A Trip to the Past Being a sailor during World War II was an emotional roller coaster. Herb Hanson, now 92 served during World War II. Growing up in central Minnesota, with loving parents, eight brothers and sisters, he left to fight a war, that he at the time didn’t fully understand. Herb was the only sibling to serve during the second great war. Listening to his stories, I felt like I was there in the middle of the war myself. The reason of this paper is to give you a glimpse at what it would of been, including what it would have felt like to be a soldier in one of the great wars. Knowing that it was a possibility that he would be serving was brought to the attention of Herb Hanson, the day he learned about Pearl Harbor, three brief years
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He also felt afraid because he was young and worried that he would lose his life. “No,” was all Herb said when discussing his feelings from before the war to after the war. Clarifying he said that his feelings for the war had not changed from the start of the war to the end, he felt that the war and the events that caused it could have been handled better, causing a great deal less death. Though Herb did not feel that war could have been avoided entirely, he believes that it could have been solved quickly, if different things would have not been said or …show more content…
Considering the USS Rainier was near Japan, Herb was not there on D-Day when Germany surrendered, but he witnessed the end of the war in Japan, on the day they dropped the atomic bombs on Nagasaki, Japan. August 9, 1945, was the day that every sailor knew the war would be over, but more importantly they would be going home. Watching from roughly ten miles away, Herb, watched as the United States dropped “Fat Man” onto an unsuspecting Japanese city. Only knowing it landed, the mushroom cloud billowing up from Japan. Knowing that all the lives in the city would end, Herb felt crushed knowing about all the innocent lives being destroyed in result of the war, but was also relieved, knowing that now he would be returning to home. That was the day the war was over, later that night all the ships nearby lit their fireworks in celebration of the war coming to an end, Herb said, “They put the best firework show that I’ve ever seen on the night that the war
He also felt afraid because he was young and worried that he would lose his life. “No,” was all Herb said when discussing his feelings from before the war to after the war. Clarifying he said that his feelings for the war had not changed from the start of the war to the end, he felt that the war and the events that caused it could have been handled better, causing a great deal less death. Though Herb did not feel that war could have been avoided entirely, he believes that it could have been solved quickly, if different things would have not been said or …show more content…
Considering the USS Rainier was near Japan, Herb was not there on D-Day when Germany surrendered, but he witnessed the end of the war in Japan, on the day they dropped the atomic bombs on Nagasaki, Japan. August 9, 1945, was the day that every sailor knew the war would be over, but more importantly they would be going home. Watching from roughly ten miles away, Herb, watched as the United States dropped “Fat Man” onto an unsuspecting Japanese city. Only knowing it landed, the mushroom cloud billowing up from Japan. Knowing that all the lives in the city would end, Herb felt crushed knowing about all the innocent lives being destroyed in result of the war, but was also relieved, knowing that now he would be returning to home. That was the day the war was over, later that night all the ships nearby lit their fireworks in celebration of the war coming to an end, Herb said, “They put the best firework show that I’ve ever seen on the night that the war