“Young man, you did a fine thing to give up your film career to fight for your country. Mark you, had you not done so − it would have been despicable.”
Winston Churchill to David Niven during the War.
The late David Niven was a fine actor. He was also a patriot and he enlisted in the British Army during World War II. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and led a signals unit in combat during 44-45, some of whose activities are still classified. He rarely talked about his experiences during the War and he explained why on one occasion:
“I will, however, tell you just one thing about the war, my first story and my last. I was asked by some American friends to search out the grave of their son near Bastogne. I found it where they told me I would find it, but it was among 27,000 others. And I told myself that here, Niven, were 27,000 reasons why you should keep your mouth shut after the War.”
We have an obligation to speak up aginist the atrocities of a war that’s nearly 50 years in the making. We have over 62 million reasons why we must not be silent. Abortion is murder.
Thank you, all Veterans, for your service to our freedoms.
Other than the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, spending two days at the memorial’s in DC during Memorial Day weekend was the greatest service that my wife and I ever attended. We we’re the chaperones for a handful of WWII veterans from Northern Michigan in 2010.
A memorial day weekend that we will never forget.
Building the WWII memorial was brilliant. A Marine Corps gunny sargent in full dress uniform, stood next to his younger brothers tribute boots, rifle and helmet. He stood in front of the reflection pool that was boarded by a wall containing 5,000 Gold Stars. Representing our fallen heroes and heroines.
He spoke from his heart for all who would listen.
A growing group gathered around to hear his heart.
The group was about 100 to 120 and so silent that you might think that you were in Church listening to a sermon of great importance…and you’d be correct. His patriotic discourse wasn’t a political drill but a story of faith, family and love for God. A sacrificial love. Those empty boots, the rifle and helmet spoke with the same clarity as the veteran did. His younger brother died in Desert Storm campaign.
Not one individual who stood in his presence and listened to his heart had a dry eye.
Freedom isn’t Free.
World War II in HD with Gary Sinise with film recently found. Tears flowed. What Hirohito and Hitler did to other human beings is unspeakable.
After the A-bomb, Hirohito refused to surrender unless he was allowed to be god for the people in Japan. Megalomaniacs The face of the devil.
May God bless and keep those who liberated the people.
Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII said: “These medals belong to all the men who did not come home.”
Niven was a graduate of Sandhurst who had put in time as a professional soldier. He was also unmarried and childless at the beginning of the war.
He married his first wife in 1940. They had two kids together. She died at age 28 of a freak accident,falling down a flight of stairs, while playing hide and go seek at a Hollywood party. Niven could never talk about her after her death without breaking down.
MDV: Hirohito was not the one who insisted on retaining his godhead. It was the military staff who supplanted what was left of the civilian portion of the government. Upon his appointment as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, MacArthur engineered the declaration by the Emperor that he was no god. The whole of Hirohito’s actions during the war, except for his implied consent, will never be known as he destroyed his diaries before his death. Hitler, fortunately for historians, closed that chapter on the war himself.
Donald Link:
Then who started the war in the Pacific and Pearl Harbor?