In Normandy, France, a field of white crosses stretches out, marked with a Star of David for some. Each headstone stands tall and simple, bearing the name, rank, division, and date of death of an American soldier who gave their life in the Allied invasion 80 years ago. There are no hometowns or professions etched on these stones; every soldier buried there fought for one common purpose – to free Europe from Nazism.
Families chose to lay their loved ones to rest in Normandy, where they fought and now lie side by side. The cemetery holds the remains of thousands more soldiers from the British, Canadian and Commonwealth countries who also perished in the conflict.
As a journalist, I feel a personal connection to these soldiers. My late mother-in-law’s family lived in a cellar of their farmhouse during the German occupation. Many of the soldiers buried nearby were close in age to her and her siblings. They sacrificed their lives for strangers in a foreign land, far from home.
Historian Stephen Ambrose wrote that the American soldiers who fought in Normandy knew what was right and wrong and were determined to fight against evil. I express gratitude to these soldiers who fought and won for the freedom we enjoy today.
Every summer, my family visits Normandy, walking along the beaches that were once scenes of intense battles. Now peaceful, our dog plays in the waves while our daughters collect seashells. As I reflect on this debt owed to those who fought and died in Normandy, I realize that it is something we all share as citizens of this world.
