WWII in Color

PBS ran this tonight. Amazing footage of the “last good war”, all in color. Well done, shows great admiration for the sacrifice, preparation, and execution of the war. It’s really well balanced, too.

On one hand, there were things like “If the people back home knew what we were going through, they wouldn’t be doing things like striking, or complaining about rations.”

Then there were things like this quote from a marine’s mom - “We have traded our son for an engraved certificate saying that he died for liberty. Damn sorry swap.”

There was a letter written from a dad to his kids, to be opened should he not return. Absolutely unbelievably eloquent, along the lines of there is good in the world, and never forget that dad died to keep that good around. I wish I could have found a transcript on the PBS site, but couldn’t.

“The day the world forgets they will truly have died in vain.”

Posted by jank at January 11, 2004 6:48 PM