Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Remember the Blitz

If you, the reader, would indulge me and let me go off topic, and use this tiny bully pulpit, I want to acknowledge the significance of today's date.

Today, the 7th of September, is the 70th Anniversary of the Blitz, when Nazi Germany launch an aerial bombing attack on the citizens of the U.K. Over the next 8 months the Nazi's decimated London, and other parts of England killing 43,000 civilians, and injuring another 50,000. However, the heroic Royal Air Force, and intrepid British citizens fought back, and in the end, Hitler backed off all plans to invade the country.

As Winston Churchill famously said about the brilliant and brave R.A.F., "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few"

3 Year Old Bombing Victim
So often we rightly speak about the Greatest Generation, but we are often referring only to adults. However when I first saw this photo that made LIFE magazine 70 years ago this month it just killed me. I am not sure how these kids so gallantly survived such horror, but they deserve credit as well! A few years ago I met the Lady of London's father who was a young boy during the Blitz and his harrowing tales of watching a German bomber shot down just a half mile from where he was playing with schoolmates, and then running up to see the wreckage, had me enthralled.

Remember the Blitz! And thank a veteran, and in the case of the Bombing of London that is any British citizen over the age of 70.

4 comments:

Carol said...

I really enjoyed reading this. We all owe the allied forces so much. If it hadn't been for their bravery, where would we all be now? Very moving.

Terrence said...

Thanks so much Carol

Vegan Epicurean said...

Nice post! I think those of us that are too young to remember WWII downplay the gravity of the situation back then.

Ali

Terrence said...

Yeah, Ali, I hate to say it but kids today, if thrown into a similar situation, would probably not raise to the occasion like that generation did.