D-Day Invasion June 6th 1944

It was 68 years ago today that 160,000 Allied troops landed on the French Coastline of Normandy to fight Nazi Germany. There were more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft sent in to support the invasion. By the end of the day the Allies gained a foothold in Normandy.

Unfortunately over 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded. There were still over 100,000 soldiers that began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler.

Take a moment today and think about what it would have been like to have been one of those soldiers entering the beaches in the water trying to get ashore with bullets and grenades going off and coming at you.

Being overwhelmed with the fear of drowning or being shot. What a horrendous plight but yet it needed to be done. Think about how different our lives would be right now if the Nazis had prevailed.

Just some food for thought.

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
George Orwell

Thank you, Paven, for the reminder to us all...

My Uncle was in the first wave to hit the beach, and something that is very unusual for most vets, he talked openly about his experiences that day and the weeks to follow...

He was one of the very few on the first wave to survive...

His stories of that day, of his comrades, the days and nights on that beach are horrendous to imagine, and yet when he tells those stories, you are right there with him on the beach...

We should never forget the veterans who gave their lives for this country...

He shaped who I am to this day...

" Let each politician, who raves of the glory of war, put down their flags and banners and microphones, and march to the sound of the drums...
Let them march past the bodies of friends and family, past the homes and churches and farm lands burned to the ground, the stench of death in the air, the stench of dispair and hopelessness abound...
Let all of this they see true; and we would not ever see another war..."

I am paraphrasing a speech I made on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, 22 July 1975