War Heroes - Paul Bentley - Bog

War Heroes describes the Tales of Adventure, Adversity and Heroism of veterans from World War II. World War II was perhaps the single greatest tragedy and triumph in all of human history! For most of these veterans, the War was the seminal experience in their lives. Every one of these War Heroes is disgusted by war-by the greed and hunger for power that causes war, and how the lives of our youth are sacrificed to feed this hunger. They are sickened by the devaluation of human life, and the endless suffering that war causes. However, when a true enemy menaced and threatened our existence, these peaceful men stood up and offered their lives for our defense. These men did not fight because of an aggressive nature, but rather because of their honour, their selflessness, and their heroic character. For most of us born after the War, there can be no true appreciation of what our parents and grandparents experienced. While Canadians on the Home Front made a great many sacrifices, and did their best for the War Effort, the real heroes were those men and women who traveled overseas to battle the enemy. At its most basic level, it is contrary to one's survival instincts to put oneself in 'harms way'. But for heroes, such as those in this book, there is a recognition of the need to act unselfishly in the interests of others. It has to be remembered that a hero is not a "fearless" person, but rather someone who acts in spite of his or her fears. All of us enjoying the peace and prosperity over the last sixty-five years owe a great gratitude to these heroes, who 'stood up' for our defense and way of life. Without their heroic fight against the Axis powers, our lives would have been much different. They helped protect the Canadian way of life, and prevented the expansion of a fascist world.