Letter - Memories

By Peter A. Morris

It’s interesting what evokes memories. A few days ago I met a lady and her young son, dare I say a lovely young lad who reminded me of me when I was his age and growing up during WWII in London, England. I wanted to ask him how his life was and if he thought of things like war, and what he thought of the wars that are going on all around the world, and if he thought of all the cowardly acts that take place daily, and if so – what did he think of them?

Then the articles by Jack Krayerhoff in The Beacon, about growing up in Holland under the Germans during the war – they really stirred up more thoughts of how we British kids would gather together and collect all kinds of things to use as weapons, ready for when the Nazis would come marching down our street, as everyone expected they would! As it happened, they didn’t make it, but it was close. But they made their presence known with the bombing raids, which are still strong in my mind today.

I have friends who grew up in Germany and other parts of Europe at the same time, who remember for the same reason we all do. Perhaps we all at the same time think, ‘Why?’

When World War II came to an end it was difficult to think of another one starting; yet start they did and start they do. Five years after WWII, I was conscripted into the British Military, who were preparing for the ‘Cold War’ with Russia. During those three years I served my country overseas, which I suppose made my war eight years long. I spent some wonderful time in Holland where the Dutch people treated us royally; and I made some treasured friends during my time in Germany. These experiences showed me that the ‘real’ people of one country are not much different from those in another. If only the politicians know what they are doing!

Some thirty years later, I was doing business in Germany, selling boats to a company whose director (we figured) had been responsible for dropping bombs on our house during an air raid!

So, if I asked that young boy what he thought of war, what would be his answer? Would he understand what makes a wonderful young man from one country so incensed that he will make his way to another country and kill another wonderful young man with no warning? Why is our world so obsessed with the need to fight and kill? A good old argument used to be the answer, but not any more. Listen in to a political meeting – not much of an example to go by.

What would I have said at that age? I knew there was going to be a war, but I had no idea of what such a thing would bring forth. That I would become used to seeing dead people almost every day, become used to the threat of losing my home or my life. I never expected to see thirty of my schoolmates killed on a double-decker bus as a result of enemy aircraft, but it happened.

I would like to think that young boy will be able to grow up and never have to experience the horrors of war. What are his chances?

So thanks, Jack Krayerhoff, for stirring these memories, and thanks to my young friend for stirring some thoughts of war and of peace. May peaceful thoughts and actions prevail three hundred and sixty four days long per year, and world-wide.