Nine-Eleven and World War II Veterans
By Adolph Caso
Lest we forget, we are meeting on September 11.
As
veterans of World War II, you took part in the most unusual war—unusual because
up to World War II, battles were fought to conquer and to subjugate. Ours, on
the other hand, was to defeat and to liberate. It was also a war to free and to
empower, the otherwise defeated people, with the freedom to act without political
or religious constraints.
Having
defeated Germany, Japan and Italy, none of which became colonies of America, and
not one of the citizens of those countries became a slave of America, or
indentured to America. There were no mass killings; there were no persecutions;
there was no revenge on either their military or on their civilians.
In
fact, America introduced all kinds of programs that guaranteed a renewed prosperity
unequaled in the entire history of mankind. Thus, the concept and the execution
of World War II were turned upside down—thanks to America’s enlightened leaders,
and, to the intelligent prowess of the American soldiers. How did we do it?
Having
assured there would be no retribution toward those nations, America introduced
the Marshall Plan. It did two things:
It stabilized each nation’s economy by infusing new capital to rehabilitate their economies.
It kept a large number of American soldiers, who, while securing each nation’s political and social stability--those same soldiers lived off of the local economy, thus ensuring demand for that nation’s products.
Thousands
of American soldiers bought Volkswagens’, Mercedes, and Porsches, let alone
Grundig, Telefunken, and Leica.
Can
you imagine what this built-in demand meant for those old German companies and
the new start-ups? Now, in 2014, many of those companies have become
competitors to our own companies to the point that they dominate in the world
of commerce.
Who
can deny the dominance of the Japanese products? Who can deny the dominance of
German products? Who can deny the power behind those countries’ Gross National
Product? And credit for this success belongs to you—the Veterans that made it
possible.
No
one can deny the unmatched American achievement on behalf of nations, which
needed to be defeated. Otherwise, if Americans had not had the will to defeat
them, we as Americans--with all of our traditional political and social constitutional
idealism—would have been subdued and turned either into slaves or wantonly executed.
The images of the 1940s are appearing just as vivid as they are repugnant in
2014.
Notwithstanding
personal party affiliations, after Italy, Germany, and Japan declared war on the
United States, our government quickly began to round up American-born Italians,
together with Germans and Japanese, and placed them in concentration camps.
That
not one of those individuals was deliberately abused, maimed or killed seems to
be true. That Americans of Italian, German and Japanese ethnicity were deprived
of their due process is also true. What is important to note is that the
federal policy was not due to President Roosevelt party affiliation. The
policy, right or wrong, was due to a policy aimed at keeping all Americans
safe.
In
view of 9/11, in view of the Iraq wars, in view of Iran, in view of Isis, in
view of the beheadings—a time of great vulnerability is present in America as a
whole because our government invited and allowed into our heartland thousands
upon thousands of illegal immigrants with the tacit promise of permanence with
benefits. These individuals are here. And, unlike our soldier who took the
wrong turn into Mexico where he remains in jail, or, myself having to stop to
show my credentials at the border before I can be let into Canada, none--of
those thousands now in our communities--was screened for either documents,
diseases, hidden arms, political orientation, country of origin, or
terror-related activities.
Was
this policy devised and executed by a political party to help that party? Or, was
it devised, right or wrong, to benefit our Nation?
After this huge infiltration of all kinds of
people wanting to do us harm, all of these unscreened individuals have been
given standing and due process at levels higher than you and I could ever enjoy.
God
forbid that there might be one minor wrong detail in the investigation of the
Boston Marathon terrorist, and all hell breaks loose on due process. But
because a Mosque has religious affiliations, scrutiny of membership is hard to
come by. For sure, our precautions are exaggerated on the side of a hidden enemy
enjoying the protection of our wonderful neighborhoods. Talk about creating an
environment for a nation’s suicide potential!
Question:
These un-identified people were asked to come into the United States at the urging
of our government. Having been invited to enter legally, how can they now be
classified as illegal?
Think
of this situation: American citizens of German ethnicity went to fight on
behalf of the Third Reich. That inglorious service, on behalf of a government
with programs to exterminate blocks of human beings, makes my soul shudder. To
learn that some Americans are repeating that abomination in the Middle East has
to leave us pondering about our future.
In
the fifties, I was a Signal Corps officer stationed in Europe, often dealing
with psychological warfare policies. Would we broadcast false information to
the enemy, or, would we be restrained from doing so due to ethical
considerations? Without compunction, we broadcast false information, just as
the enemy did! In 2010, America revealed its war plans to its enemy--information
such on troop deployment, dates of pending battle action, engagement time,
cease fire dates and/or troop withdrawal. In defeating Iraq, America did not tell anyone
its battle plans; in losing Iraq, America told the world its entire battle
plan.
Iraq
gassed thousands of its people; in the Globe
today, Syria is reported to be deploying the same gas—as we sit here. During
the Iraq War, Scud missiles were randomly launched into Israel—I still remember
the panic on the faces of Israelites running for cover. Yet, only two weeks
ago, in the same Globe, I read a
repudiation of the war as illegal on the claim that Iraq neither possessed
weapons of mass destruction nor the means of delivering such weapons.
Did not my eyes see those missiles
dropping?
Did not my ears hear those children
crying?
Nevertheless,
when we think of President Roosevelt in relation to World War II, we are
reminded of two accomplishments:
He saved the world from the likes of Hitler. You and I would be speaking German, if that were even made possible by an intruding American Nazi Regime.
Roosevelt established America as a humane world power through the likes of Veterans such as you. Just think of how many people have been saved from starvation alone, let alone from extermination and terrorist attack as we witnessed and commemorate this very day of Nine-Eleven.
Adolph Caso, Publisher, Editor, Author, Poet and Friend Routinely Contributes to Book Readers Heaven.
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