June 6, 1944

I had intended to write a tribute to the brave men who fought for us on that day.

Others have done so. Masterfully. Here are but a handful, but I'd suggest you go read them all. When you do, click through and follow all the links which they've provided.

This could take you all day, but you'll learn a lot, and it will be worth it.

After all, for all those who died there, June 6th, 1944, wasn't just all day.

It was the rest of their lives.

Blackfive has a huge list of links. Go there first, because it's the best. Thank you, Matt for such a wonderful compilation. And thank you too sir, for your service. God bless you.

Kim DuToit gives us a unique perspective and a speech not to be missed. From a man who we already miss terribly. Thanks also Kim, for reminding us with photos, of how it was before the P.C. days of pussified men.

Lexxiblog has President Reagan's entire 40th anniversary speech. And more.

Serenity provides a roll-call of accounts from those who were there on that fateful day. Incredibly powerful and moving. Required reading for anyone lacking an appreciation for what those brave souls gave for our sakes.

When you read Sgt. Hook's tribute to the heroes of D-Day, take a moment also, and thank him for serving us all from the front lines in Afghanistan. God bless you, Sergeant.

It would be quite impossible for any of us, ever, to pay proper tribute to those who fought on those beaches. Thousands died, and many more thousands suffered all manner of injuries. Most came home, but none...absolutely none, came back the same.

We can never repay that debt, but we can honor it by ensuring that their sacrafices were not in vain.

And they will not be in vain, so long as we prevail over the evil of a seventh-century creed of ignorance, brutality and oppression, just as those incredible soldiers crushed the unspeakable evil of Nazisim.

Let us pray that we have but a fraction of their courage and resolve.

Comments

[Guy S.]

Your words ring true. I hope we and our President have the resolve to follow through on this noble cause we have taken on.

[Mollbot]

It's not much - pitifully little, honestly, but I added my bit as well.

[Steffan]

There's a book you might want to read, though you may have already seen the movie:

"The Longest Day" by Cornelius Ryan.

It was written in 1959, when most of the people who survived were still alive (who woulda thunk that one of the greatest air aces who ever lived became a brewery manager?), *and* he had access to the records, including the war diaries, of both sides.

I thoroughly recommend it -- it has details that would have made the movie 20 hours long.