During the war, did you ever think or talk about what you were doing as something that made a difference?
Oh, we talked about it amongst us. I think that’s the one thing that kind of hurt me. When we got home, people didn’t pay any attention. Oh, well, you’re home, glad to see you made it, fine, goodbye, and that’s it. I was so damn mad when my dad bought that house down there (in Elk Creek) for us. We couldn’t get the renter out of the damn thing. I had to threaten him to get him to move. He didn’t give a damn about me or anything else or what I’d done.
So there wasn’t any big welcome home for the veterans?
No, hell the only welcome home you got was from your own family and friends. Well, you gotta stop and remember how many million of us came home.
You were a local hero, you had a silver star and bronze star and purple hearts.
Hell 99% of the people didn’t even know it or could care less.
They had your picture in the window at Brandeis Department Store in Omaha.
Yeah, that was during the war when they were trying to get people to buy bonds that they were doing that. After it was over, there was none of that.
If you look back at all the things you’ve done in your life and all the things you thought were important, is this one of the top things or the top thing?
I believe so. Of course, now there aren’t very many of us left. So you did a terrific thing, but as time goes on, you wonder whether it was worth the effort after Korea and Viet Nam and now Iraq. You wonder, well did we really do what we thought we did or not?
Because at the time you thought this would be the last time anybody would have to do this?
Well, yeah, that was the thinking. I’m sure it was the same after World War I -- you know, that was ‘the war to end all wars.’ Well, World War II came along, and that was the same thing, and look at what’s happened since. But clear back in history you find this happens all the time.
Lawrence Chittenden, My Father's War
