If you haven’t caught one of the many headlines across the news, today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Like Memorial Day, June 6th is another day that serves as a reminder of the sacrifices that others made for the freedoms we enjoy today. With all our faults – and there are many – the US still offers the greatest opportunities, despite some of the unnecessary challenges we create.
“At the core, the American citizen soldiers knew the difference between right and wrong, and they didn’t want to live in a world in which wrong prevailed. So they fought, and won, and we, all of us, living and yet to be born, must be forever profoundly grateful.”–Author Stephen Ambrose
One of my employees noted that as a student, D-Day was just a fact on a history timeline to memorize for a test. But as an adult who more fully understands the enormity of that day, it’s gut-wrenching to have minimized this profound event – and the ripple effect it had across the world.
Whether you want to watch the first twenty minutes of Saving Private Ryan or search for one of the commemorative speeches by a President (this year’s speech from President Biden or maybe the 1984 Reagan speech), they all make an impression.
“So much of the progress that would define the 20th century, on both sides of the Atlantic, came down to the battle for a slice of beach only six miles long and two miles wide.” –President Barak Obama, 10 years ago, in Normandy to mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day
I encourage you to take the time to learn more about these events – or remind yourself of the sacrifices made for us and our futures. I’m confident you’ll find it a worthwhile investment of your time.
And as always to our military members – past & present – thank you.
