My grandfather fought in World War II. He didn't like to speak of the war. It is not a glorious thing. He saw many friends die. He himself was wounded and shipped back home. Of the few things that my grandfather mentioned was the curious meeting of his cousin at a military base. Grandfather was a soldier with the Allied Forces and at the time on KP duty. His cousin was from German and being held as a POW and was sent to work in the kitchen. War sets family member against family member, but it can also bring them together. It was comforting to know that his cousin was treated with dignity and respect. Why he was being detained or even how he came to our country was something Grandfather never shared. Stationed in the Philippines, Grandfather encountered unspeakable horrors and knew that other countries treated their POWs differently. One of the days that tormented him was not attending the Sunday church service. He had hung onto his faith as that was what gave him hope, but one day he'd been smoking cigarettes with friends in the tree line instead of joining the rest of the men inside the little church. As if they knew what time the services started the Japanese zeros came from the horizon and fired at the church killing most people inside. Grandfather described the bullets as they came toward him. He was scared. He felt guilty.
Today I have so many friends from the Philippines and grew up with friends from Japanese backgrounds. It is a testament to forgiveness and acceptance. As we consider the military conflicts around the world, it is worth remembering the past so that we can put our hope in the future. Today's enemy may be our friend tomorrow; that person holding the gun may be our cousin. May we glance at the future to discern our actions today.
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