Featured Column

Week of 4.26.2009

About War

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written by Leah:

My memory about World War II is very dim indeed. But I do remember that Atlantic City, where I lived at that time, was used as a rest and rehabilitation area for military personnel returning from the front. I have a faint memory of visiting one of the piers where soldiers were gathered, and talking with a recently returned soldier and walking with him on the Boardwalk. But that was long ago.

As for the Korean War, I'll confess that I remember very little about that period.

I do have a much sharper recollection of the events of September 11, 2001. I was downstairs in front of my house, awaiting my ride to wherever I was going that morning, when I saw the second World Trade Center building fall. I immediately returned to my apartment and phoned my son. I'm all right, I said. Are you all right? He assured me that he was. Right after that, the telephone went dead. My world has not been the same ever since. At the time, it was difficult for me to conceive that the USA could be hated so much. Since then, though, and during the Bush years, it was more understandable. Now that there has been a change in the administration, I have hopes that my country will regain the respect and admiration for which it was known previously. I am reminded of the John Lennon song, "Give Peace a Chance."