IN OUR ASSOCIATIONS

                                         WHY WE DRAW CLOSER TOGETHER

There comes a time, after dragging one's spouse to a dozen reunions to answer his/her question, “What do you get out of this?” Now, I hasten to explain that my spouse's question is not asked in anger, or even exasperation, but maybe with just a wee bit of impatience. Well, the spouse deserves a reply. Further than that, we veterans need to reflect a bit on why we do achieve so much therapy from getting together, swapping war stories, dressing up, marching in parades, etc.

I think as we approach that time in our life, those “September years,” we do begin to ask ourselves, “Why do we feel a need to draw together; why do we enjoy so much organizing not only into national groups such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, etc., but “specialty” associations such as The Battle of the Bulge, the 28^th Division Society, the Rhine and Danube Society, (French American War veterans), etc.” Sure, we have valid and official reasons for being: helping other veterans, securing proper legislation for veterans' causes, promoting Americanism, etc., but I think there are other, more deeply seated emotional reasons for forming into so many larger and small groupings. I suggest that the following three reasons are probably of major importance to World War II veterans especially.

1. Reliving the Great Adventure – Most of us grew up during the pit of the greatest depression to ever hit the United States or the world. Our horizons were low. We generally kept close to home. There was no money to travel, to eat well, to enjoy the stimulations of life. We could afford the movies and the radio: and they became our vicarious adventuring. Then, World War II! We traveled, we generally ate better than ever before, we had a great adventure. Today, anything to do with war is condemned by many as evil and totally unproductive. But the war provided us with the greatest thrill of our lives – before, during and since. And as we enter into our 70's we need to relive that great adventure, even if only to stimulate our heart and arteries, and to remind ourselves that we had some exciting times. While it is hard for us to translate to our wives, our children, our grandchildren what were those “highs,” we still thrill to them. The critics be damned!

2. We suffered immense and continuous pain, emotional as well physical. We either slept out in the snow suffering from frostbite, gangrene and even amputation; or we developed jungle rot which produced similar and unpleasant living and dying conditions. We saw comrades blown to pieces and maybe we were wounded ourselves, or suffered the prolonged and deep pain as a prisoner-of -war, captive of the worst kind of brutes and dehumanizers. That long period of pain and deprivation has sensitized us so that we can appreciate much more the joys of life than can most non-veterans, particularly those opportunities offered in this great country. As a friend of mine, a hero of Bastogne, remarked when chided about his large pot-belly, “Ah, the good life, man!” Yes, against the backdrop of evil one can better appreciate good; and against a back drop of prolonged suffering one can better appreciate the joys of living in America.

3. We absolutely glory in our Americanism and we know more than most who is an American and what that means. For 200 years we have been trying to approach the great ideals laid out in this country by our founding fathers. We have painfully and slowly come closer to admitting all our citizens to full citizenship. When one's life literally depends on another he doesn't ask his race, religion, creed or ethnicity. Hitler thought he would have an easy time with us. He derided “Americans” as that “mongrel race” which had no real identity or morale. Well, we showed him. We stood up to the greatest war machine in history up to that time. We were ill-prepared, poorly trained, and badly equipped. But we beat back the so-called master race. We conquered and won. Who is we? Why that mongrel race of Italians, Poles, Germans, Mexicans, English, Scottish, Irish, etc. Those Protestant, Catholics, Jews, agnostics and atheists. Those blacks, browns, yellow, whites and Indians. THOSE AMERICANS!

Well, my darling spouse, that is what we get out of it. This encompasses our oft hidden reasons for associations. We hope you can understand a little of its import to us

(This thoughtful rumination was given by Murray Shapiro, President of the Southern California Chapter, 28^th Infantry Association.)