Two years ago, the state of Minnesota did something long overdue. In a one-day celebration on the grounds of the state Capitol, Minnesota welcomed home, honored and thanked its World War II veterans in a dedication ceremony of the WWII memorial.

I was covering the event for the Litchfield Independent Review. I had traveled with a bus of Meeker County veterans and their spouses to attend the ceremony. My mom also came bringing with her my grandfather, a WWII Army veteran who served in the European campaign. It was an enlightening day for me to listen to the veterans share their stories and recall a similar theme: "We did what we had to do."

For a generation that was raised during the Great Depression and came of age during the war, that's how they see it. Men and women went to war because it was their duty to defend their country and those who stayed behind on the home front sacrificed and saved for the best of the country.  Everyone did their part. There was little question of right or wrong but an overall community spirit to do "what we had to do." 

The Minnesota History Center is currently displaying its Minnesota Greatest Generation exhibit, which honors our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. My mom and I went to see the exhibit earlier this month and we were not disappointed. The artifacts gathered from 1930s, 1940s and 1950s tell a story that I've only heard in words. 

The most moving part of the experience was a 7-minute show we watched in the belly of a recreated airplane. At first, my mom and I debated skipping the show as the line was waiting over 20 minutes. But we decided to wait and it was well worth it. Hearing the voices of the veterans in that recreated aircraft flying over Europe on D-Day brings to life that moment in time better than any movie, any story, any written document. It was a deep reminder of the sacrifice our soldiers and their loved ones at home made because it was something "we had to do." No questions asked. A matter of duty.

Some people of that era balk at being called the "Greatest Generation," but I find it a fitting name. Today, soldiers still go off to war and their families still sacrifice a great deal by their loss, but it is an individual sacrifice, not a community sacrifice.

When I look to my grandparents, I see in them that greatness is still possible, sacrifice is can still be present and duty has not totally disappeared from our society - if only we reach out to one another and do "what we ha[ve] to do." That is the lesson I hope to take away from the Greatest Generation.