Originally posted on Memorial Day in 2013, these pictures still bring a feeling of pride, an incredible feeling of gratitude and a tear to my eye.
Remember and be thankful. These are all from our visit to the beaches of Normandy, to Ste. Lo, Ste. Mere Eglise and Bayeux last October. I have never felt more humbled than to stand on the sand where so many shed so much blood in pursuit of honor, duty and liberty to free people they did not know from tyranny known to all.
The Rio Norte Line 
Thanks, Utah.
Every America should visit and stand among the fallen that gave their lives to give freedom to the world. I can guarantee you will shed a few tears for them and will humble the hardest among us.
And let us not forget the 700+ men who died one night a few weeks before the invasion while conducting a practice exercise. Their ships we intercepted by German E-boats (torpedo boats) and hundreds drown when their transports were sunk. To me, they were as much a casualty of Normandy invasion as those who hit the beaches that morning.
A few more, JUST from WW II
Pearl Harbor
Corregidor
Bataan Death March
Monte Cassino
Battle of the Hedge Rows
Peleliu
Tarawa
Guadalcanal
Bastogne
Iwo Jima
One that is seldom remembered or understood:
The Army Air Corps bomber offensive over Europe
Thanks for Puttung that up Joe. Too often events like this go forgotten and un-appreciated.
We lost an Uncle with the 82nd Airborne 508th PIR at Sainte Mere Eglise.
Don,
As you may well have guessed, this is a subject and holiday near and dear to my heart. So it was MY honor to remind others of just a few of the other famous battles that cost as many if not more casualties than Normandy — especially if one looks at the percentages of men involved to the casualty count. The casualty rate ion the first 1/2 of the bombing campaign against Germany is SHOCKING in that aspect.
Yes my father’s side of the Family were involded in the Bataan Death March but both survived.
Another of his cousins was at Guadalcanal. He was never the same after finding his best friend meticuluosly cut up in little pieces after being captured by the Japenese. They later found a Jap soldier alive with his friends watch on his wrist.
Another uncle flew HellCats off of Carriers in the Pacific….. but survived.
And lest we forget Korea and WWI and the absolute waste of life from 1914 -1918. Everyone of these Americans ( some women too) never got to come home, to build families,,,,,stay up half the night re-doing Algebra Homework with their kids and all the rest !!!
God Bless them all….and that doesn’t say enough.
I do feel I need to give a HUGE shout-out to the Service Men and women who have been engaged since 2001-2003 . They have fought the longest and some of the nastiest kinds of people……they are a Strong contender for “The Greatest Generation” in my book.
Amen