Bearing witness to history

Next Wednesday is Veterans Day, a day to acknowledge and thank all those who have served in the armed forces.

The holiday began as a commemoration of end of World War I, the "war to end all wars," and was celebrated on November 11. It was called Armistice Day back then. In 1954, Congress changed the name and scope of the holiday to include all veterans and it has been known as Veterans Day ever since.

The date it is observed has changed several times. It began as being celebrated on November 11, then in 1971 it changed to the fourth Monday of October. In 1978, it went back to November 11, where it should remain.

I don't know if any of us who have not served in the military can truly appreciate the gifts veterans have given us. Yes, we all learn in school the main points of the wars: the highlights of several years of bloody struggle. We learn respect for the flag, and why the wars were fought.

All very neat and tidy. Pictures in a book, easy to look at and forget.

I guess it wasn't until the release of "Saving Private Ryan" in 1998 that I began to realize what many veterans had gone through, and how much I had taken for granted.

My father, Arved, served in the Army in World War II. He was a medic who served in the Pacific Theater. During his lifetime, we referred to him as "The Chief" because he enjoyed the moniker and saw himself as the boss. "I'm the chief, you are the Indians" was a phrase that was often repeated in our house. I think he believed that if he repeated it enough, we would believe it.

Not so much.

The Chief died in 2001. He never spoke much about his time in the Army, preferring to talk about Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Sir Winston Churchill, two men he admired greatly.

Two years ago, PBS aired a Ken Burns documentary about World War II. Entitled simply "The War," the series focused on four towns in America and featured personal accounts from more than 40 people who lived during the era. I watched all 15 hours, and wanted more.

Near the end of the series, some of the veterans who had shared their first hand accounts of the war spoke about how difficult the transition to normal life was after the war had ended. Many never spoke of their experiences, some spoke only with other veterans. Some struggled for years to distance themselves from their experiences.

On the PBS website devoted to "The War," there is a quotation from CBS radio correspondent Eric Sevareid, who had reported on the war for four years. Sevareid commented "Only the soldier really lives the war. The journalist does not -- war happens inside a man -- and that is why, in a certain sense, you and your sons from the war will be forever strangers. If, by the miracles of art and genius, in later years two or three among them can open their hearts and the right words come, then perhaps we shall all know a little of what it was like -- and we shall know then that all the present speakers and writers hardly touched the story."

Sharp guy, that Sevareid.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that we allow many opportunities to simply pass us by. I had numerous chances as an adult to discuss the war with my father, but simply never got him to talk about it. I don't know if he ever would have, but I dearly wish we could have.

As Veterans Day rolls around again next week, I urge everyone who has loved ones who have served to thank them for their service, and ask them to share their stories. Eyewitnesses to some of the greatest battles in human history are passing away every day.

They deserve our thanks, and we need to bear witness to their accomplishments, triumphs and tragedies.

It is the very least we can do for those who literally saved the world.

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@lemarscomm.net, telephone 712-546-7031, x40 or toll free 1-800-728-0066 x40.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.