History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme — Mark Twain

It always amazes me to see interviews of people who are clueless of important historical events. Given a multiple choice question of how the name Civil War came about, many picked the answer that the combatants were civilized! Not!

Bringing history to live
Although it is impossible to relive the past, preserving and visiting historical sites lend credence to history lessons. Adventure Cycling (www.adventurecycling.org) routes follow the Underground Railroad or the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Michelin maps guide to WWII battlefields from D-Day beaches to Sainte-Mère Église to the Battle of the Bulge.

Walking up the steep bank of Omaha Beach in Vierville-sur-mer and imagining being fired on by machine-guns and artilleries brought understanding of the bravery and hardship of those young soldiers. Many did not make it.

A visit to a Nazi concentration camp always brought me questions of what should and could have been done. Denial of their existence is not one of them. Mark Terrance, a friend of ACTC member Dennis Uyeno, wrote a book that maps all the concentration camps.
http://www.concentrationcampguide.com

On 60 Minutes, Veteran Ben Skardon, a Bataan death march survivor, described his experience indelible. Historical sites surround us, near and far. It is upon us to learn, to remember, and only let the good history rhymes.

Best,
Tony Le, ACTC President