May 8, 1995
May 8, 1945, the war in Europe was finally over. It lasted 5 years.
U.S. entered Dec. 1941 - England had been at war over a year and by then Hitler had taken over most of Europe.
I was 17 when war started. Was 21 when over.
My brother Arthur was killed in March 1944.
My brother John Wallace McKeown, who was the only surviving son in our family and a farmer[,] could have had a deferment but felt an obligation to go. He had just passed his 18th birthday (I have a picture of him in uniform and he looks so young).
I called him tonight and asked where he was 50 years ago. He was in a halftrack unit and was sent into small towns to clear out remaining Germans. He remained in Germany in occupation force until 1946.
My father had done the same after World War I (supposedly "the war to end all wars"), yet in less than 20 years it happened all over again.
I wonder if we humans will ever learn to live in peace
The bombing of a government building in Oklahoma City, OK 3 weeks ago by an American citizen as revenge of some sort proves we are a lot further away from love for our fellow man than we thought (165 or more people were killed).
I called Johnny tonight to tell him how much I appreciated his sacrifice and the others who allowed us to live in freedom.