65th Anniversary of The Battle at Normandy (D-Day)

Today is the 65th Anniversary of D-Day landings (the Battle at Normandy) This was probably the greatest showing of selfless sacrifice that has ever been shown by such a large portion of Americans. Kids as young as 16 years old, fought and died on the beach at Normandy so as to advance and defend Democracy.

What were you doing at 16?

On a stretch of land, a beach, only 6 miles wide and 2 miles deep, over 2 million Allied troops, Americans, British, Canadians,and the French, landed and fought relentlessly against an unimaginable threat. What was imaginable (and definitely probable) was the fact that those that left, would not come back. Sons, fathers, uncles, brothers and boyfriends went to a country they had never been to. To fight an enemy they had never met. And to defend a country they had never been a part of.

But they all knew that their cause was just.

They knew that theyre odds of returning was almost impossible. If your boat wasnt destroyed on the ride to the beach, if you hadnt drowned in the 7 foot waves that attacked you when you unloaded, if you hadnt gotten shot in the first 10 feet of arriving on the beach, you certainly werent going to make it up the cliff that you still had to climb as you were getting shot at.

What thoughts could have possibly been running through the minds of these young men? What motivated them to fight for a country they had no affiliation to?

The only answer that I can imagine is that they knew that this cause was greater than they.

That they knew that if one of them died, ten more might live. That if 10 of them died, one hundred might cross the beach. That if a hundred died, thousands might climb the cliff. That if thousands died, generations to come might live in freedom.

It irks me to no end how many people forget the sacrifices that have been made by so many in our past. Today, during the moment of silence, during the playing of taps, people go about their day as if nothing ever happened. I hear a car driving by with it's bass thumping as a show of "little pee-pee syndrome".

It drives me nuts to realize that people bitch and complain about the bad things that happen in the world but never stop to appreciate the good things that happen. How they complain about wars we should not be in but never stop to think about how those wars might affect others. How they complain about the job they have when so many stand in line for hours just to have a chance at one available position at a local grocery store.

Why has our country deteriorated so quickly, when only 65 years ago (the age of many of our grandparents and parents) millions of service members fought for an almost impossible cause?

Why do so many people laugh at how in movies you see a Drill Sergeant yelling at a recruit and say "man, I could never put up with someone yelling in my face".

Why is it "cool" to wear red, white and blue camouflage outfits in the streets. But it isnt cool to wear the right, white and blue for your nation.

Why is it cool to represent your school, city, county or state at a football game, but it isnt cool to represent your country in conflicts abroad?

Why have so many forgotten?

We think that times are hard now. Yet I still see people walking around with their iPhones, Blackberries and Gucci purses. The Veterans of World War II were (are) all babies of the Depression. They knew what it was truly like to not have anything. Maybe that's what it takes....In order to appreciate everything, you have to have nothing.

Thats sad...Is that what its going to take for our generation of Americans to start appreciating the freedoms and lifestyles we enjoy? I sure hope not...

Thousands of World War II Veterans die every day. Today is the 65th Anniversary. By the 70th Anniversary, there will be very little left. Please take some time TODAY (and if you read this in the future, take some time on THAT day) to visit your local VA hospital, your local veterans retirement home and THANK them. For the service they once gave. For the memories only they can keep and understand. Listen to one of their stories, I guarantee you, you will tear up. Imagine how if that one story makes you tear up at listening to it, imagine what they must go through to LIVE with those memories.

Appreciate what you have. Appreciate what they gave.

Take a minute today to remember the sacrifice made by so many...for so few.