For many of us, war feels distant– a phenomenon that happens through the lens of a camera, seen on television. We hear about countries fighting and government making bombs, threatening to shake the world that we know and love. We read these things on paper and see it through photographs, but we never really experience it ourselves. Many of us today have been born during a period of peace, and we think war is far removed from our everyday lives. However, we would not be living in peace had it not been for the courageous men and women who devoted and sacrificed their lives for the very peace we call our own.
The question asks: “Why do we need to remember this dark time when it is already gone?” to which we say, “Why not?”
The Second World War may be a ghost of today’s past, but it still continues to serve us through our everyday lives. Our freedom, institutions, and rights have all been products of what our countrymen and fellow human beings fought bravely for. There are so many reasons to remember the Second World War; even more so now that we have so many World War 2 facts within reach that we can instantly teach ourselves about the history and sacrifices of the veterans and countrymen.
So why is it crucial to remember the sacrifices made during World War 2? The lives they lost and the peace that we gained would be absolutely meaningless if we do not. These people died and sacrificed for us and it would be remiss not to constantly remember them. The meaning of their sacrifices should rest with our collective consciousness because our own life is their tribute and monument.
Remembering our fallen heroes and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers, men, women, and children who had made tremendous amounts of sacrifices and endured so much pain makes the values and beliefs we enjoy now so much more meaningful. The freedom that we proudly have, which we sometimes take for granted, is consciously present and realized every day knowing that someone else sacrificed their life for us to live it.
Today, many survivors speak about awareness of war and the observance we need in order to respect and shed light on these important issues. Often times we get lost in our own sea of battles that we don’t realize we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our heroes. They speak about WW2 facts; we have books and audio books of these accounts re-telling the stories of our brave countrymen. We have all the facts at the palm of our hands—we just need to slow down and listen.
As we live in peace, we must never forget our, and the community’s collective responsibility to always commemorate these sacrifices by standing up to bullies and tyrants who try their very best to suppress our freedom and rights. The war may be over now, but every day we have our own little wars and fights that we need to face head on and come prepared for. We must remember, that without the courage of our fallen heroes, we would not survive the perils of every day problems—big or small. We take inspiration from them and make sure that no one tries to take away the enduring nature of our human spirit.
