65 Years Since D-Day at Normandy

I will be the first to admit that I don't know my history very well. When I was in school, I just wasn't that interested. Now that I'm older I wish I had paid more attention to things. It seems that the older you get the harder it is to learn and retain new things!

This Saturday marks the 65th anniversary of the invasion on the beach of Normandy during World War II in 1944. Other than a few brief but memorable moments I've seen of this historic event depicted in movies, I must say that I don't know as much about it as I now wish I did. Over time I've grown to have a great respect for those who have and do fight for freedom, who give their time and lives for others. While I was searching online for more information about D-Day, I found all kinds of mentions of different events to commemorate the event - world-wide as well as local - and there were all kinds of interviews and memories from people who lived through the event.

There was one article that really caught my attention though. The article addressed the fact that most of them men and women who were around and lived through D-Day in 1944 were now in their 80s and 90s. It went on to say that "As the World War II generation disappears by the hundreds each day, far fewer first-person accounts will remain for the 70th anniversary to give younger generations a sense of what it was like."

I was speaking with my grandmother the other day and she mentioned a few brief memories from her childhood and it really made me realize what an incredible life she's lived that I can't even begin to imagine. This article makes me realize that my time with her, and my other grandmother, is limited and that I need to take advantage of it while I can. It also makes me realize that we shouldn't take for granted the people who have come before us and the wealth of knowledge and experience they have to offer. Their memories can never be recaptured once they're gone. Both of my grandfathers are gone now, and they both served in the military. I can't honestly say I even know what branch. I wish I had taken the time to find out about their lives, about who they were and what they had lived through.

This Saturday I honor them both, their memories of the men they were before I was born and the men that I knew and loved. If you can, don't miss out on an opportunity to spend time with those in your family that have an incredible story to tell. You won't regret it.

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65 Years Since D-Day at Normandy

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