The Pacific
I am certainly a girly mommy...but I have a major obsession with World War II history. We're talking absolute fanatic. I'd rather watch anything - fictional or not - based on WWII than almost anything else I could think of, (except maybe the Redskins playing a winning game.) You'd think that would make me a husband's dream...except I'm more into this stuff than he is! :-P I am geeked out beyond belief to watch the premiere of The Pacific on HBO tonight, (a miniseries like Band of Brothers, about the Pacific theatre instead of Europe,) but JB went out tonight to see a buddy. I'm sorry - nothing would pull me away from my TV for this. :-D
My obsession stems from:
#1 - Being a total, life-long history buff! ALL history! My favorite subject, (along with geography & sociology - so the total "social studies" package.)
#2 - Being a German major in college got me really into Germany's perspective in WWII
And #3 is the biggie - my dad (yes, dad - not grandfather; he was quite a bit older than my mom) was in the Navy in WWII. He flew in airplanes over the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. He passed away 13 years ago next month (that number seems impossible...) before movies like Saving Private Ryan came out and before veterans really started speaking openly about their experiences. That generation just did their duty, sucked it up, moved on, and didn't speak of the past; but it absolutely shaped who they were, and it breaks my heart that we never got to sit down and have him tell me everything before he died. He didn't talk about it, and at the time, I didn't know enough to ask. I can't stand now that I don't know all that I could about what he did, saw, & felt; what he experienced & how it changed his life...b/c I know it did. How could something like that not???
When you know you're missing information on someone whose blood you share, it never stops nagging you. I hate that there's so much I don't know and didn't get to learn from him, but I guess I feel like I gain some more insight with each one of these shows or movies. I know my obsession will never be quelled. It fascinates me beyond words!
My obsession stems from:
#1 - Being a total, life-long history buff! ALL history! My favorite subject, (along with geography & sociology - so the total "social studies" package.)
#2 - Being a German major in college got me really into Germany's perspective in WWII
And #3 is the biggie - my dad (yes, dad - not grandfather; he was quite a bit older than my mom) was in the Navy in WWII. He flew in airplanes over the Solomon Islands in the Pacific. He passed away 13 years ago next month (that number seems impossible...) before movies like Saving Private Ryan came out and before veterans really started speaking openly about their experiences. That generation just did their duty, sucked it up, moved on, and didn't speak of the past; but it absolutely shaped who they were, and it breaks my heart that we never got to sit down and have him tell me everything before he died. He didn't talk about it, and at the time, I didn't know enough to ask. I can't stand now that I don't know all that I could about what he did, saw, & felt; what he experienced & how it changed his life...b/c I know it did. How could something like that not???
When you know you're missing information on someone whose blood you share, it never stops nagging you. I hate that there's so much I don't know and didn't get to learn from him, but I guess I feel like I gain some more insight with each one of these shows or movies. I know my obsession will never be quelled. It fascinates me beyond words!
it'll take a while for us to make it to WWII, but i'm SO EXCITED to start history next year with the boys. there is some great curriculum for kids to make history fun and exciting and you better believe that we'll be taking lots of history field trips. PA is steeped in civil war history (which is my area of interest).
ReplyDeletemy grandfather is also very stoic about his time in WWII. doesn't talk much about it, and answers when you ask questions about it, but his answers are very general and not at all romanticized. i love him for what he did back then...and he was able to come back to his new bride after being shot down over enemy lines.
my granddad fought in WW2, was apart of the group that came up through Africa. a story that would would actually tell people, only when asked, is that after they had taken germany, he was walking down a city street in germany and saw his brother across the road. he didn't know if his brothers were still alive and where they were. what a reunion! in the middle of germany! its one of two stories he ever told me before he passed away. i often wonder if i had been older, if i could have heard more stories but he didn't speak about the war, especially to women.
ReplyDeleteone day,susie, you'll be able to sit with your dad in heaven and ask all the questions you want and the two of you will be able to share stories for eternity! one day!
My hubs is a WWII obsessed person as well. I bought him the Band of Brothers DVD pack a few Christmas ago. We don't have HBO so he was so sad to miss the Pacific but thrilled when we randomy found it last night on a different channel. They then had all these WWII shows on afterwards. Finally at 12:30 I told him he HAD to turn off the TV! He loves the stuff though.
ReplyDeleteMy granddad was in WWII as well but I never had the conversations about it with him before he passed. I was too little. My Dad says he never talked about it though.
Sorry for the loss of your Dad. I'm sure it never gets easier.
Thanks for sharing your WWII family connections with me, too!!!
ReplyDeleteLiz - as a Southerner, of course I'm also into Civil War history. :-D
Amy - my dad was the same: he'd give light answers if asked, but I do wonder if I would have been older, would he have told me more?
Reynie - BB & I are exactly the same!!! I asked for (& got :-)) "Band of Brothers" for Christmas the year it came out, and I actually go to sleep regularly to the Military Channel & the History Channel! :-D Night before last, I watched "Hitler's Bodyguard" in the bed - not your average bedtime fare, right? :-P