Yesterday was the 78th anniversary of Operation Overlord a/k/a D-Day. On June 6th, 1944 the Allied Forces comprised primarily of U.S., Canadian, and British forces conducted a series of beach front invasions along the Norman coast (French). The invasion involved 156,000 troops arriving on the beaches or via airborne units (paratroopers) and another 195,000 naval personnel. There were over 10,000 casualties with 4,400 dead within this number. D-Day was the largest seaborne invasion in history.
The men and women who fought and were a part of the World War II years are referred to as the “Greatest Generation”. They are sometimes referred to as the G.I. Generation. This group was born between 1900 and 1925. The popularity of this reference was enhanced by a book written by Tom Brokaw with the same name. Brokaw highlighted various people who came through the Great Depression and then, served in World War II.
What was unique about this cohort is the shared experiences of sacrifice and courage during difficult circumstances. They marshalled together during the war years on the home front and on the battlefields, seas and air spaces where conflict raged. They saw service as a higher calling and duty as an expectation of their citizenship. Below is a passage from the Brokaw book.
At a time in their lives when their days and nights should have been filled with innocent adventure, love, and the lessons of the workaday world, they were fighting in the most primitive conditions possible across the bloodiedlandscape of France, Belgium, Italy, Austria, and the coral islands of the Pacific. They answered the call to save the world from the two most powerful and ruthless military machines ever assembled, instruments of conquest in the hands of fascist maniacs. They faced great odds and a late start, but they did not protest. They succeeded on every front. They won the war; they saved the world. They came home to joyous and short-lived celebrations and immediately began the task of rebuilding their lives and the world they wanted. They married in record numbers and gave birth to another distinctive generation, the Baby Boomers. A grateful nation made it possible for more of them to attend college than any society had ever educated, anywhere. They gave the world new science, literature, art, industry, and economic strength unparalleled in the long curve of history. As they now reach the twilight of their adventurous and productive lives, they remain, for the most part, exceptionally modest.
Today, their numbers are dwindling fast. WW II veterans are all, if surviving, minimally in their 90s with many in their 100s. The stories survive but barely. As they fade, so do important lessons that should remain regarding sacrifice, honor, humility, and duty. Through their service and commitment to a higher ideal and calling, the world is better off.
In my career, I’ve gotten to know many of the Great Generation including, folks who were subjects of the Holocaust. I’ve heard their stories and will never forget the lessons within those stories. Tyranny can never be tolerated or abetted.
On this Hump Day, I hope readers will take a bit of time to refresh the lessons that are embedded within the D-Day history and the Greatest Generation. Happy Hump Day!