By REP. JAMIE ALLARD
Dec. 7, 1941, a date that will live in infamy, the United States of America was thrust into World War II following the attack at Pearl Harbor.
Our young men answered the call to arms with a resounding and courageous “hooah!” An astounding 16.1 million Americans defended not only our nation but all the world from the evils of a totalitarian dictatorship.
The future hung in the balance while genocidal ideologies ravaged the globe. History witnessed humble Americans bravely sacrificing themselves not just in service to our country but in service to humanity itself. The Greatest Generation saved the world!
Each day we are losing the last of our precious World War II veterans. Only 119,550 remain living today. Most are now centenarians. Ask them and they would say they aren’t heroes. The heroes died. They are just the lucky ones. But it is the survivors, with their harrowing stories of great loss, who compel us to remember the high cost of war and the sanctity of laying one’s life down for a friend.
My grandparents were the Greatest Generation, born between 1919-1927. My grandfather fought in World War II. I am proud of the legacy they left me. I wonder if they would recognize America as she is today. Would our young men and women flock to defend our nation from such a threat as they faced? Is patriotism dead? Do we have something worth fighting for? Or would they weep to see what we have become? Are we proud of the legacy we are leaving for our grandchildren?
Back then, 18-year-old boys stormed the beaches of Normandy to stop the slaughter of innocent babies at the hands of the Nazis. Today, they whine about pronouns on TikTok.
We must reclaim our values that built this nation. Someday, the world will once again face a great evil, and it’s up to us to prepare our children to answer the call.
The Greatest Generation taught us the importance of self-sacrifice, responsibility, integrity, and work ethic. Born on the heels of the first world war, they suffered through the Great Depression, persevered through extreme hardships, defeated an evil superpower, and built a better future for their children.
We must honor them and hold their love close to our hearts. We must share all the history of their lives and service with our children, our grandchildren, and future generations. We honor their desire to do the right thing, and to willingly give their lives for a righteous cause. In remembrance and sharing their stories, we affirm those values in our culture, and commit ourselves to preserving them.
On Dec. 7, we remember the fragility of peace and the price of war. “Thank you” seems woefully small. We will remember the courage and bravery with which they fought, the sacrifices they made, and the values on which they built a stronger nation. Our children will know the stories of how the Greatest Generation saved us all.
Rep. Jamie Allard serves in the Alaska Legislature on behalf of the Alaskans of Eagle River, House District 23.
I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t recognize what we have become. My Grandpa, who was born in 1903I probably wouldn’t even be using a cell phone. He simply would look at it in amazement, and lay it down The other day, I was in a restaurant and 2 people in there 70s were flipping through their phones like there was no tomorrow. It’s important to know like that FDR was again entering the war at first. So was JFK and Gerald Ford. There was even a movement going on in the country back then to keep us out of the war, but all that changed after pearl harbor. The movement dissolved, and the rest is history. We can’t always wait for the wars to come to us, but we can’t go looking for a fight either. We have to be cautious of these trojan.Horse politicians, that speak out of both sides of their mouth.
My hero, MY Dad, Joseph F Lebeau, US NAVY World War II Veteran, MY Uncle John B. Snobgrass, US MARINE Pearl Habour Suvivior World War II Veteran my hero
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Jamie Allard, you are an inspiration to us all‼️
God Bless you and your family‼️
Well written. I appreciate the column about our current generation, God help us.
Back then, 18-year-old boys stormed the beaches of Normandy to stop the slaughter of innocent babies at the hands of the Nazis. Today, they whine about pronouns on TikTok.
THANK YOU, Jamie, for an outstanding article to remember this Day, and for the rememberances of all that sacrificed their lives.
Wrong there are too many people who have no idea what total war is and what the cost can be.
WW 2 cost 50 million people’s lives.
Thank you Jamie for reminding people of the sacrifices made during a very stressful time in our history.
It is refreshing to hear respect given to all those before our time that contributed to our safety and well being.
Both of my parents and uncles were deeply involved in WW2 which had long term effects on all of them and thankfully it was mostly positive as they became extremely patriotic.
I am very proud of your commitment and dedication to keep all Alaskans safe.
My entire family gives thanks and wishing your family the best this holiday season.
You can look forward to continued support from all of us.
We are blessed to have you as our representative.
Backing up French oil interests in Asia cost America a lot of blood. There was a reason Japan attacked and Vietnam wanted the French and Americans out. There are many lessons to be learned from those chapters of history. England declared war on Germany supposedly for the sake of Poland who was butchering Germans in the Danzig corridor, in turn England lost its Empire and Poland was conquered by soviet slavery.
FDR and Churchill allied with Joe Stalin and left half of Europe to gulags and forced starvation. It’s unwise to to view history with such a cavalier hero’s and bad guys view as this article does. Most wars are for bankers, and they will make dupes and dead men of patriots. The European theater was fratricide not a victory of good over evil. The MIC wants White Christian America to fight White Christian Russia. No more brother wars, and no more wars for Israel. Defend our own border.
A really Well written article. Unfortunately , The truth is a vast majority of people now days didn’t live through what the greatest generation did, and most people today couldn’t survive a month with out a government handout or someone else’s inheritance . The cluelessness and disrespect that takes place from many people now-days is disgusting and sickening, they have no idea where food, electricity , and basicly everthing important for survival even came from, they are spoiled and weak minded and have no clue where our infrastructure and all we have nowdays even came from, or who sacrificed the most to give them these modern day luxury’s . Thanks to the dis functional and corrupted schools and the department of education who have destroyed most of education, they don’t learn real history, they are taught a lot of nonsense and lies.. I’d like to see all these do nothing punks of today thrown back into the past about 90 years just to see how they would survive. Now days they are taught that the World owes them a liven, but the real truth is and it should be taught to them in schools that the world does not owe them a dam thing!! Thanks for sharing some truths Rep.Allard, maybe some can get a education that they never got in our Public schools or these Lunatic Marxist Universities!
Thank you Representative Allard, for taking the time to honor those who have gone before us. Those who paid for our freedom with their sweat, blood, and ultimately their lives. Thank you, for your service for this country. And thank you, for continuing to fight the good fight.