06-06-2014, 01:40 PM
Thank you indeed. All the allied soldiers that took place in the assault that signaled the end of the Third Reich, and the hope of freedom for the Continent.
If you ever get a chance to stand on one of those beaches, see the ruins of the immense German fortifications, and just get a feeling for the sheer scope of such an event. It's staggering. I stood on top of one of the fortifications over Gold Beach as a teenager in the early 1970's. The sheer size of the enormous concrete bunkers that were just cracked and tossed like a child's plaything by demolition explosives was staggering.
Visiting a battlefield with an understanding of the battle produces visions and a deeper understanding of the struggle and the suffering involved. We may feel national pride, but I hope we also feel a desire that this not have to happen again.
If you ever get a chance to stand on one of those beaches, see the ruins of the immense German fortifications, and just get a feeling for the sheer scope of such an event. It's staggering. I stood on top of one of the fortifications over Gold Beach as a teenager in the early 1970's. The sheer size of the enormous concrete bunkers that were just cracked and tossed like a child's plaything by demolition explosives was staggering.
Visiting a battlefield with an understanding of the battle produces visions and a deeper understanding of the struggle and the suffering involved. We may feel national pride, but I hope we also feel a desire that this not have to happen again.