I’m moving away from the sappy, heartbreaking writing (see my previous post written on 3 June) to talk about this day in history, seventy-five years ago…

The “day of days.” The “longest day.” Arguably, the greatest invasion in military history. The day that the turning point of the Second World War began. Today we commemorate the Allied forces who made the ultimate sacrifices for the freedoms we continue to take for granted when they stormed the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944.

(Side note: everyone wonders what the mysterious “D” stands for in “D-Day.” It simply means “day.” It was day “zero” of the invasion. Soldiers who continued to fight on the beaches after 6 June would add up the days they were there…D +1, D+2, etc...until they were sent elsewhere in Europe.)

The United States took the Omaha and Utah sector. Great Britain seized Gold and Sword. Canada overtook Juno. Together, they began the quest to end the rise of Fascism and Nazism that plagued Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. These veterans, whether they survived D-Day or not, are indeed the “greatest generation” because of their noble bravery, and today, especially, because this invasion was so successful - we salute them for their service.

Check out these links to educate yourself more about the D-Day commemorations:

Imperial War Museums: Read this organization’s story here.

View a memorial commemorating the Canadians who served on Juno Beach here.

Read more about this history nerd’s most admired WWII hero, Major Richard D. Winters, who jumped into Normandy with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment as a member of Easy Company (Currahee!) through his obituary, published in the New York Times. Major Winters has an exhibit dedicated to him at the Hershey Derry Township Society Museum, as he was born, raised, and spent the rest of the life in this region of Central Pennsylvania. Check out the museum here.

This is Major Winters’s shadow box, on display at the Hershey Derry Township Society museum, along with other items from his amazing military career. Notice the “Currahee” patch on the top left corner. “Currahee” is a Cherokee word meaning “stand al… — This is Major Winters’s shadow box, on display at the Hershey Derry Township Society museum, along with other items from his amazing military career. Notice the “Currahee” patch on the top left corner. “Currahee” is a Cherokee word meaning “stand alone,” which really was prophetic for a paratrooper once he made a landing.

This one hit close to home. This article focuses on D-Day vets from Western Pennsylvania, where my dad’s family is from. You can read it here.

There’s a vet who decided to ‘reenact’ his parachute drop…seventy-five years after he initially landed in Normandy as a fresh-faced soldier. He’s 97 and still going strong. Read it here.

Here’s some British perspective for you. You can read about Prince Charles and his commemorations of the day here. You can also visit the Royal British Legion’s site for more knowledge.

#LestWeForget #DDay75 #DayOfDays

Many happy returns,

-Kate