May 30, 2004 By Josh Krysak 4 min read

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With a light breeze sweeping across a sea of World War II veterans, the generation that gave more than 400,000 soldiers for the nation’s freedom looked on quietly. But after the dedication of the National World War II Memorial on Saturday, the veterans began to assess the event and talk about the tribute that culminated with the ceremony, “Tribute to a Generation.”

“It was wonderful, and I wouldn’t have missed it,” said John Burns, a 78-year-old veteran from Uniontown. “It was worth the trip and the wait.”

Tens of thousands gathered Saturday to memorialize the 16 million American soldiers who served in the war and the 144 million men, women and children who joined the war effort at home.

“You were the join-up generation,” said NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw, who labeled those of the World War II era as the greatest generation. “It falls to succeeding generations to fulfill our duty to carry on your noble mission.”

That mission was further explained by World War II Memorial spokesman and Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks.

“Every day they asked themselves, ‘What can I do?’ and every day they answered themselves,” Hanks said, noting that the World War II generation answered the fundamental questions asked in the national anthem.

“True humanity can only be determined by deed, sacrifice and mercy,” Hanks said. “Our flag still flies, we do come from the land of the free and America is the home of the brave.”

And President George W. Bush told the veterans that without their sacrifices and selflessness, the United States would not have made the worldwide strides for freedom that it has.

“They gave the best years of their lives to the greatest mission the country has ever accepted,” Bush said. “America will not forget them.”

Before the main speakers, which also featured former U.S. senator and World War II veteran Bob Dole, the ceremony included a live service broadcast at the site from the Washington National Cathedral, during which former President George H.W. Bush spoke about the sacrifice of the nation during the war.

“The passage of time makes it easy to forget that the ’30s and ’40s were decades of great sacrifice,” Bush said.

Swing dancing and period music, as well as video history of the major events of the war broadcast on giant video screens dotting the field, followed the service.

The burgeoning crowd, most of their faces stoic with the somber reality of the occasion, broke into happy chatter and bursts of laughter watching swing dancers perform the dance moves of their day.

Bill Brant smiled and chuckled too when the swing dancers tossed women over their shoulders during the live routine.

“Oh, I danced,” the 77-year-old Uniontown man said. “Everyone did. See. See those old folks over there jitterbugging? People must think we were crazy. But it was only yesterday that was us dancing. Time goes in the blink of an eye.”

Security was tight at the dedication. Helicopters hovered over the scene, and Secret Service agents and mounted police patrolled the massive crowd. Those who attended the dedication had to endure long lines, rigorous security and long walks, with most in attendance over age 75.

Bottled water was available for free across the dedication area, and more than 300 portable toilets were trucked in to accommodate the massive crowd, one of the largest gatherings of veterans in history.

Later during the ceremony, with thousands of miniature American flags raised to the blue sky, the throng sang a medley of American theme songs, watching themselves on jumbo television screens.

The ceremony was broadcast live to other sites across the country gathered to celebrate the new memorial, including Modesto, Calif., Memphis, Tenn., Milwaukee, Wis., Phoenix and the USS New Jersey, docked along the Delaware River.

After the final pilgrimage and the hundreds of thousands waited in the hot sunshine to board buses to staging areas, some feeling the effects of the long day and needing medical attention, the veterans and their families sensed a completion to something that was started 60 years ago and remembered the good times.

“It was a hard time,” said Point Marion resident Eva Sandor, whose husband, Michael, served in the war. “You look back and don’t think of the hard times. We were all in the same boat, but this is what was long overdue. The memorial is finally done.”