#wwiiranger

[noelmehlo]

Are We Failing the Legacy of World War II?

The threat of World War III looms over the horizon. At this point in time, the question is not whether or not it will happen, but rather, when will it happen? The signs are all pointing to the direction of another war and it is probably too late to stop it on its tracks. Russia, for example, has begun making moves, annexing land that was once part of its territory. China has caused a rift in the Pacific over rightful ownership of the South China Sea. It’s neighboring countries are not happy with China. Will China sacrifice its trade economy for the sake of its extending its territory? Millions of people are already suffering from war-related problems, especially in the Middle East. Millions are without homes and livelihoods. Millions had to flee and seek refuge in other countries. Millions had to suffer the loss of a loved one. Millions continue to fear for their lives. What happened to the legacy of World War II? What happened to the lasting global peace that was supposed to be the reward of the atrocities of the war? What happened to the international brotherhood fostered by the war? Are we failing the legacy of the World War II? Yes, we have failed it all right. Every time a nation promotes its selfish interest, we fail as a whole. Every time we disrespect the rights of other nations, we fail as people. World War II taught us lessons and gave us valuable assets to continue living in peace (like the United Nations), but the pressures of the present times are more powerful than the lessons of the past. Or perhaps, the past just has the knack of repeating itself. *** This is one lesson from The Lost Ranger that is so important. The family of Staff Sergeant Hull had to and continues to endure the pain of what was first thought as a suicide for some seventy years. This pain caused by that original assumption permeated the lives of his entire family. Other families have likewise suffered horribly due to this topic across history, all wars, and all countries. Care for and love each other Read the full article

[noelmehlo]

Remembering the Dead Even If They Don’t Care

For decades, Americans have set aside one day every year to honor the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country under the US military. This day is called Memorial Day. Originally, this was holiday was known as Decoration Day which started after the Civil War. It was only in 1971 that it became a federal holiday.  People celebrate Memorial Day in different ways. Those who have lost someone visit their loved one’s graves and memorials. Some families hold family gatherings while some go out to watch the parades.  While all the fanfare is full of colors, fun, and grandeur, we need to be able to reach beyond that and remember the real reason for this special day. To ensure that the true meaning will not be forgotten, a resolution was passed for a National Moment of Remembrance every 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day. This moment of silence is a simple moment of appreciation and remembrance for those brave individuals who have given their life in service of others.  Memorial Days marks a moment for people to reflect on the sacrifices of men and women in service, and while it may be for the dead and they may not be aware of what we do, we need to take this day to honor them and keep their memories alive through simple ways. What we do may create ripples of hope and service in others that will honor their memory more than any parade or gathering can do.  You can donate to veteran charities. These charities usually help out living veterans who need assistance after their service as they transition back to civil life. You can show national unity by flying your flag proudly outside your homes or offices. You can also volunteer your time doing acts of service in honor of the veterans, such as helping out in the veterans’ cemetery or helping your local churches or organizations who have activities for families.  And lastly, and more importantly, teach your children about the true meaning of this day. Tell them stories of family members who were part of the service or stories of heroes who have made a mark in history. Remember all these heroes in the spirit of reverence and merriment, just the way they wanted.  *** This is one lesson from The Lost Ranger that is so important. The family of Staff Sergeant Hull had to and continues to endure the pain of what was first thought as a suicide for some seventy years. This pain caused by that original assumption permeated the lives of his entire family. Other families have likewise suffered horribly due to this topic across history, all wars, and all countries. Care for and love each other. Read the full article

[noelmehlo]

