War ended with some lessons (WWII)

Sierra Vista Herald, Sierra Vista Arizona ^ | Sep 2, 2005 | Editor

[SandRat]

Sixty years ago today on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri, the Japanese surrendered, ending World War II.

It was a triumphant moment. It was a humbling moment. It was a moment of relief after years of fighting, death and destruction.

As Gen. Douglas MacArthur and military officials from Great Britain, Australia and Russia took the unconditional surrender, everyone knew that the world changed in a day and because of the fight that had just occurred.

The end of World War II created a new world. The war brought technologies that helped build a world we know today. It shifted the power of the world, bringing the United States to the forefront of international politics and military power. And the United Nations was founded just more than a month after the surrender.

There also were lessons from the war. From when it started, the world learned that aggressive dictators needed to be contained. The world learned that freedom is worth sacrifice. The world learned the horrible destruction that man can create with weapons, including the fearsome new atomic bombs used in the final days of conflict.

Today, we can take those lessons and see similarities to our world.

Saddam Hussein of Iraq and Kim Jong Ill of North Korea are dictators that the world wanted to contain. Saddam is in a prison cell for now after the United States and the United Kingdom decided to invade Iraq in 2003. The North Korean leader remains an unknown force, and five nations are working to come to a settlement to contain this dictator. Both of these situations remain undetermined.

The world still fears the thought of a nuclear weapon - no matter the small- or large-scale. We fear terrorists using a weapon that will contaminate a city and kill people. We know of the destructive powers of these weapons from their use at the end of World War II. We also know the technology has improved to do much more terror, too.

Finally, many in the world have learned again since Sept. 11, 2001, that freedom can call for great sacrifice. We don't want to leave in fear of either a rogue nation or a terrorist. At times, we've learned it is worth fighting for freedom, as our military is now doing overseas.

The ending of World War II ended a fight that left our world with new challenges and lessons. We are still facing those today.

[bronxboy]

I only wish we learned those lessons. We still have peace at all cost people, who refuse to see evil as evil. Now we call them Democrats. Were are our great leaders other than Bush?

[jec41]

At times, we've learned it is worth fighting for freedom, as our military is now doing overseas.

Yes, but when are we going to start fighting the insurgents here?

[LibFreeUSA]

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WWII - A Japanese Zero about to hit the Missouri

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Missouri fires her guns against enemy positions during the Korean War

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Missouri fires a broadside of her 16" guns during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Both Missouri and Wisconsin fired their big guns in support of ground forces.

[Eternal_Bear]

Field Marshal Montgomery said this about the lessons of World War II: Never invade Russia; never invade China.