You're gonna be hearing a lot about that place today.
“That place” is, of course, the Normandy beaches in France, where 80 years ago today what is still the largest amphibian military invasion in human history took place. No matter where you look, you'll see a lot of stories about that big day, and you'll also be seeing a lot of pictures from the area, most of them dealing with death and mayhem and almost all of them in black & white.
And that's not necessarily fair to those beaches. I've come to know and like them. I mean, sure, they were a really bad place 80 years ago, but except for the people who live there, no one ever seems to think about what they are today—beaches, and rather nice beaches, at that. Instead of bloody battles, you now see this--
You'll see school kids practicing for the big game--
You'll see harness racers getting ready for the next big event--
And, like on every beach, you'll see birds. Lots & lots of birds--
Sure, you'll still, 80 years later, see monuments to that bloody day--
But most importantly, you'll see families just out enjoying themselves--
And I have the feeling that, if you were able to talk to the over 3,000 Allied soldiers who died on the beaches 80 years ago today, that's what they would want to see more than anything. To know that their sacrifices have allowed generations of French families—and American tourists—to enjoy the beaches upon which they died AS beaches, and not as some fortified stronghold of an invading power led by a madman.
I know that every single person I've met in Normandy certainly thanks them for what they did, and appreciates their sacrifice every single day. Especially on those days when they can take their kids to the beach, enjoy the sun, play in the water, and (I'm sure) to remind them never to forget WHY they're able to play on that sand.
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