THE GREATEST GENERATION

Omaha Beach * Normandy, France * June 6, 1944

Today, June 6th, is the anniversary of D-DAY.

On this day in 1944, the Allied troops landed on the beaches to invade Normandy, France in order to begin the liberation of German-occupied northwestern Europe from Nazi control.

D-DAY is the military term used for the day that the combat attack or operation is to be initiated.  There have been many D-DAYs before June 6, 1944 and many after.  But this is by far the most widely recognized D-DAY in history.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke

This statement was made almost 200 years before World War 2, where we saw (or most of us, just read about it) evil rise up.  It's been said that if you don't STAND for something, you'll fall for anything.  

BUT.....good men didn't sit still.

Many good men and women of our country and other countries stood up to take on evil.

What was it that caused them to do this?  Here are a few thoughts:

• Love and Honor of Country
• That generation loved their country 
• I can only imagine how scared the troops were who were the first to land at Normandy not knowing if they would come home, but still they pressed forward
• Honored to Serve
• This, along with the Love of Country, had many running to volunteer to serve.  It's been said that some boys, who were too young to enlist, would use fake IDs to appear older, so they could serve their country.
• Their Fellow Man
• I read recently about an American soldier who, on his first night in the war, spent it in a foxhole singing Christmas carols to comfort a despondent fellow soldier

So today, we salute THE GREATEST GENERATION.  THANK YOU for your patriotism and your service for your fellow man.  It is because of your sacrifice 70+ years ago that we are truly the LAND OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE.

"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it."  Edmund Burke

NEVER FORGET.