Seventy-five years ago, yesterday, the Allied forces landed on the Normandy beaches and defeated the Germans in the Battle of Normandy. An Allied victory for World War II was in sight. Nazi exterminations and indoctrinations would be exposed and stopped.
June 6, 1944 remains one of the world-changing days of history. Our world would be vastly different without that day. There would be no state of Israel. Europe would have been “culturally cleansed.” My imagination cannot fathom the consequences.
The above photo is from the movie, The Longest Day which recalls the event.
Trust
Today, I am trusting in Democracy.
It’s a scary thought as I view political unrest among nations. It is true of countries that boast democratically elected governments and those of other regimes. So what gives me hope?
Democracy can and does evolve. After World War II, when many of the French political leaders were tainted with collaboration with the Nazi’s, the country adopted its 4th constitution. In order to limit abuse of control, power was concentrated in the legislative branches. In a divided country, there was insufficient support to implement unpopular reforms. War, again, led to the establishment of the 5th Republic. The president, elected by the citizens, runs the country with consultation of the prime minister which he appoints and who is approved by the elected legislative representatives.
With the recent Yellow Jacket unrest there is talk of a 6th republic. What is the role of the citizen? What does representation mean in the Age of Information? Who decides what?
My trust in democracy is like faith as described in the Bible: confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)
I see the need for an evolving democracy. I trust it will come about.
Gratitude
THANK YOU to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for you and me 75 years ago.
When our sons were young, we visited Omaha Beach, Arromanches-les-Bains, and the American Memorial and Cemetery in Normandy. As the boys read the gravestones, they calculated the ages of the soldiers. Many were 19,20, 21 years old.
These young men did not all fight by choice. They left behind grieving families. Each one was a person with a unique story…even the unidentified soldiers.
I am grateful for their sacrifice to me, an unknown stranger of a future generation.
Inspiration
During our visit to the Normandy beaches I discovered the artificial harbor at Arromanches-les-Bains.
Frankly, I had not thought much about wars and how they are fought, lost or won. In this quaint seaside town, I learned of the vital importance of logistics
- Medical supplies for the wounded
- Food for the soldiers
- Gas for the tanks
- Bullets for the guns
Because of these needs, the Germans expected the Allies to land in an established port. The waters of Gold and Omaha Beaches were too rough to allow for unloading from tankers and transportation on land.
That’s where the Mulberry Harbor played a vital role. The British devised a transportable harbor. What inspirational, ingenious out-of-the-box thinking!
On the horizon, you can still see the sunken cement blocks that created the artificial harbor.
Fun
I had fun looking through old family photos to find those of our Normandy beach outings. When I came across these I laughed out loud. The hair! The boys’ energy!
Stay tuned for next week. We use the Allied philosophy on hair-cutting. Bring the barber chez nous!
Clearly our family is not perfect…nonetheless, we are precious!
In the Spotlight
When Values Translate into Behavior
Inspiration from the Normandy D-Day that you and I can apply at work and at home. It’s about choosing where to invest our time, attention, energy, and finances in order to reach our goals for 30 years from now.
Precious or Perfect? Wisdom from Notre Dame
Being good enough. Is that perfection? But we’ll never reach it!
Inspiration from the drama at Notre Dame on the dark sides of perfectionism. All it takes is a spark to burst into destructive flames!