You write your War, we write ours, unless you would like us to take a guess at how it was for yours and call it History.

Thanpart thank you for so eloquently pointing out the errors of the nay sayers. I think one thing tht is refereshing about the Burns film isit not all the glory and guts tht has been fed in the past. He gets to the heart of how this war it affected ordinary people in differnt ways.

I brought home to memories of stoires my mother and father used to tell us. My father had to regiser but did not fight in WW2. Healready had a fmaily of five, I was not born until after the war. MY parents had already been thourgh the depression lost and bought back their farm, things were going well, then America entered the war. I heard many stories of rationing: waiting 2 years for a new sewing machine, not being able to get canned foods, shortage of flour, having to make sure nylons did not rip as mother could not not get new stockings,not being able to replace thier 38 Ford until well after the war. Anyone wo has ever lived wiht depression era and WW2 era parents have heard theses storeis of common sacrifice. My motehr till teh day she died save every ice of aluminum foil,plastic bag, etc and used the more than once.

I think the lessons of this commn sacrifice could be applied to others issues in our country today. Especially the envirnnment and over consumption. Just think if we all made a common sacrifice, not to drive large gas guzing vehicles, we all used less water and elctricity, we consumed fewer goods, what if we never bought anything unless we had the cash to pay for it.

Ken Burns produces such good work that for me, his ability to frame such complex events is simply second to none. The people he films, the narration and the background music bring such a real sense of what happened, regardless of whether its about this war, the Civil War, baseball or whatever he chooses to explore. The part that is most telling for me is the openess he leaves with the audience. I know that what he has presented is not the complete story. There is never the sense of completness. That's alright though. The complexity of the story and his ability to interweave all the elements is truly a gift. Thank you Ken Burns

Just don't want to at this point.

Interesting letters, so many of you, though; thanks.

I did want to recommend Studs Terkel's oral history of World War II, 'The "Good" War'. It is incredibly fascinating.

Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind.

John F. Kennedy.

because it sounds to me like the version of World War II as I've heard it told from actual veterans in my life ... including bits where they acknowledge that the American troops were no angels and killed POWs and civilians all over the French coast.

It does not particularly sound like World War II as Re-imagined by Chickenhawks who Want to Glorify Themselves by Association.

Which is what a lot of the WWII stuff in Hollywood and on the History Channel is like.

I think that's why it *had* to focus on the US experience of The War. An attempt to be comprehensive would have allowed us to ignore a lot of the details - the troops abandoned at Bataan (I had a friend who was in the Death March) the secrecy, the killing of 40,000 civilians in Hamburg simply because the bombadiers didn't have very good aim and just bombed everything.

1. One my consider the juxtaposition of divergent elements (carnage/feel-good jazzy sax melody) as enhancing the impact of the images of carnage. Personally, I wonder about your capacity to recognize a feel-good melody as opposed to a minor-key melody).

2. It is your choice to compare Mr. Burns' documentary with contemporary issues like Iraq. I don't believe that is his responsibility.

3. I think an intelligent viewer can use his brain to reconcile the experiences you listed. Maybe you should give the other two hour episodes a chance (you do know there's more, right?)

4. You may find the documentary to be too scattered, but it was a multi-front war that impacted millions of people. I regret that you aren't capable of keeping it all straight but imagine trying to keep it all straight living in Mobile circa 1942, thousands of workers pouring in, your son just got shipped off to the Pacific and your nephew is about to head to Anzio and your neighbor just told you about the new rationing program everybody is expected to follow. You see, history isn't always so simple. You know, the season premiere of "House" is on tonight, maybe that will be easier for you to watch.

5. The viewer may be entitled to be "rosy about the future"--of WWII at least--since the Allies end up defeating the Axis. No follow-up? Maybe you haven't seen both nights. There are comparisons between the American bombing strategy and the British one, casualty rates for the bomber crews, the number of civilians killed, the psychological impact on the German population and on and on. Are you sure you are watching the Ken Burns documentary?

6. There is nothing remarkable about the four cities except that they typify "Anytown, USA"--that you require this to be explained to you leads me to wonder how you even know about PBS.

7. It is a shame that you have to keep pulling Iraq into this. I mean to say that you can filter the documentary anyway you choose--but don't demand the same perspective from Mr. Burns. I think, like many documentarians, he presents the history and the viewer is left to digest the info however they'd like to. Do you not trust your own response that you have to have it validated by Mr. Burns?

8. My eyes are open about the current criminal present, thank you very much.