Seventy-five years ago today, the United States and its European allies accepted Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces.
Citizens in countries such as France, Belgium, and the Netherlands could, for the first time in years, consider themselves free of a brutal occupation in which many of their friends, neighbors, colleagues--and, in many cases, relatives--were murdered or disappeared.
As this is the 75th anniversary, few people who participated in combat, or who supported those, in or out of uniform, who participated in supporting the soldiers, sailors and airmen, or in other forms of resistance. Even those who were young children during that time and remember various privations are not young. So, this probably would have been the last time significant numbers of people who experienced the occupations in any way, as foes or allies, could or would celebrate in a major way.
Notice that I used conditional tenses in my previous sentence. Under other circumstances, thousands of people surely would have participated in ceremonies and other commemorations. Today, however, much of Europe remains under COVID-19 induced lockdowns. In some countries, people can't even go for a bike ride or a walk and must show an official document granting them permission to go to grocery stores, pharmacies and other enterprises deemed as essential.
So, here is one of many sad ironies of the situation: On a day when people would have been celebrating their liberation from one kind or tyranny, they are now living under another.
And, the enforced curfews and other restrictions of Nazi invasions and occupations changed life in ways that still affect people today. For example, the Paris Metro closes from 1 am to 5 am every day. That schedule was imposed on the city during its occupation. So it remains today. In an odd parallel, for the first time in its history, the New York City subway system is not operating 24/7. It is now closed every day from 1 to 5 am--as a result of what has been called our "invisible invader."
Another parallel between the Nazi occupations and the COVID-19 pandemic is that thinking "out of the box" with the available facts is needed to beat back the terror. The Nazis introduced the Blitzkreig, but French and other military strategists continued to strategize in the ways they'd done, or learned, before. Once they and their allies understood that the Nazis were sending "lightning strikes" rather than masses of soldiers, they started to win battles. Likewise, health care professionals, scientists and policy makers--at least the ones who don't placate political patrons--know that while their knowledge and data will inform their decisions, those decisions cannot always be made in the same ways because COVID-19 is not behaving in the same ways as earlier afflicitons.
I just hope that my friends in France and the wonderful people I met in other countries will soon be able to celebrate in the way they deserve (Xoom just doesn't cut it!)--perhaps with a bike ride.
Citizens in countries such as France, Belgium, and the Netherlands could, for the first time in years, consider themselves free of a brutal occupation in which many of their friends, neighbors, colleagues--and, in many cases, relatives--were murdered or disappeared.
As this is the 75th anniversary, few people who participated in combat, or who supported those, in or out of uniform, who participated in supporting the soldiers, sailors and airmen, or in other forms of resistance. Even those who were young children during that time and remember various privations are not young. So, this probably would have been the last time significant numbers of people who experienced the occupations in any way, as foes or allies, could or would celebrate in a major way.
Notice that I used conditional tenses in my previous sentence. Under other circumstances, thousands of people surely would have participated in ceremonies and other commemorations. Today, however, much of Europe remains under COVID-19 induced lockdowns. In some countries, people can't even go for a bike ride or a walk and must show an official document granting them permission to go to grocery stores, pharmacies and other enterprises deemed as essential.
So, here is one of many sad ironies of the situation: On a day when people would have been celebrating their liberation from one kind or tyranny, they are now living under another.
And, the enforced curfews and other restrictions of Nazi invasions and occupations changed life in ways that still affect people today. For example, the Paris Metro closes from 1 am to 5 am every day. That schedule was imposed on the city during its occupation. So it remains today. In an odd parallel, for the first time in its history, the New York City subway system is not operating 24/7. It is now closed every day from 1 to 5 am--as a result of what has been called our "invisible invader."
Another parallel between the Nazi occupations and the COVID-19 pandemic is that thinking "out of the box" with the available facts is needed to beat back the terror. The Nazis introduced the Blitzkreig, but French and other military strategists continued to strategize in the ways they'd done, or learned, before. Once they and their allies understood that the Nazis were sending "lightning strikes" rather than masses of soldiers, they started to win battles. Likewise, health care professionals, scientists and policy makers--at least the ones who don't placate political patrons--know that while their knowledge and data will inform their decisions, those decisions cannot always be made in the same ways because COVID-19 is not behaving in the same ways as earlier afflicitons.
I just hope that my friends in France and the wonderful people I met in other countries will soon be able to celebrate in the way they deserve (Xoom just doesn't cut it!)--perhaps with a bike ride.
