MY DAD'S PHOTOGRAPHS FROM WWII and INDONESIA

MY DAD LEFT ME A VERY IMPORTANT LEGACY WHEN HE PASSED AWAY IN 1976-- PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY AND OF HIM DURING WORLD WAR II AND IN INDONESIA. TO ME THESE PICTURES ARE VERY IMPORTANT, THEY REPRESENT MANY YEARS OF MY DAD'S LIFE.....

THESE PICTURES ARE NOT OF BLOOD AND GUTS AND GORE OR OF MOVIE STARS BUT OF REAL PEOPLE

---- THE MEN WHO WENT OFF TO FIGHT AND NEVER KNEW IF THEY'D EVEN HAVE A HOME LEFT TO COME HOME TO OR A FAMILY ALIVE AND WELL

---- THE WOMEN AT HOME WHO CRIED AND WORRIED FOR THEIR MEN

---- THE CHILDREN WHO LIVED WITH DEATH ALL AROUND THEM.

---- IN HOLLAND AND OTHER PARTS OF EUROPE THE PEOPLE WHO PRAYED THEY'D HAVE A HOME IN AN HOUR, ENOUGH FOOD TO FEED THE CHILDREN AND CLOTHES TO KEEP THEM WARM

THESE PICTURES REPRESENT THE FACES OF WAR.

FOR MOST OF US, WORLD WAR II WAS SOMETHING WE WERE FORCED TO LEARN IN SCHOOL. MANY LOOK AT IT AS TEXTBOOK MATERIAL, ANCIENT HISTORY, SOMETHING TO LEARN AND FORGET - BUT FOR ME IT'S MORE THAN JUST WORDS IT'S PART OF MY LIFE,I SAW IT IN MY DAD'S FACE, THE WAY HE RAISED ME AND IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS.

ALTHOUGH THE WAR HAS BEEN OVER FOR OVER 50 YEARS FOR THE FEW VETERANS OF WWII THAT ARE STILL ALIVE, AND FOR ALL VETERANS OF WAR THEY LIVE WITH THE MEMORIES EVERY MOMENT OF THEIR LIVES.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE PICTURES TRY TO PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR PLACE

...FACE THE DISEASES
... THE STRUGGLE WITH YOUR CONSCIENCE AND BELIEFS THAT TELL YOU NOT TO KILL
... SEEING MEN YOU'VE COME TO CALL BROTHER LAYING DEAD OR EVEN WORSE, ALIVE BUT MISSING ARMS, LEGS, FACES - LAYING AT YOUR FEET, SCREAMING IN PAIN AND YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE ON
... FACING HUNGER, FEAR, DEATH AND WORSE.

LOOK AT THESE FACES AND KNOW THAT THEY FACED ALL THAT AND MORE FOR YOU AND ME.

MY DAD WAS BORN IN HOLLAND SO ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS HAVE SOME RELATION TO THE NETHERLANDS ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE THERE ARE PICTURES OF MEN FROM CANADA, THE UNITED STATES AND ENGLAND AS WELL.

ONLY A FEW PHOTOS HAD NAMES OR ANY INFORMATION ON THEM YET OBVIOUSLY THEY WERE ALL IMPORTANT TO MY DAD IN SOME WAY WHICH MAKES IT EVEN MORE POIGNANT BECAUSE THEY ARE OF REAL PEOPLE, PEOPLE WITH MOMS AND DADS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AUNTS, UNCLES, COUSINS.