CAL THOMAS COMMENTARY JUNE 6, 2019
SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY, MY UNCLE, EVERETT THOMAS, LEAD A GROUP OF SCARED BUT BRAVE MEN TO A LANDING ON OMAHA BEACH, NEXT TO THE MORE FAMOUS BEACH NAMED NORMANDY. HE SURVIVED. THOUSANDS OF OTHERS DID NOT.
IT WAS THE GREATEST AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT IN HISTORY, BUT IT WASN’T EASY. IN ADDITION TO GERMAN FIREPOWER, THE WEATHER WAS BAD AND GENERAL DWIGHT EISENHOWER HAD TO MAKE A DECISION THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN DELAYED. IKE WROTE A LETTER IN CASE OPERATION OVERLORD FAILED IN WHICH HE WOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS FAILURE. HOW MANY WOULD DO THAT TODAY?
ON THIS IMORTANT ANNIVERSARY, THERE ARE FEW LEFT WHO SURVIVED THAT DAY. CEMETERIES IN FRANCE, INCLUDING THE BEST KNOWN IN NORMANDY ARE ADORNED WITH WHITE CROSSES AND A FEW STARS OF DAVID. THERE ARE NO “R’S” OR “D’S” ON THOSE GRAVE MARKERS. THOSE YOUNG MEN WEREN’T FIGHTING FOR OR AGAINST A POLITICAL PARTY. THEY FOUGHT AGAINST EVIL, RESTORING FREEDOM TO EUROPE AND PRESERVING IT FOR AMERICA.
THEY ARE AMONG ALL OTHERS TO BE HONORED THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY. THEY REMAIN, AS TOM BROKAW CALLED THEM, THE GREATEST GENERATION. I’M CAL THOMAS.
