WHAT THE WORLD OWES

Today marks the anniversary of D-Day, and in my mind, the most significant day in the annals of world history. Americans see this day as a day in our history where we set about liberating Europe. The Europeans under the domination of Nazi Germany see it as a day of liberation, and the Russians see it as a day of the two front war, they so desperately needed and wanted from the Allies.

To me this should be a day for the whole world to commemorate and observe as a day of world rejoicing, and a day for the world to say: “Thank you; America, Britain and Canada!”



Operation Overlord landed a transported 156,000 U.S., British, and Canadian troops across the English Channel in more than 5,000 ships and 10,000 planes. Commanded by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Allied forces landed on five beaches on Normandy and soon established beachhead areas, despite stubborn enemy resistance and heavy losses at the code-named Omaha Beach and Juno Beach. There were three other beaches: Utah, Sword and Gold, but the brunt of loses occurred at the two first mentioned beaches.

But this is not a history lesson I wish to give, but a reminder of a largely ignored fact! That fact is that we as a world body, never fully recognized what those brave men on all those beaches did for the world. It was a united-nations endeavor, yet we seem to localize it.



There are three defining dates to that struggle, which made the difference in the war. The first was NOT September 1st, 1939 in Poland, but December 7th, 1941! The second was June 6th, 1944 and the third was August 6th, 1945. All three dates have the U.S. imprimatur on it, but it really affected the whole world. But June 6th stands out as the pivotal date: the day the world breathed a sigh of relief, and Europe in particular. When the allies were willing to sacrifice their youth on the beaches of Normandy, the world knew it was a war that was over. Tyranny would not prevail, and the good will and conscience of men of freedom would!



The implications were far more reaching than Europe, for surely Japan knew it was only a matter of time before we as a free body of men and women would turn our full attention on Asia and defeat Japan too.

Only a hand-full of misguided individuals in Germany, Italy and Japan led the world into war, I really don’t think the people of those nations were evil or really wanted war, but the young men of the free-world, rose up together and gave a great deal of themselves, for world peace, to free, even them.