Dare we ever forget!

"Everyone knew this battle was coming. It was just a matter of when and exactly where the invasion would take place." 

It was 72 years ago today. It was the turning point in the war in Europe. Of all the important battles that tool place in the European Theater or in the Pacific, this one really stands out. How big of an operation was D-Day? The planning started in 1943. And it was not until Tuesday, June 6th, 1944 when Operation Overlord finally came to fruition.

Most of the young men who took place in this great battle were only slightly older than kids. Young men, far from home, standing on the edge of history. Most everyone knew what was waiting for them on the beach. It was not only the allies who started preparing for this great battle long in advance. The Germans were dug in like nobody's business. Everyone knew this battle was coming. It was just a matter of when and exactly where the invasion would take place. 

I am not a big Hollywood guy, but Spielberg in this movie Saving Private Ryan really captured the mayhem, the horror, the bravery of that battle. What many don't realize is simply this - if we had failed in that invasion at Normandy, if Germany won the day and inflected devastating losses on the Allies, the outcome of World War II might have been very different.

Sometimes historical events are no more than a game of inches. In other words, if D-Day had failed, the war would have lasted longer. And Germany was quickly developing their jet and rocket technologies. In addition, they also had an interest in developing an atomic bomb. To make a long story short, time was more on their side than ours. 

But the young men who were on those landing crafts had no idea of that. I suspect many did not understand how big, how major, how decisive of a battle they were about to fight. All they did know was this - they were scared. But as scared as they were, that did not deter them from wading into a maelstrom of Nazi bullets once the doors of the landing craft opened.

This is only a small part of our Greatest Generation. Young, brave, and scared. And yet, heroes all. We owe these young men so much. Those men who gave all, to them we owe all. Thank you young soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice. And thank you for our freedoms.