Sixty-six years ago today...

Today is June 6th, 2010. It is now a little after 11 in the morning.

Sixty-six years ago, today, a young man from West Virginia such as myself might not have just finished enjoying a Tudor's biscuit and coffee for breakfast. Instead, he might have already spent more than five hours on a beach in Normandy, France, as part of the largest amphibious assault landing in all of history.

Here's an excerpt from the speech read to all the troops involved in the D-Day operation.

"You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."

It was written by General Eisenhower, leader of the Allied armed forces. You can see the full speech at this website. If you're interested in knowing more about the actual invasion as told by the men who were actually there, I encourage you to check out this wonderful website put together by the United States Army.

I can't imagine what the world would be like today if those brave men hadn't fought and died in order to secure liberty for their sons and daughters. Nor can I imagine how terrible the atrocities would have been if the Nazi regime been allowed to remain in control of Europe. We already know that in the short time they were in power, they left a terrible legacy in the Holocaust. How much worse might it have been without the ultimate sacrifice given by many young men around the world?

Today is a day of remembrance. Today is a day to honor those who laid down their lives so that you and I might live in freedom.