Is the fight against COVID-19 like a real war?

JORDAN MOSHE

Like soldiers in uniform, healthcare workers man the guns on the frontline, and carry out an arduous campaign against an unrelenting enemy as we rally behind them in spite of our losses.

But if we can draw parallels between the hardships, maybe we can draw hope from the Allied victory of May 1945 for this global medical conflict.

Observed on Friday last week, VE Day, also known as Victory in Europe day, celebrated the 75th anniversary of the official ending of the war and the surrender of the Nazi forces to the Allies. Beyond bringing an end to a six-year conflict, VE Day illustrated that light will eventually shine through the darkness, no matter how tortuous the path to victory may be.

Although VE Day celebrations were muted this year, the experience of those who served in the forces and witnessed that long-awaited victory may just shine the light that we so desperately need.

“I often think about the war,” says Barney Gordon, a 97-year-old ex-serviceman who served with the Allies during World War II. “It was like an adventure for us youngsters who volunteered. What I saw in Europe will forever remain in my mind.”

Gordon signed up towards the end of 1943, enlisting as a wireless operator tasked with managing communications between divisions and command.

“I didn’t have my parents’ permission, I just did it,” says Gordon. “I spent some time in the desert in Egypt before they shipped us off to Italy to join the American Fifth Army.” He would spend almost two years in northern Italy, attached to armoured divisions forming part of an effort to rout the German forces out in an advance heading for Austria.

Says Gordon, “We didn’t see much action until Florence. We moved up the line and were the first troops to relieve the Allied forces in Florence as we chased the Germans, coming up to Bologna in the north.”

“As a wireless operator, I didn’t see much action. They kept us at the back to maintain lines of communication. Our airforce was always overhead and kept busy, but I was always eager to do my part and played my role as best I could.”

Like Gordon, veteran Ivan Sive was also determined to contribute to the war effort against the Nazi regime. An air force pilot, he joined the force after matriculating in 1943, and after eight months of training, qualified as a navigator cum bomber.

“I was posted on transport command,” recalls the 94-year-old veteran. “I spent my time flying between Swartkops and Cairo, transporting supplies and bringing back personnel who had been injured.

“It was no short trip. The plane lasted two hours in the air before it had to be refuelled, so it would typically take us four days to get from Swartkops to Cairo.

“However as long as it took, the thought that I was part of an effort to support and transport our boys was exciting and significant. It was an adventure, and I was involved in an important campaign that lasted until the end of the war.”

Gordon also experienced some difficulty. After being hemmed in by heavy snowfall on the Apennine Mountains, his division moved towards the commune of Tarvisio in early 1945. It was here that Gordon witnessed something which he remembers vividly until today.

“The Americans had pattern-bombed the place in December after having received intelligence that the Germans would be holding a meeting there over Christmas. The area had been flattened, and you could hardly recognise the buildings. Many Italians had been killed, and those who remained weren’t welcoming, to say the least.

“As we passed by, they hurled rocks at us, and shouted at us to leave. They had had enough, and wanted it all to be over. I still remember their faces, hearing them cursing at us. It had been a long war, and the end couldn’t come soon enough.”

Fortunately, the war drew to a close rapidly from there, with Germany capitulating in May 1945. Both Gordon and Sive recall fondly the festivities which marked VE Day.

“Because Germany surrendered, we turned back and didn’t even get to Austria,” laughs Gordon. “We returned to Milan, and held a victory parade on a racetrack outside the city.

“It was over, we were elated, and we wanted to go home. Many of the guys flew back, but I stayed on, befriending quite a few Italians while I waited for the ship to transport us. We shared chocolate, told stories, and I picked up some Italian. I went back to visit them in the seventies, but sadly almost all of them have passed away.”

On the anniversary of the fateful day, both men think back to the men with whom they served, many of whom didn’t come back.

“I think of my colleagues who didn’t come home, and the prisoners of war who were taken,” says Sive. “I think of those men who fought, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that the world could remain free.

“I think of the sacrifices people made, sacrifices many people today don’t fully appreciate. I can’t blame them, but an effort needs to be made to remember wherever we can.”

Sive says that when it comes to any war, there’s always risk involved.

“In 1939, fighting was the only option,” he says. “Victory had to be achieved at all costs.”

“World War II reminds us how vital global co-operation and joint efforts really are. It seems we’ve forgotten the principle of caring about one another. Today, perhaps more than ever, we need to learn from the past and secure a better future by working together towards victory.”