War Bonds. Why We Do It.

June 17, 2019

Thank You Very Much

Dear EBZB Productions:

It is Monday morning, and I'm still thinking about the “War Bonds” play we saw Saturday night at the Pal Theater. It was great, and I have a number of areas of thanks I want to cover with you.

First, thank you for the entertainment you provided. Cheryl and I have become set in a routine that usually involves a TV screen and some sort of snack on Saturday nights. You provided us with an opportunity to get out of the house and do something productive with our minds and bodies. It was refreshing.

Second, thank you for the content of the play. Those who fought in WWII are often referred to as “the greatest generation", and it is a title that they rightly earned. To think that millions of men and women put down their plows and picked up their arms to defend this country after not one, but three nations declared war with us is amazing. I do not feel we can muster that kind of patriotism among our draftable youth today. The sacrifices the men and women made abroad and at home should be presented to this modern generation.

Third, thank you for showing the good, and the bad. I am thankful that although treated as second-class citizens, the African-Americans and the Asian-Americans still picked up arms in defense of this country. Thank you for reminding us that though they fought and died bravely on foreign soils, they didn't have the "right” to enter a restaurant or sit where they wanted here in the country they were defending. I cannot imagine fighting for a country that had my family locked up in an internment camp like criminals as the Asian-American soldiers did. Thankfully, they were willing to put disagreements aside and work together for a worthy cause. We do not see that kind of patriotism today, do we?

Fourth, thank you for giving Cheryl and me a chance to spend quality time with the Albrittons. A.B. is the 98 year-young WWII vet that attended the play. I believe you met him and his wife Marjorie. They rode with us to and from the play. After the play, they double-dated with us as we stopped for DQ Blizzards at a local fast-food. There is a 14-year gap between A.B.'s age and his wife's. There's a 9-year age gap between Cheryl and me. So, as we sat enjoying our treats and discussing the play; we represented four decades that the war touched. One lived and fought through it; one grew up during the time of rationing and separation, and two were offspring of WWII vets.

A.B., Marjorie, Cheryl, and I had a great time discussing the play and the events of the time period the play covered. A.B. is the quiet one. He sits and listens. Marjorie, a former college professor, is the outspoken one. They were both beaming because you took them back in time to a place where happy memories dwell. I heard A.B. speak more in the 45 minutes we sat in that restaurant than I guess I've ever heard him speak in the twenty years I've known him. We laughed, shared, and enjoyed the company, and we have you to thank for that.

Fifth, thank you for coming to Vidalia. Your play was educational, entertaining, thought provoking, enjoyable, and worth much more than the asking price. I know if you'd performed in a larger city like Savannah, you would have had hundreds of people enjoying your performance. Thank you for giving us a chance to see something we (Cheryl and me – "homebodies") would probably have never seen if you only presented in large cities.

On a side note - I hope you were able to obtain some Vidalia onions before you left. Most of the onions you'll find in local grocery stores this time of year are home-grown. If you bought some, and the label has "Stanley Farms”, “M&T Farms", "Herndon Farms”, “Robison Farms", "McLain Farms", or "Durrence Farms"; you bought some produced in this area. (In case the label was none of these, you still may have bought local onions because new farms are “springing up” all the time.) After Cheryl and I dropped the Albrittons off and arrived home, we made ourselves a couple of tomato sandwiches with thick slices of Vidalia onion on them.

Sixth, thank you for the impact you had on our lives. I found myself singing “White Cliffs of Dover” while showering this morning. (Wonder where that came from?) The play left impressions on us. It moved us, motivated us, and drew us into the presentation. I was sitting next to Cheryl when Ms Serena stopped singing “White Christmas" and began reciting the woman's letter to her wounded husband. It was touching. Cheryl was deeply touched with the reality of war when Mr David stated that letter was returned because the husband died from his injuries. She teared up. That scene touched us both. Thank you for putting your "heart” into your performance. It meant so much to us.

Lastly, thank you for the gift of the DVD. I know you must put food on the table and a roof over your heads. There are others in your organization that rely on your revenue. You made a sacrifice for us by giving one of your products to us. That means a lot to us. We got so much from your performance Saturday night just by being there. Then you gave us more by engaging in after-play conversation with us. Finally you topped it off by giving us something to remember our new friends forever. Thank you for this - and all the things mentioned above.

You have new fans, and I shall keep an eye on your website looking for future events that you will bring to cities in our area. I know Cheryl and I would both love to see more of your performances. In the meanwhile, keep doing what you're doing. Don't let this generation forget what that generation did for us.

With deep appreciation,

Glenn Waters

Vidalia, Ga