Why We Seek Out What We’ve Lost

At some point in life, all of us search for something. Perhaps we search for the fulfillment of our dreams. Perhaps we are looking for the answers to the important questions in life. Perhaps we are looking for peace of mind or for a quiet place to call our sanctuary. Perhaps we are searching for the love of our life. Perhaps we want justice to be served. Perhaps we are looking for people we’ve lost and memories we desperately want to linger on. Whatever it is we are searching for, almost always, we are in search for our own benefit, not to benefit the object or subject of our search. This much is true during and after a war. The same applies when families and friends back home search for their missing soldiers. True enough, fast and swift search-and-rescue missions might save those who are initially listed as missing in action. That part of the operation is clearly for the missing persons, but when there is no possible reconciliation, why do we still continue searching, sometimes even years after one was lost? We search for closure. Despite knowing the probable results of our search, we continue in order to finally and completely leave the past to the past. Take those soldiers in World War II who are still categorized as missing in action. There are still 72,000 World War II soldiers unaccounted for today. Imagine their families. Imagine their friends. Since the war ended, that part of their lives has remained a question mark. There are no bodies to bury, and except for the graves for the unknown, there is no particular grave to mourn over. Over the course of the years, these bereaved families and friends must have wondered a thousand times what transpired during the last moments of their soldiers—What happened to them? Where did they go? What were their last thoughts? It’s easy to emphasize with bereaved families and friends. We only need to put ourselves in their shoes and let our humanity prevail. Losing someone in a war and not knowing what happened to him or her is a pain that no one should suffer. Wars should never happen in the first place. Not after the destruction we’ve seen in the past. It is with love, so much love, that we remember the families and friends of those 72,000 lost soldiers. May they find their peace. Read the full article

[noelmehlo]

Justice After World War II

From 1945 to 1949, thirteen trials were held in Nuremberg, Germany, to hold accountable every person responsible for the atrocities of World War II. These trials are famously known as the Nuremberg Trials, and these were presided by judges from the Allied forces. Before the surrender of Germany in June 1945, the Allied forces were already considering how to bring justice to all the victims of the war. How were they going to try and persecute all the perpetrators when the crimes and injustices were so massive? Finally, the leaders agreed to try the highest-ranking officers of the German army as well as individuals who played major roles in the war, like the doctors who participated in the Nazi killing programs. The Nuremberg Trials were greatly controversial at the time. Many believed that the trials were done for revenge and became a show of power instead of principles. The trials were seen as a lynching party. However, today, the trials are seen as a major accomplishment after such difficult and dark times. After all, the trials laid the foundation of many international laws for peace, security, and justice. It is worth noting that Adolf Hitler was not brought to the Nuremberg Trials. Hitler, and other high-ranking members of the Nazi, committed suicide before Germany’s defeat. Perhaps in this sense, and in many other aspects, there was no complete justice for all the victims of World War II, but all wars are often as such. Imagine the family of a soldier who died in a war. Despite the persecution of those responsible, what can restore his life? Will life imprisonment suffice or is death sentence necessary? In 1945, there were twelve men who received death sentence, and three who received life imprisonment. These numbers were multiplied a few times over throughout the course of the trials, but the number is a far cry when compared to the millions who died an untimely death due to crimes against humanity. The world, however, did not stop revolving and time did not stand still. Life goes on but we remember. Never again. *** This is one lesson from The Lost Ranger that is so important. The family of Staff Sergeant Hull had to and continues to endure the pain of what was first thought as a suicide for some seventy years. This pain caused by that original assumption permeated the lives of his entire family. Other families have likewise suffered horribly due to this topic across history, all wars, and all countries. Care for and love each other. Read the full article

[noelmehlo]

The War Correspondent of WW II

President Eisenhower said that “an informed public will help win the war.” To fulfill Eisenhower’s vision, Wright Bryan flew to Normandy with American paratroopers and watched them jump into Operation Overlord, the code name for the invasion in Normandy. Bryan broadcasted news as a D-Day eye witness and was the primary source of information for over six hundred other reporters eager for World War II news. Wright Bryan was a war correspondent working for the Atlanta Journal and NBC Radio. He had been covering the war in Europe for two years when an NBC London manager asked him to cover the Normandy invasion. The Normandy invasion, or Operation Overlord, was the start of the end of the four-year German occupation of Europe. Bryan played an important part in Operation Overlord. While he did not blast enemy camps or save refugees, Bryan was instrumental in bringing news to the rest of the world straight from the battlegrounds. From Bryan’s accounts, other news reporter and news agencies around the world got reliable information that they too shared to the public. In essence, Bryan bridged the gap between the war and the public. He became the eyes and ears of the world, and he did so patriotically, putting himself in grave danger over and over again. Today, there are hundreds of war correspondents all over the world, each one tasked to play the same role that Bryan did during World War II. By definition, a war correspondent is a correspondent employed to report news concerning the conduct of war and especially of events from the scene of battle (Webster). But like everything in the twentieth century that has been touched by capitalism, some agenda are dubious. Fake news, for example, is a prevalent concept. Admittedly, governments and important organizations around the world have not always given the public all-out information regarding wars and other important international affairs, but fake news have never been as in your face as now. However, one thing is for certain, war correspondents put themselves in danger and deserve our respect. *** This is one lesson from The Lost Ranger that is so important. The family of Staff Sergeant Hull had to and continues to endure the pain of what was first thought as a suicide for some seventy years. This pain caused by that original assumption permeated the lives of his entire family. Other families have likewise suffered horribly due to this topic across history, all wars, and all countries. Care for and love each other. Read the full article

