'The War' long overdue

Baby boomers who grew up on grainy black-and-white movies of World War II probably recognize many of the images from the new Ken Burns film that started on PBS Sunday night, but with a new perspective.

It's not the sanitized war of the popular films of their youths, nor the anti-war picture of the Vietnam era. It's just "The War."

The series will be broadcast at various times for the next week and a half, and it's worth the effort of watching, or at least having your son or daughter set your VHS or digital recorder to capture.

It should be required viewing for anyone who lived it, anyone who heard stories about it, or, especially, anyone who hasn't heard much about World War II. The project was long overdue, with 1,000 World War II veterans dying each day.

As producer Ken Burns lamented, a majority of students thought the United States fought alongside German against the Russians in World War II.

"The War" should help rectify that misconception, if only enough viewers can be persuaded to tune in to PBS.

It's especially appropriate for McCook residents to think about history this week, leading up to Heritage Days, which includes the McCook Army Airbase Reunion.

The effects World War II had on our world, our nation, our state and community, cannot be overstated.

Perhaps there'll be time to find out more as we sit down for a soda or cup of coffee with someone who has first-hand knowledge of "The War."