(Photo by Lucas Sankey on Unsplash)
On June 6th, we observed the 80th anniversary of the beginning of the D-Day invasion, in which Allied Forces landed in France, beginning the campaign that ended World War II in Europe.
President Biden spoke at a ceremony honoring the anniversary and the United States veterans of D-Day, now all in their upper 90s or centenarians, held at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Earlier in the ceremony, after his address, French president Emmanuel Macron, had presented each veteran with a commendation with President Biden by his side.
I appreciated President Biden’s address, which recalled individual stories of that day while lifting up the democratic principles for which the war was fought. Biden spoke about NATO and the commitment to international alliances to protect and defend freedom and democracy. He also spoke about the bravery of Ukraine in defending their democracy against the invasion by Russia. He called on the current people of the United States to defend our democracy today.
After Biden spoke, a service member read “The Watch” symbolically relieving the honored veterans and all World War II veterans of duty.
And I started crying.
I was thinking of my father, known here as Paco, who was a World War II veteran who passed away two years ago at the age of 96. Paco served as a Navy SeaBee in the Pacific. Seeing the veterans in attendance and hearing these tributes to them made me miss him so much more.
He didn’t speak very often of his service in his younger years and, with so many veterans of his age, it wasn’t much noted as the majority had been in the service. In his retirement years, though, he often wore a SeaBees or Navy veteran cap and it was sweet to see store clerks or random passersby thank him for his service.
He would have loved today’s ceremony.
He might have cried, too.
Share this:
Top of JC's Mind 
It’s so important to remember what was fought for by these strong, dedicated people, especially with the chaos we currently face.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was one of the things I appreciated about Biden’s speech. He made clear what they were fighting for 80 years ago, what came from their sacrifices, and the challenges we face today. I hope people in the US were listening and taking the occasion and the speech to heart.
LikeLike
My dad was in the Navy too (actually, both of my dads). I had to look up Seabees, because though I’ve heard the term always, I wasn’t sure exactly what it meant. Construction, it seems, and a wonderful bee logo. So many of these men, gone. ❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
The SeaBees were new during WWII and its name came from being CBs – Construction Battalion. Most of the SeaBees were older men, already skilled in the trades. My dad was 18 and still not through high school when he enlisted. The older men taught him a wide range of construction and electrical skills, as they went with the Navy to battles on the various Pacific Islands, going ashore as soon as possible to build airstrips, power facilities, and other infrastructure needed. My father used those skills to establish a career with New England Power Company in their hydroelectric division. His expertise in that area resulted in the Navy calling him back to active duty during the Korean Conflict.
Yes, it is sad to have so few of these veterans left. Honoring your dads and mine and all those who served.
LikeLike