'The War' - Then And Now

IBD ^ | September 25, 2007

[Kaslin]

Defending Liberty: Ken Burns' PBS series is enthralling millions by illustrating America's sacrifices during World War II. Too few today realize that just as much is at stake as we fight terrorists in the Middle East and globally.

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Some 18.7 million people tuned in Sunday night to watch the first installment of "The War," a 15-hour documentary by the same filmmaker who rose to fame 17 years ago using vintage images to make the Civil War come to life.

What Burns has done to capture viewers' imaginations is spotlight ordinary combatants who left home to fight, and their loved ones and neighbors who guarded the home front, in four representative communities: Luverne, Minn.; Mobile, Ala.; Sacramento, Calif.; and Waterbury, Conn.

"The problem with the Second World War," Burns noted in a CBS interview on Monday, is that "we've made it the good war and the bloodless war." But as Burns pointed out, the truth of World War II was people "dying at a rate of 1,000 a day." He set out to "record what they experienced, what war is like, which is just as horrible as it is now. More, this was the worst war ever."

[Last Dakotan]

The segments about various aggrieved minority groups are like commercials - you have to sit through them to watch the rest of the show.

[beaversmom]

Watching now. I didn’t even know about this series until I heard Laura Ingraham’s program this morning.

[PzLdr]

The first two episodes were somewhat innaccurate historically, and very superficial. I did win a bet with myself on episode One, when Kenny got into the racism angle within the first thirty minutes.

[pawdoggie]

The first two episodes were somewhat innaccurate historically, and very superficial. I did win a bet with myself on episode One, when Kenny got into the racism angle within the first thirty minutes.

Amen. The Holocaust, racial segregation in the US Military and the forced resettlement of Japanese-Americans are some of the few historical facts today's school-kids (and their parents)might actually know. Why not tell them a few things they don't know instead?

[berdie]

I am watching the series with much interest. I have read much and talked to many WWII family vets to hear their stories.

I am also a big fan of Ollie North’s “War Stories”. He tells the same stories from a different slant. It’s interesting to me to see both sides of the coverage.

Considering the time, there should be no big surprise that there was bigotry. I take it as reporting the times as they were. Wrong..but given the times..

I have enjoyed the coverage about the actual effect on the U.S. Somethings I don’t always think about. The sacrifice and support we gave our our troops. The actual effect on the “war cities” is pretty interesting.

Of course it isn’t always pro U.S., but I take that into account. But in mho, to win a fight..you can’t always be P.C.

So far..for what it is..not a bad series.

[Snapping Turtle]

We should have been told WHY we needed internment camps for the West Coast Japanese-Americans. Also, WWII was the beginning of desegregation for Blacks. And I haven’t heard about American Indians’ participation yet. Also, I can’t comment from personal experience during WWII, but the fighting men are applauded, yet the military commanders have certainly been maligned. What’s your thoughts?

[goodnesswins]

You’re right.....haven’t heard about the balloons that flew into Oregon, and even killed one or more have we......my Mother In Law, who lost her only sibling, a brother, in the war said, once of the Internment camps.....”At least they came home.”

[berdie]

Do I think the internment camps should have happened? No. It is a sad chapter in our history. But it may have saved their lives, as cruel as it was. A German could change his name and blend in. A Japanese citizen..not so much. A Japanese citizen was not allowed citizenship during that time. But yet we called on them to fight. The Japanese were so harsh during the war. I would have been been scared to have lived here freely had I been Japanese.

The native Americans were as important as any minority. or other fighting group imo. But maligned. as usual.They fought, hard and provided the “Wind Talkers”.

There is no doubt there were some challenged commanders in all the wars we have fought. But this series brought up a good point. We had few seasoned commanders or soldiers. I found it interesting the name of the commanders were shielded. I guess google was not their buddy. :)

[berdie]

Do whatever it takes to win ..bottom line The Japanese would have, the Germans would have. The terrorists will. Give it some thought,

[FFranco]

Japanese could become citizens at that time, many were. The show points out that Japanese-American citizens were interned.

German and Italian Americans didn’t need to change their names.

[Snapping Turtle]

I think Ollie North should have been consulted for a little more clarification, since this is a major history lesson for many of the world’s youth.

[Wilum]

The native Americans were as important as any minority. or other fighting group imo. But maligned. as usual.They fought, hard and provided the “Wind Talkers”.

"The American Indian is brilliantly documented along with the rest of the great soldiers of the WWII 45th "Thunderbird" Division in the book The Rock of Anzio by Flint Whitlock (yeah, his real name) available on Amazon.

My Dad was a radio man for the 180th Co E and always had an Indian by his side to do the talking. That is where the Marines got the idea for the Wind Talkers.

[freedom4me]

I’m a history/government teacher. I use Ollie’s WAR STORIES all the time, especially when preparing my kids for Veterans Day. The only “agenda” I detect in Ollie’s documentaries is love of country—exactly what I seek to teach my kids.

[Buffalo Bob]

Do whatever it takes to win ..bottom line The Japanese would have, the Germans would have. The terrorists will. Give it some thought,

ding, ding, ding.... we have a winner!

It's great to see somone who actually understands this principle. America seems to largely ignore it, and doing so will ensure our doom.

[PzLdr]

Kenny also forgot to mention that Italians and Germans [I don’t know if they included U.S citizens] were also interned [although not in the same numbers]. But then they didn’t have a bunch of fleet carriers at the time that could reach the U.S coast.

[dfwgator]

German and Italian Americans didn’t need to change their names.

And in the end, who was mostly responsible for the defeat of Nazi Germany? A German-American, Dwight D Eisenhower.

[Snapping Turtle]

Weren’t some of the German POWs interned near Santa Rosa, CA, and worked in the orchards, replacing American men off fighting overseas?

[Snapping Turtle]

A little of Ollie’s “agenda” would do all the world’s youth a heap of good. My political science professor would never have allowed any of Ollie’s “love of country” to leak into his misguided ravings about America’s ugly faults and foibles.

[PzLdr]

German POWs were used heavily in agricultural areas throughout the US, but especially in the south and southwest. But I wasn’t referring to POWs. I was referring to German and Italian civilians in the US who were interned.