This weekend sees the 70th anniversary of VJ Day, my Dad was out there when it was all going on. He was a prisoner and forced to work on the Death Railway, he and his mates were taken to Hellfire Pass (Google it and look at the result in images) my Dad was one of those that cut through the rock.
My Dad and his mates are all gone now, but I was lucky enough to have met some of his mates. But more importantly I was privileged enough to know my Dad, I had always been curious like any boy on what his Dad done in the war and when I was old enough my Dad told me. As I got older and more interested the stories got more horrific, he never spoke about it much but I feel I was the one in our family that he managed to share a bit more with.
On his deathbed he still told me he hated the Japanese people and unfortunately he took that with him, I feel proud that I was able to listen to my Dad but I never held the hatred that he had. So I would like to ask anyone who is reading this to take a couple of minutes this week and reflect on what people had to go through, not only my Dad and his mates, but also to the Japanese people who perished 70 years ago.
I know that both my Dad, his mates, and all the people from all nations that were touched by WWll would not be happy seeing what is going on today. We shouldn't still be killing each other, that was done 70 years ago so let's not let all those deaths go in vain.
Rest In Peace to the 1000s of those killed, and to those that had to live the rest of their lives full of hatred before dying.
My Dad and his mates are all gone now, but I was lucky enough to have met some of his mates. But more importantly I was privileged enough to know my Dad, I had always been curious like any boy on what his Dad done in the war and when I was old enough my Dad told me. As I got older and more interested the stories got more horrific, he never spoke about it much but I feel I was the one in our family that he managed to share a bit more with.
On his deathbed he still told me he hated the Japanese people and unfortunately he took that with him, I feel proud that I was able to listen to my Dad but I never held the hatred that he had. So I would like to ask anyone who is reading this to take a couple of minutes this week and reflect on what people had to go through, not only my Dad and his mates, but also to the Japanese people who perished 70 years ago.
I know that both my Dad, his mates, and all the people from all nations that were touched by WWll would not be happy seeing what is going on today. We shouldn't still be killing each other, that was done 70 years ago so let's not let all those deaths go in vain.
Rest In Peace to the 1000s of those killed, and to those that had to live the rest of their lives full of hatred before dying.
Wikipedia: Hiroshima and Nagasaki
![[Image: 800px-Atomic_bombing_of_Japan.jpg]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Atomic_bombing_of_Japan.jpg/800px-Atomic_bombing_of_Japan.jpg)