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Article by Blaze
For [last] month's Clan-Wide Interest [Newsletter] article, I had the golden opportunity to sit down with a World War II veteran and talk to him briefly about his experiences and thoughts on WWII, the Korean War, and video games. The Commander (USN, Retired) and former member of the Chaplain Corps (CHC) prefers to be called "George", so I obliged.
George retired from the United States Navy in 1964. As a Chaplain, he only saw action indirectly. In WWII, there was action a very short distance from George, but he was compelled to get out of the immediate area that was under attack. Let's talk to him and learn from his experience and wisdom.
Blaze: What war(s) did you serve in, George?
George: I served in WWII and I was on active duty during the Korean War but did not see action there.
B: What was your respective rank and grade during each war?
G: My rank during WWII was Ltjg [Lieutenant, junior grade] to full Lt [Lieutenant]. During the Korean War I became a LCDR [Lieutenant Commander].
B: Were you ever in a combat theater, whether in-person or fighting from a distance?
G: Yes I was in the Pacific Theater during WWII. I was not in a combat theater direct or indirect during the Korean War.
B: What was your opinion on going to war for each war you were in?
G: My opinion was that going to war was the necessary and right thing to do. Even as a chaplain I had no reservations about going to war. My concern was for the men I was serving.
B: Tell me about some of your most fascinating experiences related to the wars.
G: Most memorable was being present at the surrender of Japan in August 1945. I was on a ship nearby in the same harbor. I could see the USS Missouri where the surrender was taking place. I was glad that this terrible war was ending.
Earlier I was on an amphibious group command ship whose responsibility was to be the heart of the communications system. Our duty was to relay commands and pass them along. I was not present during any combat landings but I was just a couple weeks away from these events. Just before the end of the war since we were in a war zone, enemy planes would come over our ships at night. Enemy planes were scout planes at that point, not attack aircraft.
B: What did you learn or gain from these experiences?
G: That all people are alike in these situations and their needs and their faith. Even the enemy. The moment they stop being your enemy they start becoming our friends.
B: Did you have any regrets from the war? If so, what were they, and why?
G: Anyone would regret war. I was separated from my family. I left everything to my young wife to take care of, including two infant sons. I missed their early months because I was away.
B: Have you played any war-themed or military-themed video games?
G: No. I am 96 years old. I know that my teenage grandson has played them. Although I have not played them every player puts his personality on the line and approaches games from this stand point.
Four weeks after the blasts, I walked the ground where the first atomic bombs were detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I saw the devastation and knew thousands of lives were lost – families, children, homes. Nothing can come close to that experience – even in a game. I picked up objects from the ground at these sites. I recall that out of a refrigerator I picked up a jar and everything in it had evaporated.
B: What do you think military game creators can do to make the games more authentic?
G: My approach as a chaplain and clergyman was that I got involved intimately with the lives of people affected directly by the war. This included some Japanese families as well as the military.
What wars do for me is to help me understand more keenly how everyone is affected by war – including our “enemies”. I feel a kinship to them. They matter to me more than the average individual does. I try to connect with them. Zamperini’s life after WWII as told in “Unbroken” was in part about connecting, resolving and reconciling.
It is important to remember that in war, the victims are real people. In games they are not. Real people have real pain and real lives and real families they leave to carry on. Games are games.
B: You are a military hero, and on behalf of Americans everywhere, thank you for risking your life to defend our freedoms and way of life.
Military and war video games can be great fun, but let's never lose our perspective and forget how they came to be. Real blood, sweat, and tears are behind every single military and war video game we play. The next time you play Call of Duty or Day of Defeat, take just a moment before you start and honor the heroes on all sides of the conflicts.
I would like to give a very special "thank you" to George for taking the time to talk with me and share his insights and experiences with us all. He can be contacted on reddit through /u/CastleCorp where he does the occasional Ask Me Anything.
For [last] month's Clan-Wide Interest [Newsletter] article, I had the golden opportunity to sit down with a World War II veteran and talk to him briefly about his experiences and thoughts on WWII, the Korean War, and video games. The Commander (USN, Retired) and former member of the Chaplain Corps (CHC) prefers to be called "George", so I obliged.
George retired from the United States Navy in 1964. As a Chaplain, he only saw action indirectly. In WWII, there was action a very short distance from George, but he was compelled to get out of the immediate area that was under attack. Let's talk to him and learn from his experience and wisdom.
Blaze: What war(s) did you serve in, George?
George: I served in WWII and I was on active duty during the Korean War but did not see action there.
B: What was your respective rank and grade during each war?
G: My rank during WWII was Ltjg [Lieutenant, junior grade] to full Lt [Lieutenant]. During the Korean War I became a LCDR [Lieutenant Commander].
B: Were you ever in a combat theater, whether in-person or fighting from a distance?
G: Yes I was in the Pacific Theater during WWII. I was not in a combat theater direct or indirect during the Korean War.
B: What was your opinion on going to war for each war you were in?
G: My opinion was that going to war was the necessary and right thing to do. Even as a chaplain I had no reservations about going to war. My concern was for the men I was serving.
B: Tell me about some of your most fascinating experiences related to the wars.
G: Most memorable was being present at the surrender of Japan in August 1945. I was on a ship nearby in the same harbor. I could see the USS Missouri where the surrender was taking place. I was glad that this terrible war was ending.
Earlier I was on an amphibious group command ship whose responsibility was to be the heart of the communications system. Our duty was to relay commands and pass them along. I was not present during any combat landings but I was just a couple weeks away from these events. Just before the end of the war since we were in a war zone, enemy planes would come over our ships at night. Enemy planes were scout planes at that point, not attack aircraft.
B: What did you learn or gain from these experiences?
G: That all people are alike in these situations and their needs and their faith. Even the enemy. The moment they stop being your enemy they start becoming our friends.
B: Did you have any regrets from the war? If so, what were they, and why?
G: Anyone would regret war. I was separated from my family. I left everything to my young wife to take care of, including two infant sons. I missed their early months because I was away.
B: Have you played any war-themed or military-themed video games?
G: No. I am 96 years old. I know that my teenage grandson has played them. Although I have not played them every player puts his personality on the line and approaches games from this stand point.
Four weeks after the blasts, I walked the ground where the first atomic bombs were detonated over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I saw the devastation and knew thousands of lives were lost – families, children, homes. Nothing can come close to that experience – even in a game. I picked up objects from the ground at these sites. I recall that out of a refrigerator I picked up a jar and everything in it had evaporated.
B: What do you think military game creators can do to make the games more authentic?
G: My approach as a chaplain and clergyman was that I got involved intimately with the lives of people affected directly by the war. This included some Japanese families as well as the military.
What wars do for me is to help me understand more keenly how everyone is affected by war – including our “enemies”. I feel a kinship to them. They matter to me more than the average individual does. I try to connect with them. Zamperini’s life after WWII as told in “Unbroken” was in part about connecting, resolving and reconciling.
It is important to remember that in war, the victims are real people. In games they are not. Real people have real pain and real lives and real families they leave to carry on. Games are games.
B: You are a military hero, and on behalf of Americans everywhere, thank you for risking your life to defend our freedoms and way of life.
Military and war video games can be great fun, but let's never lose our perspective and forget how they came to be. Real blood, sweat, and tears are behind every single military and war video game we play. The next time you play Call of Duty or Day of Defeat, take just a moment before you start and honor the heroes on all sides of the conflicts.
I would like to give a very special "thank you" to George for taking the time to talk with me and share his insights and experiences with us all. He can be contacted on reddit through /u/CastleCorp where he does the occasional Ask Me Anything.
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