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Last week my uncle passed away at the age of 97. Many of us thought that he lived a very full and happy life, and I'm sure he did.
What many of us did not know was that was that before he passed, he was one of the remaining WWII veterans still alive.
My family is of Chinese descent, I grew up in the states, and had the sense of entitlement to the comforts that my family did not have. My grandfather hid inside a sewer for almost a week and nearly starved to death because of the presense of Japanese Soldiers.
So the general consensus among my immediate family for those of Japanese descent is not one that is very friendly.
Fast forward a little bit, but uncle got the chance to Immigrate to the United States living in a very slummy neighborhood working as a laborer speaking absolutely no English. Having not much of an education, he tried to learn.
He was drafted as an Enlisted Airman in the United States Air Corps to serve in World War II in the Pacific. And by pacific, I mean opening a can of whoopass on the island nation of the rising sun.
He answered his call of duty while facing discrimination from Enlisted and Officers who looked nothing like him. And never spoke of the atrocities that he saw even at family functions, either that or he pretended he couldn't hear well. He just ate alot and watched a lot of television. When I asked him about China-Japanese relations, or joining the military, he was very modest and just said life is hard, get use to it.
Now we have to arrange for a 30 car caravan with a possed of bag-pipers, and a crew of 21 gun salute servicemen. Traffic will suck, lol.
He was already in deteriorating condition and was exremely weak. But a week before he went he mustered up the energy, he packed his rucksack, shined his shoes, folded all his clothes and had them squared away in the corner of his room, when my aunt asked him wtf was he doing, his only reply was "its gunna be a long trip, i dont like doing things at the last moment"
What many of us did not know was that was that before he passed, he was one of the remaining WWII veterans still alive.
My family is of Chinese descent, I grew up in the states, and had the sense of entitlement to the comforts that my family did not have. My grandfather hid inside a sewer for almost a week and nearly starved to death because of the presense of Japanese Soldiers.
So the general consensus among my immediate family for those of Japanese descent is not one that is very friendly.
Fast forward a little bit, but uncle got the chance to Immigrate to the United States living in a very slummy neighborhood working as a laborer speaking absolutely no English. Having not much of an education, he tried to learn.
He was drafted as an Enlisted Airman in the United States Air Corps to serve in World War II in the Pacific. And by pacific, I mean opening a can of whoopass on the island nation of the rising sun.
He answered his call of duty while facing discrimination from Enlisted and Officers who looked nothing like him. And never spoke of the atrocities that he saw even at family functions, either that or he pretended he couldn't hear well. He just ate alot and watched a lot of television. When I asked him about China-Japanese relations, or joining the military, he was very modest and just said life is hard, get use to it.
Now we have to arrange for a 30 car caravan with a possed of bag-pipers, and a crew of 21 gun salute servicemen. Traffic will suck, lol.
He was already in deteriorating condition and was exremely weak. But a week before he went he mustered up the energy, he packed his rucksack, shined his shoes, folded all his clothes and had them squared away in the corner of his room, when my aunt asked him wtf was he doing, his only reply was "its gunna be a long trip, i dont like doing things at the last moment"
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