Thursday 6 June 2019

D-Day Remembered

75 Years ago today something quite incredible took place. The largest seaborne invasion in history had been a long time in the planning but by the time the Allies were ready to launch their offensive they had done pretty much all that was humanly possible to make it a success. Victory in Normandy was by no means assured and the technical demands of this new front alone would be a constant headache for the allies in the months that followed. All of this, however, would have been for nought had it not been for the remarkable courage of the soldiers, sailors and airmen at the vanguard of that mighty armada.

It has been one of my life's greatest privileges to meet and get to know (in a very small way) some of those extraordinary men. Today I am accompanying a group of Veterans to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire for a service of remembrance. Many of these gentlemen are pushing 100, yet they still feel it necessary to pay their respects to their fallen comrades seventy-five years after they risked everything for a foothold in France. I'm not ex-military but I feel it is vital that the current generations salute the bravest generation for their service. If you get the chance to meet a Veteran - of any conflict - shake their hand and thank them for their service. Without their courage, the world would be a much darker place.





8 comments:

  1. I send my best wishes to you and your illustrious companions, and hope that you all have a great day. We owe them a debt that we can never fully repay.

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    1. It's been an amazing and very emotional day. I've taken a ridiculous number of photos and shaken the hands of more veterans than I can count.

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  2. Outstanding post Lee, bravo Sir.

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    1. The Duke of Cambridge was at the ceremony and my friend and D-Day veteran Sapper Don Shepherd gave a reading. Very emotional and I felt very privileged to have been there today. I'll post some pictures in due course.

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