The Last World War Two Veterans Will Soon Be Gone
Summary
TLDRThe video script features interviews with World War II veterans, capturing their personal experiences and stories from the war. It emphasizes the importance of documenting these firsthand accounts before the last of the veterans pass away. The script also highlights the work of the channel 'Memoirs of WWII,' which aims to preserve the memories of this generation for future generations. The emotional and impactful narratives shared by the veterans provide a unique perspective on history that cannot be found in textbooks.
Takeaways
- 🎥 Albert Woolsen was the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove his service, having served as a drummer boy at 14.
- 📹 The footage of Albert Woolsen was filmed in 1956 by a TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, offering a rare glimpse into history.
- 👴 The narrator reflects on the importance of capturing the stories of WWII veterans while they are still alive, as a window to the past.
- 🌟 WWII, the deadliest war in history, ended nearly 80 years ago, and the number of living veterans is dwindling rapidly.
- 👴 The youngest WWII veterans are now in their late 90s, and it's estimated that nearly all will be gone by 2040.
- 🏥 Wilbur Grisham, a medic in the Pacific theater, shared his experiences of the war, including the grim reality of handling dismembered bodies.
- ❄️ Marvin Blakeman recounted his service in the European theater, including the Battle of the Bulge, where the cold was a defining memory.
- 🗡️ The Japanese military's brutal tactics, such as ruling with the bayonet and executing people to instill fear, are described.
- 🔍 The narrator emphasizes the importance of preserving the personal stories of WWII veterans, which history books often cannot capture.
- 🎬 The channel 'Memoirs of WWII' is highlighted for its efforts to document and honor the experiences of the remaining WWII veterans.
Q & A
Who was Albert Woolsen and what was his significance?
-Albert Woolsen was the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove that he actually fought in the war. He was born in 1850 and served as a drummer boy for the Union Army at the age of 14 in 1864.
When was the footage of Albert Woolsen filmed?
-The footage of Albert Woolsen was filmed in 1956 by a TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, shortly before he passed away.
What is the importance of documenting the experiences of World War II veterans?
-Documenting the experiences of World War II veterans is important because it allows future generations to learn history directly from those who experienced it firsthand, capturing personal stories that history books often cannot.
How many World War II veterans are estimated to be alive today?
-Around 70 million people fought in World War II, and less than 75,000 of them are estimated to be still alive today.
What is the projected time until nearly all World War II veterans have passed away?
-Based on current estimates, nearly all of the World War II veterans will be dead by the year 2040.
What was Wilbur Grisham's role in the Pacific theater of World War II?
-Wilbur Grisham served as a medic in the Pacific theater, where his duty was to identify the deceased by their dog tags and move the bodies to take care of the next.
What significant event did Marvin Blakeman participate in during the European theater of World War II?
-Marvin Blakeman served with the 83rd Infantry Division, landed at Normandy, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge during the European theater of World War II.
What was the most memorable aspect of the Battle of the Bulge for Marvin Blakeman?
-The most memorable aspect of the Battle of the Bulge for Marvin Blakeman was the extreme cold, which was embedded in his mind ever since.
How did the Japanese forces control the areas they occupied during World War II according to the transcript?
-The Japanese forces controlled the areas they occupied by taking a few people out and killing them in front of the rest of the inhabitants to instill fear and compliance.
What is the mission of the channel 'Memoirs of World War II'?
-The mission of the channel 'Memoirs of World War II' is to interview and honor the few surviving World War II veterans left, capturing their important and fascinating stories before they are lost forever.
What are the three types of World War II veterans that the channel 'Memoirs of World War II' interviews?
-The three types of World War II veterans that the channel interviews are: 'I do' veterans who tell exactly what they did during the war, 'I think' veterans who also share their thoughts on their experiences, and 'I feel' veterans who express their emotions about what they went through.
Outlines
🎥 Albert Woolsen: The Last Proven Union Army Veteran
The paragraph introduces Albert Woolsen, identified as the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove his service. Born in 1850, he served as a drummer boy for the Union Army at the age of 14. The footage of him was filmed in 1956 by a TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, shortly before his death. The narrator reflects on the significance of being able to converse with veterans from historical wars, emphasizing the importance of documenting the experiences of World War II veterans before it's too late. The paragraph also mentions the lack of technology during the Revolutionary War that could have captured such interviews.
📚 Preserving WWII Veterans' Stories: A Race Against Time
This paragraph discusses the urgency of documenting the stories of World War II veterans, as most of them have already passed away. It mentions that there are less than 75,000 WWII veterans alive today, and by 2040, it's estimated that nearly all will be gone. The narrator shares personal experiences of interviewing two veterans, Wilbur Grisham, who served as a medic in the Pacific theater, and Marvin Blakeman, who fought in the European theater, including at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. The paragraph also introduces the work of the 'Memoirs of World War II' channel, which aims to interview and honor the remaining WWII veterans, capturing their personal and often untold stories.
