcements (50,000 strong) were pulled out of the Japanese army that was to invade Australia. They were not aware that the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor delayed the Japanese advance in the Pacific long enough for America to send men and equipment to Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Australia to further prevent an invasion.

It has been said that the "Battling Bastards of Bataan" made it possible for MacArthur to keep his promise of "I shall return." And by the grace of God and a few Marines, "Dugout Doug" did return to the Philippines - but the gallant men of Bataan were no longer there.

They continued to fight the enemy from behind barbed wire, conducting sabotage operations while toiling as slave laborers in Japanese industries. While every other Allied nation has paid their POWs reparations for the suffering endured at the hands of the Japanese, our nation has turned its back on these men, refusing to compensate them for their nearly four years of incarceration as POWs.

There is no excuse for historians to be unaware of these events - events that, for all intents and purposes, changed the outcome of the war in the Pacific.

If history teachers do not know the history of this nation, how can they teach the students? If a student then becomes a history teacher, without being taught history, the end result is that the rich heritage of this nation is lost.

O.H. "Karl" King, Battling Bastard of Bataan and former POW

To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our
own, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or students... here is something
to make you chuckle
.
Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort
from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own
children.
After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve.
And the first thing he said was,
"Don't!"
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.
"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit ?
Hey, Eve we have forbidden fruit !"
"No way !"
"Sure Nuff!"
"Do NOT eat the fruit !" said God.
"Why?"
"Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied, (wondering
why he hadn't stopped Creation after making the elephants).
A few minutes later, God saw His children having an
apple break and was He ticked !
"Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God, as our first parent, asked.
"Uh huh," Adam replied.
"Then why did you?" said the Father.
"I don't know," said Eve.
"She started it !" Adam said,
"Did not !"
"Did too !"
"DID NOT !"
Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam
and Eve should have children of their own. Thus, the pattern was set and it has never changed!
But there is reassurance in this story.
If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you ?
Advice for the day:
If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on an aspirin bottle: "Take two Aspirin"
and "Keep away from children."
A FEW ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ! ...
CHILDREN: You spend the first 2 years of their life teaching them
to walk and talk. Then you spend the next 16 telling them to sit down and be quiet.
Grandchildren....God's reward for not killing your children!!
Mothers of teens know why some animals eat their young.
Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word
for word what you shouldn't have said.
The main purpose for hosting a party for your children and their
friends is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.
"We child-proofed our home 3 years ago and they're still getting in!"
Be nice to your kids. They'll choose your nursing home!