I remember 1989

The Empereor Hirihito, used as a sock puppet by the Japanese nationalists during the Second World War, died in January, closing the book on another chapter of that wars' legacy.  How were we to know how much more of that war's legacy, the power of the Soviet Bloc, would also fall that year?

The first amazing even was the legalization of Solidarity in Poland in January and the last was that nation's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact in December.

In between, Czechoslovakia and Hungry would bring their Communist Dictatorships to a peaceful end.  Romania would line its dictator and his wife against the wall and have them shot.  East Germans would begin traveling through those countries as they fled for the West.  In September we would see Berlin Wall fall to the ground.

By the time summer came around, the momentum of events seemed unstoppable.  I stopped expecting to see Soviet tanks surge again across Eastern Europe.  Breaking News Alerts became moments of anticipation, not dread.  Mom was never that fond of the television, but she let me watch an unlimited amount of news, especially that year.

The conflict that had dominated my childhood and hers was coming to an end.

On June 3rd of that year, however, it became obvious that the course of the two major Communist powers would diverge.  In the west, people would overcome power.  In the east, tanks would grind the movement the bones of students into the ground.

Grandma Nadine was visiting.  I was awaiting my sixteenth birthday.  The regular broadcasting schedule was interrupted.  Anticipation rose as news reporters reported on being sequestered to hotels and then fell as, even removed at a distance, tanks could be seen.  They were followed by smoke and "unconfirmed reports."  In the days and weeks to come, pictures would begin to be smuggled out.


The Tiananmen protest had met a bloody end.

I remember.

I will continue to remember.