🚩 Honoring WWII Veterans: The Emotional Impact of Their Stories
The final paragraph focuses on the emotional weight and the personal connection that comes with hearing the firsthand accounts of WWII veterans. It describes the different types of veterans interviewed based on their willingness to share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings about the war. The paragraph also recounts a powerful moment where a veteran shares a deeply emotional story about losing his best friend in combat. The narrator emphasizes the importance of preserving these stories for future generations and the gratitude felt by the veterans and their families when their stories are documented and honored. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to support the 'Memoirs of World War II' channel and a shout-out to the narrator's Patreon supporters.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡American Civil War
💡World War II
💡Veteran
💡Intelligence and Reconnaissance
💡The Holocaust
💡Normandy
💡Battle of the Bulge
💡Pacific Theater
💡European Theater
💡Memoirs of World War II
💡Patreon
Highlights
Albert Woolsen, the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove his service, was born in 1850 and served as a drummer boy at 14.
The footage of Albert Woolsen was filmed in 1956 by a TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota, shortly before his death.
The importance of documenting World War II veterans' experiences for historical impact, similar to the significance of speaking with veterans from earlier wars.
World War II, the deadliest war in history, ended nearly 80 years ago, and the day the narrator was born was closer to it than the present day.
Around 70 million people fought in World War II, and less than 75,000 are still alive today.
The urgency to document the experiences of World War II veterans before their memories and lives are lost.
Wilbur Grisham's service as a medic in the Pacific theater, dealing with the aftermath of bomb explosions.
Marvin Blakeman's experiences in the European theater, including the Battle of the Bulge and the harsh cold that left a lasting memory.
The Japanese military's use of fear and violence to control towns and populations during the war.
The narrator's personal connection to World War II veterans and the emotional impact of their stories.
The Memoirs of World War II channel's mission to interview and honor the remaining World War II veterans.
The different types of veterans interviewed: those who tell facts, those who share thoughts, and those who express feelings.
The emotional release and connection when veterans share their stories for the first time in decades.
The profound experience of showing a veteran the video of his interview and his emotional reaction to it.
The importance of understanding the personal stories behind war, beyond the scope of video games and history books.
The responsibility to keep the memory of The Greatest Generation alive for future generations.
Transcripts
This is Albert Woolsen, the last surviving American Civil War veteran,
at least…the last surviving American Civil War veteran who could prove that
he actually fought in that war. He was born in 1850. In 1864, at the age of 14,
he became a drummer boy for the Union Army. Oh, by the way, this footage that you are watching of
him? A TV station in Saint Paul, Minnesota filmed it in 1956, shortly before he died.
imagine if you were able to talk with someone from the Revolutionary War or the Civil War
how impactful would that be and we have the opportunity right now with World War II veterans
to have that experience and to document that experience in a way that is going to be very
impactful because unfortunately back then when it comes to the Revolutionary War we didn't have
the technological means of capturing interviews like that I'm Mr beat World War II the biggest
and deadliest war in human history ended nearly 80 years ago the day I was born was closer to it than
the present day man I'm old but you know who's older these three dudes who were all born the year
after World War II ended often we learn history directly from those who experienced it firsthand
but the vast majority of folks who experienced World War II firsthand are now dead around
70 million people fought in World War II less than 75,000 of them are still around today some
people don't even realize that there are still some around left when I tell people that I'm
out doing interviews with World War II veterans they appreciate it do you ever play the game of
what if in your life what if this happened what if that happened what if those men had arrived on the
correct date we would have been in the Filipino is for the Baton Death March that was something I'm
glad I missed it was a good life uh sometimes I think that uh uh maybe we were getting too
complacent in those days and uh we didn't realize what was happening was going to be a serious as it
was when it happened if we're talking about World War II you know the youngest World War II veterans
today are in their late 9s unit I was trained in was uh called the INR platoon that means uh
intelligence and reconnaissance and it was our job to U learn how to read maps and how to uh
go on patrols without being seen without being noticed hopefully the idea was to spot the enemy
see what they were doing they really learn the country I was an 18-year-old kid in high school
and it it didn't really register with me what was going on we heard some about it we didn't have
TV and radio like you have now based on current estimates nearly all of them will be dead by the
year 2040 15 years is is a projection of how long we have until all the World War II veterans are
actually gone but uh if you consider the number of them that are living still but unfortunately
unable to recall their experience during the war then that number you know drops even lower I was
extremely fortunate to spend some time with two of them Wilbur Grisham served as a medic in the
Pacific theater of the war have you ever seen the dismembered body parts missing that's what we had
depending on how close they were to the center of the bomb explosion we had individuals that had
legs off and arms off and you had just parts of a body that was hard my duty was to get the dog tag
out get the man's name get it on a piece of paper and move the body on and take care of the next to
him that was rather hard to see Marvin blakeman served with the 83rd Infantry Division in the
European theater of the war he landed at Normandy and saw combat as he marched through France
