He dreamed of falling from the sky
May 1, 2023 4:25 PM Subscribe
He Bombed the Nazis. 75 Years Later, the Nightmares Began Trauma works in mysterious ways: "Like most of his generation, John Wenzel returned from World War II with no interest in sharing memories. Just shy of his 100th birthday, he found he could no longer ignore the past."
This story, with a few changes in details, could be repeated for millions of people over many generations. The things we have done to ourselves through these stupid wars are appalling.
posted by dg at 7:57 PM on May 1, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by dg at 7:57 PM on May 1, 2023 [11 favorites]
The things we have done to ourselves through these stupid wars
are almost exclusively things that wealthy old men keeping a very safe distance from any actual fighting have set us up to do for no reason beyond a personal desire to win at Number Goes Up.
Personally I rate "What if they gave a war and nobody came?" as the most insightful question to have come out of the Sixties and I truly wish more people would spend more time contemplating it.
posted by flabdablet at 3:12 AM on May 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
are almost exclusively things that wealthy old men keeping a very safe distance from any actual fighting have set us up to do for no reason beyond a personal desire to win at Number Goes Up.
Personally I rate "What if they gave a war and nobody came?" as the most insightful question to have come out of the Sixties and I truly wish more people would spend more time contemplating it.
posted by flabdablet at 3:12 AM on May 2, 2023 [7 favorites]
Childhood survivor of brutal WWII mass suicide in Okinawa overcomes pain to tell story. Not an easy read. So important that these last survivors' stories are shared.
posted by plep at 4:47 AM on May 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by plep at 4:47 AM on May 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
"What if they gave a war and nobody came?"
I recall this slogan too from the 1960s but it seems now to reflect a particularly privileged point of view, i.e. when the war is brought directly to your front door, as is the situation so many places, it's hard to turn the invitation down.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 5:56 AM on May 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
I recall this slogan too from the 1960s but it seems now to reflect a particularly privileged point of view, i.e. when the war is brought directly to your front door, as is the situation so many places, it's hard to turn the invitation down.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 5:56 AM on May 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
it seems now to reflect a particularly privileged point of view, i.e. when the war is brought directly to your front door, as is the situation so many places, it's hard to turn the invitation down.
Yes... but it was popularized (if not coined), if I'm not mistaken, by people being shipped off (or had the potential to be) to wage the war at other people's front doors.
From what I've been able to find on the Internet the original came from a Carl Sandburg poem:
Looking around at the conflicts happening today, people in Ukraine (for instance) don't have a choice. But Russians do. If they didn't show up, there'd be no war.
posted by jzb at 6:22 AM on May 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
Yes... but it was popularized (if not coined), if I'm not mistaken, by people being shipped off (or had the potential to be) to wage the war at other people's front doors.
From what I've been able to find on the Internet the original came from a Carl Sandburg poem:
The first world war came and its cost was laid on the people.So, originally, the sourced quote seems to have come from the POV of somebody seeing war on their doorstep.
The second world war — the third — what will be the cost.
And will it repay the people for what they pay?...
The little girl saw her first troop parade and asked,
‘What are those?’
‘Soldiers.’
‘What are soldiers?’
‘They are for war. They fight and each tries to kill as many of the other side as he can.’
The girl held still and studied.
‘Do you know ... I know something?’
‘Yes, what is it you know?’
‘Sometime they’ll give a war and nobody will come.’
Looking around at the conflicts happening today, people in Ukraine (for instance) don't have a choice. But Russians do. If they didn't show up, there'd be no war.
posted by jzb at 6:22 AM on May 2, 2023 [4 favorites]
What I found most striking about this story was that Wenzel had apparently been able to put the war behind him for decades. It was only extremely late in life -- nearing the century mark! -- that he started to have nightmares about it. It just goes to show that we never stop evolving as human beings.
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 10:01 AM on May 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by Artifice_Eternity at 10:01 AM on May 2, 2023 [3 favorites]
The things we have done to ourselves through these stupid wars
are almost exclusively things that wealthy old men keeping a very safe distance from any actual fighting have set us up to do for no reason beyond a personal desire to win at Number Goes Up.
We play the game
With the bravery of being out of range
We zap and maim
With the bravery of being out of range
We strafe the train
With the bravery of being out of range
We gained terrain
With the bravery of being out of range.
posted by dg at 3:06 PM on May 2, 2023
are almost exclusively things that wealthy old men keeping a very safe distance from any actual fighting have set us up to do for no reason beyond a personal desire to win at Number Goes Up.
We play the game
With the bravery of being out of range
We zap and maim
With the bravery of being out of range
We strafe the train
With the bravery of being out of range
We gained terrain
With the bravery of being out of range.
posted by dg at 3:06 PM on May 2, 2023
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