Time with Bill

Today I'm at Kaiser Permanente Optometry clinic with a friend. Bill is a World War II veteran with dementia. We're here for his annual Photographic Diabetic Screening.

While setting in the waiting room I asked Bill if he remembered the day World War II ended, August 14, 1945. He seemed surprised to hear the war had ended. He was looking at a Time Magazine and the time and was looking a combat pictures from Iraq. So much of his memory is gone and maybe it's good that he has reached the point where he doesn't get upset when I cannot remember the past.

I asked because I have become involved with an organization dedicated to establishing a National Day of Remembrance so that our :greatest generation can help education and inspire future generations of Americans. This August 14, 2010, we will be marking the 65th anniversary of the end of war. Communities across America are being encouraged to held commemorative events to mark the day.

August 14, 1945 was the day that the burden of war was lifted from millions of military members. Theirs was a commitment to serve for the duration and a transition period. For them and their families, August 14th marked the day the greatest generation could start thinking about the future. A grateful nation thanked them with the GI Education Bill and home loans. The depression was history and the face of America would never the the same.

Now the these veterans are in the twilight of their lives. Some remain very active and while others are suffering from illnesses like Bill. The third objective of the Spirit of 45 campaign is to collect first hand memories of those who experienced the joy of August 14, 1945, so they can be a permanent reminder of a time when the people of America were united to face a common challenge. I wanted to record Bill's memories but discovered I was too late.

You can help us capture these memories. If you know a World War II veteran or someone who was on the home front, visit www.spiritof45.org and learn how to collect their memories. Then record them and add them to the website. Time is running out!

Living Treasures

Reading the paper while sipping coffee at Bean Affair Coffee and More I came across two obituaries that reminded me of one of my dreams. Several years ago I had read about the Living Treasures program in Santa Fe, New Mexico: honor the elders who have generously served the community with kind hearts and good deeds.

The first obituary was for Robert “Reg” Wilson, a native of the Sonoma Valley. He passed away days after being inducted into the Sonoma Valley High School’s athletic hall of fame. The event was one of the highlights of his life.

The second was for Virginia Sweet. As a child she was inspired by a story she read about Amelia Earhart’s transatlantic flight. During World War II she became of the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots. The WASP’s were civilians that ferried planes from factories to air bases around the world. She flew 52 different types of military aircraft, including the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-29 Superfortress bombers and the p-51 Mustang.

After the war these ladies were basically forgotten. That is until July 1, 2009, when President Obama, signed a law that offered recognition and Congressional Gold Medals, the highest award Congress can give to a civilian, to the WASP fliers. Virginia Sweet had suffered a stroke earlier in the year and the family feels that she may not have understood what they had told her about the hard-won honor. She has since passed away and a niece will accept her Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony later this year.

One was recognized and honored by his community, the other passed away not knowing of the recognition. That is why the living Treasures program intrigues me.
We need to honor the elders in our communities while they are living and are able to participate. Before leaving Oregon I had the pleasure of organizing one ceremony at the church I was attending. Reading these two obituaries makes me want to start the program here in Healdsburg.