Last weekend I saw the movie Unbroken, which tells the story of a former Olympic athlete who survived
weeks at sea after his WWII plane was shot down only to be
captured by Japanese forces and sent to several prison camps. It was a
wonderful movie, and I highly recommend it. The movie reminded me of one of my
own family members who survived a German prison camp.
David
Ririe, my great-uncle, was shot down over Poland in 1942. It was his first
combat mission as a bombardier, and his last. He was imprisoned until the
Russians liberated him and the other prisoners 13 months later. Uncle David
rarely talked about his experiences there, but the entire family knew that his
dedication to God and dedication to family was strengthened during that trial. He
had one mission from then on: be the best for God and his family.
Uncle
David passed away a few years ago. It’s sad to see so many people from the
great generation leave, but their legacy lives on. Uncle David taught me to
persevere through any hardship. He taught me to treat others with respect, and
he taught me to have one mission. My mission is to be the best for God and my
family.
Thanks for sharing that Jerrick. I think our greatest heroes and our greatest inspirations are in our own family. It reminds me of the hymn Faith of Our Fathers and motivates me to be worthy of their legacy.
ReplyDeleteLoved your comment about "a great generation." I feel like we have so much to learn from the people who lived during either of the World Wars. I know that I have learned a lot from my Grandpa who grew up in Berlin during WWII.
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