Today marks the 65th anniversary of D-Day ... the Normandy Invasion that signaled the impending collapse of Hitler's Reich. More men died that day than all of our soldiers during the entire war in Iraq. America was seen as a liberator, not a conqueror by its own press. Times change.
This is a repost from Veterans Day in 2007.
Sunday, November 11, 2007..Remembering Veterans
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I remember the first time I saw this scene. It was 1965. I was traveling with a buddy of mine to Florida by way of New York. We decided to see the monuments of Washington D.C. and came across the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. As I recall [which may be faulty], as the ceremony was about to begin, the audience was asked to remove their hats. One person ignored that request. The guard making that request, looked directly at the man who ignored it and repeated the request in a firm, controlled manner. Everyone looked at the offender who then complied.I took away two things: 1) the dignity of the young military man leading the ceremony and 2) the ignorance and disrespect that some people have regarding our military.A year later, my buddy enlisted in the Air Force. Two years later, I completed college and then joined.
Military service has always been an honorable and often dangerous duty. My father was a sergeant in the Red Ball Express, a supply group that landed in France a few days after the Normandy Invasion.They were the favorite targets of the Nazi pilots. He rarely talked about it and then only when he remembered something amusing like the shower being bombed before anyone could use it.Today, we have brave young people in our military serving all over the world.We all know someone who has a son or daughter who serves or served in Iraq. A few have died there. We all know their courage and are grateful. I'll sadly take my hat off to them.
