About this time

At about this time , on the eve of June 6, 1944, if you were a young Allied soldier on the beaches of Normandy, you might be counting your blessings that you were still alive, and not one of the 9000 or so casualties. And "Ike and "Monty" thankfully that the chance they took had come well. If you were a German General and had the foresight of a Rommel, you might realize that the end of the war and Germany's defeat was at hand, though not without a lot more fighting and dying. If you were a German soldier you might wonder where the reinforcements were and how much longer and if at all you had to live.

And if you were French, it would be a long awaited moment of pride and hope, 68 years ago today.

My father, after hitching a ride in a British landing craft after the troop ship Susan B Anthony was blown out from under him, miraculously made it to the beach in his skivvies, armed and clothed himself from the dead on the beach was by this time resting in a farm house just up from the beach not aware that German soldiers were hiding in the cellar. They surrendered to him the next morning, felt their chances were better in daylight. After numerous battlefield promotions, 4 purple hearts, 3 Bronze Stars, 3 Gold Stars and one well earned Silver Star for saving an entire replacement company caught in a mortar barrage near hill 122 he returned home only to be called up a few years later to lead men in Korea. I miss him tonight.