“The War” On PBS
Tonight, as I’m in one of those tired modes, let’s talk about Eugene Sledge and my grandfather.
There is a connection, believe it or not, to me at least.
I’ve been watching “The War” on PBS. Today, over at MCB, Ned Williams asked about the Ken Burns documentary.
I am not going to sit here tonight and pontificate about the comparisons between that war and this war. I’m just not up for it tonight. I feel like my brain is in a blender and it’s just a damn good thing I know the difference between razor blades and dog food, or the kind and smelly canines who live with me would be in trouble. (They had kibble. Thank goodness.)
Yeah, I’m that tired. Working, fretting and working some more. Thus my life these days.
Anyway, I have been watching and will turn it on again tonight.
What am I getting from “The War”?
I’m getting my grandfather. My dear sweet grandfather, a message from his generation, in this documentary that is reminding me that he once was a young man too. A man, who joined the Marines at a very young age. I’m getting the voice of his time.
And, my friends, this is not bad at all. I have a picture of him in his uniform, his face so handsome that it would break your heart. His cap, sitting just a bit askew on his head and a smile, man, that would knock the socks off of a holy woman. He’s beautiful.
But what I’m seeing are the things he didn’t say in this documentary. He was in the Battle of Saipan. He told a few stories, but kept many to himself. I know of the time he killed a nurse shark, because the men were hungry. I know about taking a bath with real soap and being shot at by a sniper.
I know he was damaged from his time there, but never broken. He learned too young about death and war, about young men dying for their country. He knew, though, in his mind it was something he wanted to do.
And, I adored him. Just adored him.
So, to answer the question, I’m getting whispers from my grandfather as a young man, unfortunately at war. Not old enough to drink, yet old enough to fight.
And, I needed it.
There is no political commentary here tonight. I’m watching a documentary that I’m enjoying.
Because, although I’m alone this evening, I can feel my grandfather’s presence.
And as for Eugene Sledge, read about him here. He had a voice. And, in some ways, I here it in my grandfather’s quiet Southern drawl that I haven’t heard for more than 26 years.
Photo from Wikipedia from Battle of Saipan and National Archives
When Burns was on some talk show the other night, he mentioned that there were numerous times during interviews when the subject would tell some amazing story and the family members in the room, once the camera had stopped rolling, would exclaim, “Dad, you never told us that story before!” Burns said he was pleased to have created those little moments.
It’s been my experience with the veterans I’ve covered for the newspaper, and you have probably seen the same thing, that the ones who saw the most action are (with a few exceptions either way) the least likely to go around talking about their experience. That’s understandable, from their standpoint, although in some cases it deprives the rest of us of a remarkable learning opportunity.