70th Anniversary of the World War II
Tuesday - Sep 01, 2009 - 12:05 PM
Today is the exact 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the World War II. A lot of the world as we know it has been shaped by the events that occurred 70 years ago. To this day countries, nations and individuals struggle with the memories, need for forgiveness and tragic memories.
The war started in Poland, to be exact in the little town of Westerplatte, which is now the suburbs of Gdansk ( Danzig). The first shots were fired by the German battleship that came with a "friendly" visit to Gdansk and was parked with its guns overlooking the coast. Gdansk at that time was a free town, administered independently from Polish and German authorities, much like Vatican is today. Yet it was surrounded by Polish territory. You can go today to Westerplatte and see the beautiful magnificent monument in memory of those who fought and died there on that day.
The bravery of those who were unsuspectingly attacked and protected the small Polish military post in Westerplatte is probably best visualized by the fact that the Germans allowed the Polish soldiers who finally gave up the fight to surrender with their white weapons on. It was considered an honorable surrender and it was a sign of honoring the defeated by the aggressors. Unfortunately, throughout the rest of the war, that honor was lost.
Today, in Westerplatte, the leaders of over 20 countries that were involved in the war are gathering together to commemorate those who died and the events that took place. In a remarkable scene of unity and forgiveness the leaders of Poland, Germany and Russian are standing side by side, paying their respects. Although we heard it over and over again throughout the history, it's one of those phrases describing wars that deserves repeating no matter what: Let's hope it never happens again.
