June 6th, 1944

I happened to be there for the 50th anniversary on business and have some really nice anniversary mementos that recall the invasion. I took time to stand on the beaches looking up at the concrete emplacements and it just sends shivers up your spine. How in hell anyone survived is incredible. Lots of remnants of caissons and ships still there. I actually sat on the same bench portrayed in Saving Private Ryan in the American Cemetery looking out at the rows and rows of white crosses. There were older gents there clearly vets, we all cried, you can't help it. The emotion is overpowering.

Every American needs to experience the raw emotion standing on the beaches and sitting in that bench. I have no doubt there is a reset in each person doing so.

My dad was rear gunner/mechanic on Dauntless Dive Bomber in Pacific in the Ace of Spades squadron. He was in Midway and Marshall Island campaigns and made it through. The survival rate on them not great. He never really talked about it.

We are here because of that generation, PERIOD!


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