Gaelyn

Before I learned about WWII, I barely knew anything about it. I knew that Hitler had conquered many countries, he was the leader of the Nazis, and he had killed many innocent people. I knew that Mussolini was the leader of Fascist Italy. I knew that Stalin was the leader of Russia and he had killed thousands of his own people. Also, I knew that in WWII, we had developed and used the atomic bomb against Japan. I also knew that both sides, the Allies and the Axis, had lost many of their own men.

I learned that there were many more things to WWII than just Hitler, the Nazis, and all those other things. I learned how they just let Hitler have Austria. They didn’t really notice him until he invaded Poland. Mussolini didn't play a real signifigant role in WWII, but he played a huge part in Italy. The Japanese thought that their emperor was a god and he had godly power. But after Japan surrendered, he told his whole nation that he wasn’t a god anymore. I learned that even though Russia was an Ally, the Americans and the British didn’t trust them. Soon after the war, Russia started taking over countries . I also learned that there were many beaches at Normandy and the hardest was Omaha beach. For this reason, it is nicknamed Bloody Omaha.

How I think and view the world has changed. I now understand more why people even fight wars. America and Britain fights in wars (or wars) to regain peace. Some people and/or nations fight wars to have greater glory, more land, or for other things. War is not a good thing to me at all. My veteran taught me some more things about the hardships of war. He told me how much he suffered during the war. He told me how much it hurt to see all the killing, hear all the screaming and yelling, and how much it made you cry to see all the fighting. He also told me how much it hurts to lose a friend or loved one in a war. I have learned how much it hurts to have a war. I hope we never have another war.