[noelmehlo]

World War II Memorials Around the World Part 1

There are hundreds of war memorials around the world. This two-part series focuses on 10 World War II memorials in different locations. If you haven’t read part 1, click here https://thelostranger.com/world-war-ii-memorials-around-the-world-part-1/. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier While the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier or Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington, Virginia, is not solely dedicated to the heroes of World War II, it is one of the most popular war memorial in the world and especially in the United States. The tomb is located atop a hill that overlooks Washington DC and is dedicated to all the unknown soldiers of four different wars: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War. The tomb features four crypts to represent the four wars, and four unknown soldiers were interned in the tomb; however, in 1998, the Vietnam War unknown was finally recognized through DNA testing and his remains were exhumed and moved to another location. Today, the Vietnam War crypt remains empty. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also famous for its tomb guards. The tomb has been guarded twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week since 1937. Tomb guards go through a rigorous selection process and training. Manila American Cemetery The Manila American Cemetery and Memorial occupies 152 acres of a plateau. There are 17, 058 graves in the cemetery, the most number of graves for World War II soldiers. Most of these soldiers lost their lives in the Philippines and in New Guinea. Listed within the memorial are the names of 36, 286 soldiers who were MIA. Those who were later recovered and identified were marked by rosettes. The Motherland Calls The Motherland Calls is the center of a monument ensemble in Volgograd, Russia. It is 170 feet tall and is considered as the tallest statue in Europe and the tallest statue of a woman in the world. It was completed in 1967 and features an impressive woman yielding a sword on top of a hill. There are two hundred steps from the bottom of the hill to the site of the statue. The steps signify the two hundred days of the Battle of Stalingrad. There were rumors that the statue started to tilt due to rising water levels that changed the statue’s underground, but successful restoration procedures helped preserved this dramatic memorial in Russia. Shoes on the Dunabe Banks Erected in 2005, Shoes on the Dunabe Banks is a memorial dedicated to the Jews who were killed in Budapest during World War II. The memorial composed of sixty pair of 1940-style iron shoes and is located in Budapest, Hungary. From December 1944 to January 1945, Jews were lined up at the edge of the Dunabe River. They were shot and their dead bodies fell right into the water. Shoes on the Dunabe Banks represents the shoes left of those dead Jews.   Monument to the Women of World War II Monument to the Women of World War II is located in London and was unveiled and dedicated in 2005. It features seventeen sets of clothing and uniform to symbolize the different roles women played during World War II. Baroness Boothroyd said during the monument’s dedication, “This monument is dedicated to all the women who served our country and to the cause of freedom, in uniform and on the home front. I hope that future generations who pass this way will ask themselves: 'What sort of women were they?' and look at our history for the answer.”   There are many more war memorials around the world, each dedicated to the sacrifice our war heroes had to pay so we can enjoy the freedom we have today. These monuments are not tourist spots. Instead, these are places of reverence. *** This is one lesson from The Lost Ranger that is so important. The family of Staff Sergeant Hull had to and continues to endure the pain of what was first thought as a suicide for some seventy years. This pain caused by that original assumption permeated the lives of his entire family. Other families have likewise suffered horribly due to this topic across history, all wars, and all countries. Care for and love each other. Read the full article

[noelmehlo]

