Thinking ahead to June 6th:
As I grow older I find myself thinking more and more about
the men who helped make our freedom and very existence possible, allowing any
successes that we as Americans have achieved, to be a reality. This probably sounds really corny to a 17 or
18 year old today but it was guys just like them that I give thanks to every
June 6th. Many were just out
of High School as they waded ashore on the 5 beaches of Normandy at Utah, Omaha,
Gold, Sword and Juno beaches. Through a hail
storm of bullets that rained down on them from the cliffs. Bullets that killed
one out of every twenty men among them, yet they kept coming ashore wave after
wave wading through the bodies of their fellow soldiers. Any man or woman that faces combat has to put
their fear aside and keep fighting on.
These men were the bravest of the brave, fact is, most injured or killed
in combat never see it coming these guys not only could see the carnage around
them, they had to carry 70lbs of gear and wade many times neck deep knowing if
they fell they would likely drown, walking into an inferno of Hell on the
beach. Once there they had to run 100
yards to the edge of the cliffs through soft sand before finding any type of
cover. Your natural instinct would be to
stop and help a wounded comrade on the sand but those that did usually were
soon casualties themselves. Many when
they finally fell panting to the ground under the cliffs found their Command Staff
never made it and now a Sgt. Or even a Corporal was in charge of their unit. Hundreds of Sailors made trip after trip in
their landing craft to the beach with artillery exploding other boats all
around them. I know this sounds over
dramatic to many but it is all true and the history has been written. We owe the thousands who made that little
romp to the beach our freedom and that cannot be disputed. War is Hell where ever it is fought but June
6th was the Grand Daddy of all battles.
These men were truly part of the Greatest Generation and I
can only salute their memory as so few are still with us. I just pray that when needed another
generation of heroes will stand just as tall and protect our great Country just as bravely
as our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen did in World War II. God Bless these brave men and God Bless
America.
