Remembering the Greatest Generation

The great allies of WWII Great Britain, France, and the USA honored the past heroes at a memorial of the 75th anniversary of the landings at Normandy. It was a ceremony full of honor, grace, stories of heroes , and speeches never to be forgotten. I listened to the ceremony with the speeches of President Trump and President Macron. Both speeches were great and at times I had tears for the heroes stories from this greatest generation.

I too had a close relative that was at Normandy 75 years ago; Walter Spietz my great uncle. My Dad and him were best friends and even married sisters. My Dad married Rogene Krause and Walter married Ruth Krause. Walter went to war and my Dad did not. He was an only son and his mom refused to sign the papers to let Dad enlist.

Walter went ashore on the second wave on June 6th. He survived until Christmas when he was wounded. He served to the end of the war. He passed away in the early 60’s.

The ironyof all this reflection is that recently we learned from Carol his daughter that Walter may have been fighting against his distant relatives, other Spietz’s. We know from ancestral research the Spietz family came from eastern Germany. Our branch of the family left Germany in the early 1880’s, but other relatives were still and are still in that part of Germany. War is ugly, and uglier still when you have to fight family.

I think about my Dad, his pass, how he felt about not going to war. He was passionate about remembering and honoring the heroes of the war. He never was there to serve with his friend and family, but his spirit was there all the time. I know now something more about my Dad and his character. Why there were moments of sadness and other memories of joy. Why he loved John Wayne. Why he was happy when two of my sisters married military men. I miss my Dad, but now I understand him more than ever. God bless our heroes.

Until next time God Bless.