They are dying at a rate of 1,100 a day. The push is on to build a suitable memorial before the clock runs out and there will be no World War II veteran to see it. To that end, Congress and monument proponents have engaged in heavy-handed tactics that seem to fly in the face of the very concepts for which World War II soldiers fought and died. Veterans and historic preservationists have bickered over its design and location in the nation's capital. Last fall, the bickering escalated into a lawsuit.
Proponents complain the memorial fight has lasted twice as long as the war.
I have pretty much agreed with their declaration that enough is enough. Sixty years ago, a generation of ordinary Americans did nothing less than save the world. When they came back from war, they quietly resumed their lives. The Greatest Generation spent the next several decades building the greatest nation in the world. Certainly if they had wanted one, they could have built a memorial to honor their sacrifices.