Post #171231 by johntiki on Mon, Jul 11, 2005 9:31 PM

Whenever I hear about a "famous" member of the World War II generation slipping away it brings to mind the sad fact that this great group of people who fought, sacrificed, and many of who died 60 years ago are disappearing at an alarming rate. These men and women put their personal lives on hold to fight, and in Mrs. Langford's case helped boost the morale, simply because it was what needed to be done. Many people have the naive vision that all who served did so to fight for the honor of their countries when in fact it was what was required of them in a time of need. It was a job that needed to be done and thankfully they did it with valor and unwavering courage unbeknownst to them at the time.

In 1993 I was fortunate to have been vacationing in Europe and was in Paris to witness a parade commemorating the 50th Anniversary of D-Day. At the time I had a small interest in WWII but I never stopped to consider that the "old guys," many of which were also neighbors and relatives at the time, were actually responsible for saving the world so long ago. As I watched the parade, which was nothing more that gray and white haired American veterans marching up the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triumphe, I had my first realization of what I owed to these men. Some of the former fighting men wore their dress uniforms, some of them were walking with the aid of canes and some unable to make the march were pushed in wheelchairs but, the one thing they all had in common was an undeniable sense of proud humbleness that brought tears to my eyes. Since that day I haven't forgotten what an amazing generation of people they are and I have the utmost respect for what their sacrifices and accomplishments have done to make the world a better place.

Sadly now the WWII veterans that used to be in my life in various forms have all but disappeared... we are actually witnessing the loss of a piece of our collective history and sadly one of these days we'll probably see a little blurb on the national news that the last know living veteran of World War II has passed away and the walking history that once surrounded us will then be relegated solely to the history books.

Frances Langford is definitely an important component of the World War II generation and the work she did in those times, providing a taste of home to those longing for what they left behind, was a noble and worthwhile cause that deserves to be recognized. Yes it is a sad day for tiki in the fact that the Outrigger was supposed to have been quite a spot in its heyday and an even sadder day for a world as a whole that owes "the long forgotten" Frances Langford a thank you.