eventually fighting in the Battle of the Bulge the thing that I remember most about the Battle of the
Bulge was the cold I thought it was never going to get warm again in my life I thought the world was
going to blow up being cold that cold was just embedded in my mind ever since the Japanese at
that time to us were bad people they did not have as many men available as we did so they
ruled with the bayonet they would control a town or an area by taking a few people out and killing
right in front of the rest of the inhabitants of the area and say if you don't do what we
tell you we'll do the same to you and they would do that each island that they landed on and took
over that's how they controlled them we went into the Eds and here things were beginning
to really get sticky because we were getting in Small Arms fire which means that the enemy was
uh just on the other side of a hedge or two they were firing at us some of these places had little
opening the hedro didn't come all the way I was looking over hedro that night and
was almost getting dark and uh I saw I saw a little movement going from the one one of
the Hedge RS to the other hedge RS it was obviously uh someone was crawling
along the field there we were close enough we could speak to each other if we wanted to I
also was extremely fortunate to spend the day with Hudson who works with the channel memoir
of World War II we are against time here there's only a few of them left and they're going away
quickly and without their messages we'll forget there are people who forget that the Holocaust
actually happened some people haven't even heard of the Holocaust there's a lot of lessons that you
can learn from these veterans the folks at Memoirs of World War II travel to as many places as they
can to interview and honor the few surviving World War II veterans left these veterans have not only
important stories to share but fascinating stories and because they are personal stories
they capture what history books often can't I've seen stuff that a kid shouldn't [Music]
see that was bad and the videos are incredibly well produced the channel is a gym check it out
I started to recognize that the World War II veterans were passing away quickly and
if I was going to have an opportunity to talk with them now would be the time to
do it that's Heather and Josh they started the channel back in 2017 and you know I would watch
series like B of brothers and I loved that every episode started with an interview with the actual
guys from Easy company that intrigued me a lot and so I always thought you know man it'd be so
cool to go and talk to one of these guys Heather and Josh told me that there are often three types
of World War II veterans they interview I do I think I feel the I do veterans just prefer to
tell you exactly what they did during the War I think vets not only tell you what they did but
they tell you what they thought about what they did I feel vets as you probably guessed already
also tell you what they felt about what they did they became closer bonded we we were just
happy with each other and it was a good feeling feeling of togetherness just Brotherhood uh as
you were just content with each other I was so proud of them and so proud to have been a part
of it I would connect with ones that would say I feel you know so much like emotion in it and you
could get more information because they were there I remember the first time we had a war
War II veteran that told us this is the first time I'm telling anyone this in 75 years and
they were telling Josh who they just met you know minutes before they brought in a fellow
who had been hit and he was screaming morphine and the Medics just call me told him well he's
sorry but he's all out of morphine we already used it all up I'll never forget that moment as
soon as those guys jumped out and got behind the no he quickly turned the Jeep around and started
to go forward and he ran over a anti-tank line was just B the bits right there in the driver's
side he got the worst of it was killed immediately and I said where's TR I said who he's dead and it
just it struck me like a bullet my best friend gone like that all my breath was gone everything
was gone and I just stood there and just wept I don't know for how long but uh we had we had
lost our best man and uh and he was doing it in line of duty and he saved three lives and
I I think he was uh dutifully decorated for that can you describe to me what you were feeling and
do you recall when the war ended I was in Camp Carson Colorado and you could hear the Roar of
people yelling it's over Suddenly It's Over we've been under a certain stress for so long and all
a sudden it stopped it's over we had the privilege of going to their home and showing them the edit
before we releas which is terrifying I go to his house uh to show him the completed video
that was amazing to just sit there and watch him react to it after the video is done he
stands straight up and he salutes Josh and he's crying and he's just like those were the worst
days of my life but looking back they were the best days of my life and you Capt caped
that for me and just to have that honor like a World War II veteran honor it was just so
rewarding these kids are playing video games and they're just shooting people and they're
not thinking about like what was that person's story and I think in war realizing you're not
just out there playing a game there are stories and there's a connection you know it's kind of
crazy how we are the last people to hear their stories in person and how truly lucky we are
to get this amazing footage of them in 4K The Greatest Generation will soon be gone,
but it’s up to us to keep their memory alive for generations to come.
Thanks to Hudson and everyone at the channel Memoirs of WWII for letting me collaborate
with them. Be sure to check out their channel and subscribe. And it’s now time for my monthly
(or semi-monthly) shout out to all my Patreon supporters who donate at least $15 or more each
month to my channel. Starting with my biggest donors, thank you to Alicia Solberg, Alvino V,
Andrew B., Anthony Beckett, Austin Siros, Brady Bardwell, Corey Rieman, Dr. Paul J. Lilly,
emptymachine, Jeremy Dunham, Jesus Carrillo, Joe Cook, Michael Cortez, Michael Olszewski,
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and Zachary F. Parker. Thanks to ALL my Patreon supporters, and thank YOU for watching.
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