World War II Memorials Around the World Part 1

War memorials are important part of our culture today. They are meant to remind us of life-changing wars in the past and of the many lives that were lost due to wars. War memorials are touching monuments that must be preserved for future generations to come. Below are 10 World War II memorials, in no particular order. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial) Located in Berlin, Germany, the Holocaust Memorial is dedicated to the Jews murdered during Hitler’s time. It has an area of 19,000 square meters and features 2,711 concrete slabs of different sizes and an information center underground where information about the victims of Holocaust can be found. The concrete slabs are arranged in a grid pattern in the sloping are. The information center has over 3 million names of Jews who were the victims of the Holocaust.   The Holocaust Memorial was opened to the public in May 2005.   Marine Corps War Memorial The Marine Corps War Memorial was built to honor marines who have died in service since 1775. Located in Arlington, Virginia, it depicts the six marines who historically raised the American flag in Mt. Suribachi in 1945.   The memorial has front and back inscriptions in gold letters. The front bears the inscription: “Uncommon Valor Was A Common Virtue” while the back inscription says, “In Honor And Memory Of The Men Of The United States Marine Corps Who Have Given Their Lives To Their Country Since 10 November 1775.”   Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial This cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, serves as the final resting place of many American soldiers who were lost during D-Day in 1944. This is the first American cemetery in Europe. It contains more than 9,000 American military men. It includes the semicircular “Wall of the Missing” to honor more than 1,500 missing and/unidentified soldiers of WW II. Names of those who were since found or identified feature a rosette.   In 2019, the cemetery and memorial was renovated. It re-opened in June and now puts more emphasis on D-Day timeline and the personal stories of people who were, one way or another, part of the Allied forces.   World War II Valor in the Pacific Monument The monument is spread over different locations in the United States, namely, Alaska, California, and Hawaii. The monument covers a total of 6, 310 acres. The monument honors the people who were part of World War II in the Pacific region. USS Arizona Memorial In relation to the World War II Valor in the Pacific Monument is the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Built in 1962, the memorial is the final resting place of more than a thousand marines and sailors who were killed during the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The sunken battleship was declared a national landmark in May 1989.   An additional interesting feature of the memorial is the “tears of the Arizona,” the black oil that continues to leak from the sunken ship. Up to this day, it can still be seen rising to the surface. Read the full article

[noelmehlo]

The Rangers of the US Armed Forces

The US Army Seventy-Fifth Ranger Regiment, also known as Rangers, is considered one of the most formidable elite military organizations in the United States and in the world. They are equipped with combat and airborne training, and many military missions have been successful largely due to this powerful part of the US forces.  How did the rangers become the organization it is today? During World War II, US leaders wanted an organization as special as the British Commando, and Major William Darby was tasked to complete this assignment. In doing so, six hundred volunteers were chosen out of thousands, and these men formed the First Ranger Battalion. A select few of these rangers, around 60 or so, bravely fought their first combat alongside the British Commando in the European theater. Then, with the later-formed Third and Fourth Battalions, the rangers fought in Africa and in Italy. Although most of these men were lost in theater, the rangers held on until relief came on D-Day. On D-Day, elements of the Second Ranger Battalion joined forces with the Sixth Ranger Battalion and the 116th Infantry Regimen of the Twenty-Ninth Division and assaulted Omaha Beach. The rangers were instrumental in leading the force out of the beach and in winning the war against German forces. Unfortunately, even though the Allied forces won the war, many rangers did not make out of European theater. Many perished during the war and many sustained wounds that later caused the deaths. Many families were separated by the war, and many military records were lost in the confusion and chaos brought on by the war. Today, the Seventy-Fifth Ranger Regiment has its headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia, and is composed of one special troops battalion and three ranger battalions. The rangers are tasked to make direct action raids in hostile environments. Every ranger volunteer must undergo a special assessment program and rigorous training. Every ranger lives up to their motto, “Rangers lead the way,” which came from the order of then Brigadier General Norman Cota, “Goddammit, Rangers. Lead the way!” *** This is one lesson from The Lost Ranger that is so important. The family of Staff Sergeant Hull had to and continues to endure the pain of what was first thought as a suicide for some seventy years. This pain caused by that original assumption permeated the lives of his entire family. Other families have likewise suffered horribly due to this topic across history, all wars, and all countries. Care for and love each other. Read the full article