The fall of 2009 my daughter and I had a great opportunity to go to France. We went to celebrate the marriage of my in-laws 50th anniversary, but I also got to retrace the steps of my grandfather’s journey through WWII.
He landed on Utah beach and then headed to other parts of France. He won an award for fighting in 5 major battles. He never really spoke of the war, but he did instill in his children and grandchildren the pride of living in the United States. I was able to go and visit various locations in France and the thing that surprised me the most was how shocking it was to see it all in color. I had never really thought of it before, but all of the footage that I have seen has always been in black and white. The countryside was beautiful and the oceans were as blue as the sky. I tried to imagine what it looked like when they were there. The red of the sea was one thing that my grandfather would tell us was something he would never forget.
I hope to get the opportunity to retrace my other grandfather’s route one of these days. He was stationed in Italy and Africa. He spoke often of the war and he has several photos that he has displayed in an album that documented his adventure. Both of my grandpa’s have passed away in the past few years. I will never forget what that generation of men and women did for our country. Please remember them today and EVERYDAY. Happy Memorial Day.
no comments