70th Anniv. D-Day June 6, 1944

Seventy years ago today, the largest amphibious assault in history took place in Normandy as we invaded Hitler's Fortress Europe. It is certain that 99% of the veterans who took part will have passed away in the next few years (as only a token handful still remain). Young folks who don't know what I'm talking about should watch "Saving Private Ryan" or "The Longest Day" to view the invasion's magnitude. Guys my age and my parents age will remember talking with veterans about their WWII experiences. Both of my grandfathers fought, though thankfully arriving in France several weeks after the invasion.

More than 160,000 Allied troops from USA, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified coastline, to kick the Nazis back off the edge of the English Channel. General Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which, "we will accept nothing less than full victory." More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, giving us a toehold on the Continent. Over 9,000 Allies dead or wounded was the high cost of victory.