We humans have been waging war upon each other for well over a millennium. Some countries do it for resources and control. Some in the name of religion and others for independence. And still others go to war for less than honorable reasons such as politics and even worse, ethnic cleansing. Regardless of the reasons and whether or not we agree with those reasons; any family, no matter what part of the world they hail from, is affected by war.
There are millions of families who have had a mother and or father serve in the military. Specifically in World War II, hundreds of thousands American service men and women lost their lives. I can only imagine that an equivalent number of children became orphans as result of their parents sacrifice. Sharon Estill Taylor, from the Department of Women's Studies, St. Martins University, is a war orphaned child. According to Sharon, "
As an American World War II war orphan, left fatherless with a young
grieving mother before I was a month old, my life has been shaped by this
loss, which was never explained to me or to those like me whose fathers
were killed in the Second World War. I have worked my way through what
I consider lifelong yearning rather than grief for a father I never knew but
whom I missed for ‘‘what might have been.’’" (Sharon Estill Taylor). I can only imagine what growing up without a father would be like. And yet a current generation is already experiencing this kind of life. September 11, 2001, produced many such children. Many of their parents were just civilians. I say "just" only to emphasize the significance of their death. Whether or not they wore uniforms and carried weapons, by no means diminishes their sacrifice. They are the gone, but not forgotten heroes in our lives.
Works cited
Taylor, Sharon Estill. "The Childhood Experience Of Being A War Orphan: A Study Of The Effects Of Father Loss On Women Whose Fathers Were Killed In World War II." Journal Of Loss & Trauma 15.3 (2010): 228-241. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.
There are millions of families who have had a mother and or father serve in the military. Specifically in World War II, hundreds of thousands American service men and women lost their lives. I can only imagine that an equivalent number of children became orphans as result of their parents sacrifice. Sharon Estill Taylor, from the Department of Women's Studies, St. Martins University, is a war orphaned child. According to Sharon, "
As an American World War II war orphan, left fatherless with a young
grieving mother before I was a month old, my life has been shaped by this
loss, which was never explained to me or to those like me whose fathers
were killed in the Second World War. I have worked my way through what
I consider lifelong yearning rather than grief for a father I never knew but
whom I missed for ‘‘what might have been.’’" (Sharon Estill Taylor). I can only imagine what growing up without a father would be like. And yet a current generation is already experiencing this kind of life. September 11, 2001, produced many such children. Many of their parents were just civilians. I say "just" only to emphasize the significance of their death. Whether or not they wore uniforms and carried weapons, by no means diminishes their sacrifice. They are the gone, but not forgotten heroes in our lives.
Works cited
Taylor, Sharon Estill. "The Childhood Experience Of Being A War Orphan: A Study Of The Effects Of Father Loss On Women Whose Fathers Were Killed In World War II." Journal Of Loss & Trauma 15.3 (2010): 228-241. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.
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