B. Russell Sucharoff, Washington, D.C., 08 January 2000. Note: the author's father, was a 25 year old flyer in Italy during WWII. A special thank you to Michael Marshall for the inspiration.

You fought in World war II to save the world
to make the world safe for democracy
to make the world free from Hitlerian totalitarianism
to save the Jewish people
to save Western society
to make the way straight
for my very own birth
and the birth of your grandchildren.

The children/grandchildren in "Saving Private Ryan"
seem to have no idea of what their father/grandfather
had gone through----or why.
You never told me why.
I assume you knew
it had to be done
and you just did it.

Now its my turn-my world is at war.
Our nation -the nation you fought to
preserve and protect
is being torn apart.
Not from a danger from abroad
Not from a Hitler, a Mussolini or an Emperor Tojo
But by our own indifference
Our laziness-as if we just did not care.
Where would I be today?
Would I be speaking German ?
Could I have African-American friends ?
Could I have Jewish friends ?
Would I even be here-be alive.
If you and your generation had just not cared.
No, my nation is-I believe,
every bit at war as it was 60 years ago.
But in lieu of Pearl harbor,
we have a war within our very own borders:
Divorce, drugs, gangs, pornography, homosexuality, family breakdown, prayer being removed—
not only from the schools and the public square—
but even from the pulpits of our churches and synagogues-and perhaps-
from our way of life itself.

Yes you cared
You put your life on the line to make my world
free and democratic
To give me every choice under the sun.
So now its my turn.
I have to care.
Every bit as much as you did.
So my children, your grandchildren
will be able to bring those free choices into fruition.

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