D-Day, June 6th 1944; the greatest generation that has ever lived; they laid down their lives for us who they did not know or would ever know; storming the beaches of Normandy; the drove INTO fire
They did not run, did not cower, they did not stop to think of which bathroom to use or what was their pronoun that day; they knew, 'kill or be killed' & that their lives MUST be sacrificed for OURS!
There is not enough praise for this generation, never enough. They were told what the task was and that it would involve laying your life down on that beach. Can you imagine at 18 years old or so, say 20, you are told, leave this landing craft, and by all likelihoods, you will not get to cross that beach, but you must not flinch, for what you will do next will define history for you will be laying your life down, buy time, to turn and shape this war, and your role will be etched in stone forever but you will never enjoy the victory and you will be giving your life for a future you will never see and for people you will never know, yet these young men, did not flinch.
We are here today due to them. We never forget. This was the very best of us and God help us if we ever face the demons again like that for they no longer exist, those men who stormed Normandy.
God bless those heroes.
Get ready, folks. Steel yourselves. Human freedom is again at stake. It's our turn to step into the breach.
My critique is that the generation you revere was duped into a war for the profiteering of the ruling elite as per usual. We know the US corporatists continued to trade with Hitler; ie, providing fuel for ammunition and technology to coordinate the trains and goddess knows what else. ATT, Rockefeller's Oil, etc were all involved. Core to the was were the expected spoils which the US coveted and I imagine Canada was also involved being a subordinate to US politics and policies. And let's recall that Russia lost 30 Million people in that war they call The Great Patriotic War! It is little wonder that Russia has a particular cause for concern seeing the power of Neo-Nazis having so much power in Ukraine who are supported by US military training, weaponry and financial backing.
The people who fought, died or were seriously mentally crushed were tragic casualties of the oligarchy's greed for money and power. During Viet Nam we saw a strong rebellion in the ranks of the conscripted which partly led to the end of that debacle alongside the mass public organizing against the draft as well as the never -declared war itself. So let's be clear on what we commend as people who let themselves be used as pawns for other's goals are not people whom I celebrate. I may feel sorry for them but will not see them as heroes.