Strong Views

Not too long ago, I discovered some letters my Dad wrote my Mom during WWII.  One of the letters written by my father, normally a quiet man, surprised me. My Dad had a very placid demeanor,  but he held strong political beliefs.  He was firm about what he expected.  All he had to do was look at my siblings and I, and we would toe the line.  You didn't want to tell him he was wrong about anything. But I guess no one likes to be told he is wrong. Mostly Dad was a Democrat.  His father's family fought for the South in the Civil War.  That side of the family was the most vocal politically, so I guess it was natural he would adopt those politics.  Although, Dad would be appalled at the position the Democrats take on social issues if he were alive now.  I remember Dad commenting that people living together was  disgusting.  He said, "I don't know why women let men get away with that."

Being of a calm disposition, Dad let a lot of things people said or did slide by. Since he didn't join the church until I was nine, I don't know if he had a more tolerant view of people's conduct that my Mom did, or if he just wasn't vocal about his opinions. He didn't believe in getting riled up unless it was something he thought was important.

He knew who he was and what he stood for.  Below is a transcript of a letter he wrote Mom from the Molucca Islands, July 24, 1945.  In the letter he expressed himself forcefully about something he felt strongly about:

     "Went to the show tonight and afterward to the club and had a couple of cokes.  Didn't care much for the show.  It was "Laddie Son of Lassie" and was in technicolor but it was to far fetched to suit me.
     In the combat camera picture they showed us some scenes from some of the German Concentration Camps.  Things to horrible to even think about.  I never dreamed that anyone could fall to such a low level of degradation.  I don't like to think about such depravity.
     Guess this isn't much of a letter sweetheart but such things rather get me down.  All I can say is that they should be shown no leniency whatever and after knowing what bestiality they are capable of if we ever let them get in a position to repeat their atrocities we will deserve anything that happens to us."

Here's to keeping the commandments. I want to be worth all the sacrifices Dad and other men and women made, so we could be free.