HEROES. WWII Vets JFK and J.D. Salinger Schooled Us in Dignity

[DonViejo]

These very different men both came home from the war convinced that true courage had nothing to do with battle histrionics or bellicose military parades.

NICOLAUS MILLS
05.25.18 9:50 PM ET

When John Kennedy and J.D. Salinger returned from World War II, it didn’t occur to them to make a display of their campaign ribbons or to look upon their military service as different from that of millions of others. But Kennedy and Salinger never put aside their personal memories of combat. Long before they achieved fame, they wrote about those memories in a way that is relevant for us this Memorial Day.

Fifty-five years after Kennedy’s death, in a year in which President Trump is planning a massive military parade in Washington for Veterans Day, Kennedy’s and Salinger’s wartime memories are worth recalling for the contrast they provide with the president’s views on how best to honor those who have fought our wars.

Kennedy and Salinger, just two years different in age, belonged to a generation that, as Kennedy observed in his Inaugural Address, was “born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace.” Their wartime experiences shaped them in ways that transcended the separate paths their lives took.

Once back in the states, Kennedy and Salinger were sure that the country—not its vets—needed to change. Their minds were not on military parades. Salinger, as he confided to a friend, was “delighted” to miss the celebrations in America that occurred with Germany’s surrender.

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https://www.thedailybeast.com/wwii-vets-jfk-and-jd-salinger-schooled-us-in-dignity?ref=home

[dflprincess]

1. George McGovern refused to use his military service during his 1972 campaign

He said he hadn't done any more that thousands of others.