
Please - don't dishonour those men and women by making petty, political comments.
My family and our friends have just returned from a weeks holiday in Normandy, France. We had no real intention of visiting much more than one of the beach landing sites for the D-Day anniversary. However, we visited Bayeaux to see the tapistry and discovered the War Museum there. This, together with the largest of the British war cemetries in Normandy - where 4868 are buried - was one of the most moving - and humbling - experiences of my life.
My father fought in the war, thankfully he survived. He didn't have to face the particular horrors of the beaches of Normandy.
I saw them last week, I sat on the beach at the Utah site and contemplated what horrors those brave, young soldiers faced. I walked among the graves for the UK, Canadian and American forces. Even our 11-year old children were moved by the things we saw throughout our week's stay. Something they will remember throughout their lives; something, please God, they never have to experience.
We were lucky enough to see nearly 500 parachutists descend from Hercules and Dakota aircrafts down onto Ranville yesterday afternoon, what a sight that was. We could almost begin to imagine what it could have been like, only these guys weren't being fired on by enemy fire like 60 years ago. We saw the manequin of the parachutist (forgive me, his name I have forgotten) who landed at night entangled on the spire of the church at St Mere Eglise - who features, along with the Pegasus Bridge, in the film The Longest Day. There, along with thousands of WWII enthusiasts, recreating those days from 60 years ago, we toured the American Airbourne museum and met with Forrest Huth, a renowned survivor from 60 years ago.
I'm not getting involved in the policitics here, just wanted to express my appreciation for the lives that were laid down for our generations to survive. Like the graves say, "gone, but not forgotten".
God bless them all.