it was 70 years ago today.
160,000 allied troops fearlessly stormed the massively fortressed beaches of normandy.
9,000 of these lives were lost.
“d-day” was the british, canadian, french, & american invasion into europe; a foothold that would change the course of world war II.
to date, d-day is still the largest naval, land, and air operation in history.
conducted in two phases, starting with more than 18,000 paratroopers dropping down, in the dark, on the morning of june 6, 1944, to prepare and provide for the coming beach landing.
followed with over 7,000 naval vessels, which included battleships, destroyers, minesweepers, and x-boats, landing over 132,000 troops onto shore.
this moving video is a great watch on the storming of omaha beach.
this piece on the bedford boys, a group of nineteen, heroic boys from a town in bedford, virgina; a town that lost more boys to ww II than any other town per capita in the united states, brought me to tears.
these acts of courage, this coming together of nation and nations, both abroad and away, inspires me to live more honorably and courageously. the legacy of these men, and many others, who swam in, full-throttle means, more likely than not, i will never have to face my own beach, full of landmines.
i remember and celebrate you today.
forever grateful.
love,
katie
