Our Greatest Generation.

     
     Today, flags are flying at half staff in remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day, the day 71 years ago when Japan attacked the United States.  Many books and films have been produced reflecting on that day.  Some of them have been glamorized, yet when you talk with a Veteran, there was nothing glamorous about war. I do not know of anybody from Goose Creek Island who was stationed at Pearl Harbor on that dreadful day.  If any of my readers do know of an Island resident who was, please let me know. 
      Ms. Gladys Ives Holton, native of Hobucken, said that she remembered the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. She was in the 7th grade at Hobucken School and it was a Sunday. She recalled that she and friend were roller skating down the road in Hobucken that Sunday afternoon.  Matter of fact, she remembered that she had one skate on and the friend had the other.  Her friend had commented that he had heard about some planes from Japan bombing "us".   The next day when the Island kids got to school, Principal Banks had turned on the radio in the gymnasium (classes where held in the gym because the school had burned earlier that year).  She said ,"We all listened to President Franklin Roosevelt's address to Congress declaring war on Japan." 
        My Uncle James Foreman, who still resides at Clark's Corner in Lowland, was a veteran of World War II.  Matter of fact, he may be the only World War II veteran who is still living on the Island. He did not go to the Pacific and was only 16 years old at the time of the Pearl Harbor bombing.  He served in the European Theatre, which is another story of our war history.  Oh, how I wish that he would share his story with me, but I know deep in my heart, he never will.  His war experience was horrific and the only stories I have heard have been passed along to me by my father and his brother Charles.  
     On January 23, 1943, the day before his18th birthday, James Foreman registered for military selective service. Little did James know that during the summer of '43, while he was working with his father in tobacco, that plans were being made for Operation Overlord, the allied invasion to liberate France.  A year later, after his registration, James enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg, North Carolina on January 27, 1944. The allied invasion at Normandy began on June 6, 1944.  I do not know the details of what company he served with or when he traveled to England and then on to France, Belgium and other countries.  I do know that he experienced a side of war that Tom Hanks or Stephen Spielberg probably couldn't reproduce for the movies.
     Through my family history, the story is told that my great grandparents had received a telegram sometime in late 1944 or early 1945 that their youngest son James was listed as "missing in action".  It was many weeks later that they finally learned that he was safe.  It was those weeks that he will not talk about, or about any of his military service.  The story is that he had become "trapped" behind enemy lines and had become separated from his unit.  He and a fellow service member were on the run throughout the country, trying to stay one step ahead of the Germans.  Trying to stay alive. Unfortunately, the fellow service member perished before being reunited with American forces.  Uncle James got lucky.
     Before Uncle James had left for Fort Bragg, my great-grandfather Walter Foreman had promised a gold piece to him when he returned home safely from the war.  The story is that Uncle James returned home and it was late at night when he finally got to St. Clair's Creek in Beaufort County.  My Uncle Charles said he remembered he and his older brother Harold were asleep. Uncle James came rushing up the stairs and woke the boys up. He hugged them so tightly and was so happy to be home that he was crying.  Uncle Charles said as a young boy, he did not fully comprehend what was happening that night.  But when he was older, he truly appreciated and understood the impact of what had happened to Uncle James and how close he came to not returning home.
     To this day, Uncle James does not talk about his service to his country, nor do we pressure or ask him to talk about it.  The only time we have ever heard him mention anything about war was, "Honey, I hope you never have to see what I have seen in my lifetime."  And that is all that has ever been said. 
      Today, many of our Island's "greatest generation" are no longer with us.  The term greatest generation was pinned by the journalist Tom Brokaw.  Of course the term gives meaning to those who have served and have war experience, but I see our greatest generation as some thing more than just war service.  The men who served came back home and freely gave to their communities. Their hard working ethic helped to rebuild America and they never had a task that was 'too hard'.  They had already done the hardest work of their lives.  
     We have seen this in our Island community and we still see it today. Many years ago, when that group of Island residents banded together to form the Goose Creek Island Ruritan Club, they formed their own "Band of Brothers".  It was their way of giving back and to become good stewards to their community.  Those charter members, our greatest generation, had served in World War II.  Carol Ross was in the Battle of the Bulge, Mike Lewis had been stationed in the South Pacific. So had Glenwood Sadler.  It was these men who would most humbly gather at the local cemetery and prepare a grave for one of their own, a task that no one wanted. They have always given honorable service to our community and have always risen to a challenge. Their contributions to our community still live on today.  That is what makes them the "greatest generation" to me.    

A personal note - James Foreman to this day does not like Japanese cars and will tell you so!