November is a big month for Americans; we celebrate Thanksgiving, a time when families and friends gather together to share food, fellowship, and gratitude for all the blessings in our lives.
But there is another important holiday in November – Veterans Day. We celebrate two holidays during the year honoring our veterans: Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day on Nov. 11. On Memorial Day we pause to remember those who paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy. On Veterans Day we remember all who served in our armed forces. Both are equally important, and these holidays should never be viewed as a “day off” or “the unofficial kick-off of summer,” but rather solemn days of remembrance when we honor all who gave selflessly throughout our history as a nation.
Recently, the reality of these solemn observances was heightened and reinforced by my visit to the beaches of Normandy. Here, in the early morning of June 6, 1944, the largest military operation in military history began: 133,000 troops representing the United States, Great Britain and their allies, supported by 195,000 naval personnel from eight allied countries, landed on the beaches of Normandy to begin the arduous process of driving the heavily fortified German forces off the cliffs and start the push to liberate France, that ultimately led to the defeat the Axis forces in Europe. By the end of that day 10,300 Allied soldiers were killed by drowning or artillery fire; of that number 2,501 were Americans who died on Utah or Omaha Beach. Ultimately, the Battle of Normandy claimed 73,000 Allied lives with another 153,000 wounded.
The last American paratroopers landed on Omaha Beach at 3:30 p.m. on June 6, 1944. They were the gravediggers who on June 8 buried American casualties in a temporary graveyard in Colleville-sur-Mer. This became the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. The cemetery covers 172 acres and holds the remains of 9,800 war dead from D-day and the days that followed. Each day at 3:30 p.m. there is a solemn service of remembrance, which I was privileged to attend.
Standing on that holy ground is a profound and moving experience. It certainly was for me. As I gazed at the neat rows of marble crosses, I was struck by the level of commitment and dedication shown by all the Allied forces on that fateful day. Young men and women, whose average age was twenty-four, fought, and many gave their lives, for freedom from oppression during the Normandy invasion.
On Nov. 11, the day on which the “War to End All Wars” World War I ended, the seeds for the global conflict of World War II were already sown. Let us pause to remember with gratitude all who served in our military in times of war and peace throughout our history.
In Christ, Pastor Sharon