For the last week or so, I’ve taken a look back in time; reading and watching documentaries about the D-Day beach landing on June 6th, 1944.
War is never a beautiful thing. It simply changes its appearances and tactics over time. Somewhere between the barbaric hords of ancient clashes and modern-day joystick warfare, was the D-Day invasion of Omaha Beach.
I think it’s important to look at a few factors surrounding the people who survived that day; the amount of suffering, trauma and pain they endured was horrific beyond words.
The average age of U.S. soldiers was 21; most Germans were under the age of 18…
Today, soldiers fight from behind the walls of air-conditioned concrete bunkers, piloting drones that keep a safe distance between the target and the pilot. On D-Day, the fight was much different.
Higgens boats (shown below) would carry soldiers, packed in like sardines, to the beachfront. The only protection offered to the soliders inside was found behind the 4inch thick steel door at the front of the boat.
On the morning of D-Day, soldiers were given a huge breakfast of eggs, sausage and bacon. It would have been better if they were given hardtack, one soldier lamented in an interview…Every soldier got seasick the morning of D-Day. Take a look at the Higgens boat again, and imagine the scene it must have been.
The boat plows through the water before reaching the beach.
Drums? No. That’s the sound of machine gun bullets hitting the metal door – the only thing standing between the soldiers inside. The door drops and the sound of drums is replaced by the splatting sound of bullets and human flesh.
The men at the back of the boat watch in horror as the men in the front begin to fall like bowling pins…before it’s their turn to fall.
This was D-Day.
Some men never made it to the beach, because their boats were capsized; sending the men sinking to the ocean with 60 pounds of gear strapped to their chest.
Other men watched in horror as their boats bumped into one of many telephone poles sticking out of the water. Why? Because, perched at the very top was a landmine, ready to fall into their boat and explode.
What these men went through on that day was nothing short of hell.
As the veterans who survived that day fall into a small number of inhabitants on this earth, I think it’s important that we stop and remember the sacrifice they made on that day; not just on memorial/veterans day, but every day.
Recently, I stopped to thank a veteran for his service. His response shocked me. He looked me straight in the eye and said:
“You were worth it.”
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