Joe returns to the U.S. and, eventually, home
Joe Enrietti, Ep. 4
Interviewing Joe and retelling his story has been a great experience for me. Is it the full story of World War II? No, and I don’t think any single narrative can possibly tell the full story of such a broad and all-encompassing conflict. But it is one man’s story, placed in context, and told with emotive impact.
The greatness I see in Joe and the veterans who served with him is not derived from their capacity to inflict violence. Rather, it stems from their willingness to serve their country, their love for their fellow countrymen, and their recognition of the value of all life after having risked it and being asked to take it.
It is this same greatness that I would encourage all of us to strive for in our own lives. We can honor Joe and his comrades by living a life of service, gratitude, and resilience.
And hopefully, when we look back on our lives, someday we can be as proud of our accomplishments as Joe has been of his.
Suggested Viewing:
Victory in Europe
This 1945 newsreel shows the World Security Conference in San Francisco, the end of the war in the European theater of war, and the continuing war against Japan in the Pacific theater (graphic content warning!).
On to Tokyo
A short film produced in 1945 by the U.S. Army explaining the necessity to redeploy Allied forces to Asia to fight the Japanese. It features a surprisingly frank discussion of the logistic challenges of the redeployment. Many of them would not be granted furloughs before being sent to the new fight. Those not being redeployed would have to wait for the redeployment to be finished before ships would be dedicated to bringing them back to the United States.
Japan Surrenders
This newsreel, also from 1945, features footage reviewing the Japanese actions in WWII (graphic content warning!), and celebrates their final surrender. The B-29, which Joe began to train on but never flew in, is hailed as one of the key tools in the victory.
Blood On The Sun (1945 - colorized)
A 1945 American war film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring James Cagney and Sylvia Sidney. The film is based on a fictional history behind the Tanaka Memorial document.