A day to remember for some, a day to learn for others

All weekend, and running through today, Europe has joined in celebrating VE Day, the day that marked victory over Germany in World War II.
President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin are in Red Square today, putting aside their recent political differences to join in celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over the Nazis.
In the United States, the reaction to the anniversary has been more subdued. For one thing, there was no U.S. Theater in World War II. There were no battles fought here, no neighborhoods or cathedrals left in rubble, no citizens marched off to death camps.
For another, VE Day signified that only half the battle was over for U.S. troops. There were still hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops in the Pacific Theater and some of them were dying every day. VJ Day, victory over Japan, would not come for more than three months.
Nonetheless, this is a momentous day for America and for American veterans.
Those veterans have been dubbed by newsman and writer Tom Brokaw as "The Greatest Generation."
It is a phrase that has almost become a clich & eacute;. That's the irony of a great descriptive phrase; it becomes so overused that it begins to lose its punch. The Greatest Generation deserves to survive -- because it is true.
Late realization
Brokaw tells of coming to realize in 1984 what the World War II generation did, when he went to France to prepare a documentary for the 40th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. The memories of his childhood during the war came pouring back.
Most Americans today have no such memories. The largest demographic, the baby boomers, by definition have no war memories. They were fathered by men returning from the war. The closest baby boomers get to war memories are the Memorial Day parades that they saw their fathers and uncles march in each year throughout their youth.
For years now, we've been losing World War II veterans at the rate of about 1,000 per day. Simple math tells you that if this is the 60th anniversary, even teenage soldiers of that day are now in their late 70s.
To be sure, there are books and movies and TV documentaries and newspaper stories that do their part to tell the story of The Greatest Generation. But the best historians are the ones who lived the history.
This 60th anniversary should be a wake-up call for all younger generations. If you know a veteran of World War II, ask him or her about those days. Even today, some may choose not to talk, which is their right.
The others will have stories to tell that should not be missed.