1. The first thing is this: when I think of WWII - I think of the Germans (Nazi Germany, not the civilians) and how awful they were. That is still true but now I know that the Japanese were relentless and barbaric, I thought I knew the extent of this before, I did not. I'm appalled at this human behavior - its NOT human. I'm not judging all Japanese on this realization, but I am severely judging their military and their leaders. I hope to God the people who run Japan today dont look back and say, "our predecessors...they had it right! They did the best thing in the war..." I hope they are ashamed that one, no I'm sorry, THOUSANDS of their kind could be so so evil and inhumane. I know that there are bad people in the world, bad things happen, but for an entire military to be so cruel - it makes me sad and angry and sick all at once!
2. My pop pop was in the Air Force and now I am desperate to know his story. Did he lose so many friends in training? I know that he had to bail out...I wish he was hear to tell me that story in person. I wonder if there is any record of it. I wonder if my dad and uncle know enough to tell me. I have to ask. I know that it was in training, over Kansas, which apparently this happened all the time. The book says that so many of the deaths during WWII were on friendly soil, just training in planes (I can't remember the number, but I remember being really shocked!).
3. Being in the military sucks. I've decided. No one in my family is ever ever allowed to be in the military!
Those are just a few things that go through my head!
This book is the story of Louie Zamperini. He grew up as a runner, an Olympic trainer in fact, and he was really good. He was training for the next Olympics when the war broke out and he found himself in the Air Force. Part of the story is his training, and then it goes on to detail how he and his crew bail out over the Pacific Ocean, only 3 of them survive the crash, and only two of them survive the 40 some days floating on a raft. If he thought that was bad, he was wrong. After getting picked up by the Japanese, he spent years being shoved around in different POW camps. Though, these POW camps were not following the UN directions of that title - the POWs were starved and beat and enslaved without pay. It was so brutal and awful. So many died of needless reasons, malnutrition, minor diseases, starvation, dysentery, etc. The military officials in charge are my worst nightmare of a human. I can't even stand it!! No wonder all sorts of men came home with major psychological issues!!!
If anything, this book is good for the history. We hear a lot of stories of the German/Nazi concentration camps, the war and Normandy and Pearl Harbor and the bombing of Japan, etc. To read about the details of how involved Japan was is something I don't remember hearing about in school.
I definitely recommend reading this.
I give it a 3 - it does start out a little slow but it definitely picks up fast. It's a life-changer for sure, you will remember the details of this book, however awful they are, it's the reality of how terrible this war was. Life was so very different during this time in history, I can't wrap by head around it.
I'm starting Hunger Games (book 7) tonight!!! I'm really excited about this one.
Tomorrow I'm posting about my Happiness Project, it's going to be awesome:)
Thanks for sharing this :)!
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