ABOUT THE SECTION
Kevin Whaley, the AJC’s Night Editor and a former Sports section daily coordinator, proposed the idea of a World War II special project in April, a few weeks before the 70-year anniversary of V-E Day, or Victory in Europe. V-J Day, or Victory in Japan, didn’t occur until September 1945, so we decided to produce this section to coincide with that date, Sept. 2.
Kevin, inspired by his grandfather’s World War II service in the U.S. Army in the Pacific theater, began interviewing local veterans in June, focusing on their movements and activities during the last few months of the war and their post-war experiences.
He was intrigued by their colorful and candid stories and amazed by their sharp recollections of events that took place more than seven decades ago. In most cases, they remembered specific dates, names and locations.
As you might imagine, some of them didn’t hesitate to offer their opinions about all sorts of things, like the sometimes questionable decisions of their superiors, their ever-changing field orders or even what they thought about today’s military and politics. In almost every case, they had an endearing sense of humor about many of their war activities despite the horrors they witnessed.
But most of all, they made sure to honor their fellow soldiers, those who survived the war as they did and those who gave their lives for freedom.
Kevin considered it a true honor to be involved in such a project and to spend time with heroes of that generation.
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