And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, Editor Emeritus

... that newspapers late last week were filled with conjecture as to whether or not the latest Japanese premiere would once again apologize for starting WWII. The interest came around the 70th anniversary of the virtual end of that war, VJ Day (Victory over Japan) August 15, 1945, when Japan unofficially surrendered.
The memory of that day (I was 11) that stands out for me was riding my bicycle half a block east to where some neighbor kids were gathered, and informing them, since they had not heard that quickly. I was the new kid on the block, having moved in just a few months earlier, and I am not sure they believed me at first.
Now, the day is a reminder for me that that was the last war the United States of America won. Since then, we have either tied or lost wars, and it appears we are about to lose the war against radical Islam here and now.
VE Day (Victory in Europe) May 8 of that year, to the best of my memory, was not as wildly celebrated. Perhaps because victory seemed assured and Germany had surrendered the day before.
Historians seem agreed that even after the destruction of Hiroshima, Japan’s leaders seemed intent on continuing to wage war. It wasn’t until the bomb destroyed Nagasaki three days later, August 9, that the emperor agreed the war was lost, but still with lots of opposition from the military.
Perhaps VJ Day meant more because there had been estimates that hundreds of thousands of lives would have been lost on both sides if a land invasion of Japan had been necessary. Official surrender didn’t come until September 2.
Speaking of surrender, as a long-time, long-suffering fan of the Chicago Cubs, it’s about this time of the year, or a little earlier some years, that “wait until next year” becomes the mantra. This year, the Cubs might actually get a “wild card” entry to postseason play. One day recently they were 19 games above .500 and had a nine game winning streak. I am not able to watch them on TV this year for the first time ever, but Sunday they were on a station I could watch, and they lost!
Maybe I am the jinx?
But I can’t help but think of Cub fans my age or older who, approaching life’s end, have expressed the wish just to live long enough to see the Cubs in a World Series.
I suppose it had to happen.
I saw a video in which a guy was flying a small drone in a private demonstration of how clearly the drone camera could show terrain, when suddenly an eagle came flying right at the drone, with talons out, and wrecked it. The eagle, we were told, flew away apparently none the worse for wear.
Perhaps wondering about a future with inedible plastic birds!