People who are old enough to remember World War II will recall that many young Americans of military age volunteered or were drafted into military service. There were about 16 million of them.
And there were terrible casualties in the European, Asian and African theaters of operations. Daily, there was “bad news” of “hometown” folks dead or wounded in battles. It seemed the war would never end.
For Americans directly, World War II began with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. It didn’t end till U.S. atomic bombs defeated Japan in August of 1945.
In one way or another, World War II affected nearly everyone: those called into military service, those working in factories making war materials, and those at home who were anxious about the safety of their loved ones away from home.
Today, however, our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are quite different, smaller, but terrible nonetheless for many people. Just think: We have been at war in the Middle East more than eight years. There are continuing deaths and injuries, great expenses – with no end in sight.