Sacrifice

I just returned from a “bucket list” trip to Normandy with a group of University of Washington alums — just 20 of us. And though I was alive, albeit a little girl, when the landing on the coast of Normandy occurred; and I had studied it and learned a little bit about it in school, I was not prepared for the scope of that famous battle — Operation Overlord — that turned the tide for the outcome of World War II.

From D-Day, by Stephen E. Ambrose:
“Operation Overlord, the invasion of German-occupied France in June 1944, was staggering in its scope. In one night and day, 175,000 fighting men and their equipment, including 50,000 vehicles of all types, ranging from motorcycles to tanks and armored bulldozers, were transported across sixty to a hundred miles of open water and landed on a hostile shore against intense opposition. They were either carried by or supported by 5,333 ships and craft of all types and almost 11,000 airplanes…”

“Success of Operation Overlord came down to a bunch of eighteen-to-twenty-eight-year-olds. They were magnificently trained and equipped and supported, but only a few of them had ever been in combat. Only a few had ever killed or seen a buddy killed — they had never heard a shot fired in anger…

“But when the test came when freedom had to be fought for or abandoned, they fought. They were soldiers of democracy. They were the men of D-Day, and to them we owe our freedom.”

The American Cemetery with its memorial is located on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel. It contains the remains of 9,388 American military dead, most of whom were killed during the invasion of Normandy. The Cemetery was dedicated on July 19, 1956.

The monumental bronze sculpture, “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves” is in the center of the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. The sculptor’s name is Donald Harcourt De Lue.

My heart is heavy with emotion — and it is full with gratitude for the sacrifice these young men made so that we could live in freedom. The engraving below the statue reads: “To these we owe the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live”

SACRIFICE

Independence Day: A time to celebrate
Our freedom from oppression, and grief.
With further study, how it came about
Was through sacrifice, hard work, and the belief
That self-rule and independence were the better choices
For a band of independent-minded pioneers.
So, with determination to succeed, they fought the good fight.
To pursue independence and freedom. They did persevere.

The perseverance and the determination and the sacrifice
That many millions have endured to form
This country we all profess to cherish
Is beyond one’s imagination, beyond the norm.

And the beat goes on to protect our freedom:
Throughout the years America’s Veterans have shown
Their willingness to sacrifice for our country to remain strong.
They’ve earned our lasting gratitude. Many remain unknown.

Thomas Merton claims that the most difficult sacrifice
Is the pursuit and maintenance of peace for mankind.
“It demands greater fidelity to the truth,” he states,
”And a more perfect purity of conscience” … (to remind).

Freedom does not come without a price.
We take for granted the many liberties with which we’re blessed.
They have all been earned through the ultimate sacrifice,
Paid by members of our Armed Forces. May their souls rest.

Our flag honors those who have fought to protect it;
It’s a reminder of the sacrifice of heroes so brave.
The Stars and Stripes represent the very best of this nation…
A nation we must sacrifice for, in order to save.

If you don’t sacrifice for what you want,
What you want becomes the sacrifice. (Oh, my!)
You must sacrifice something to reach your goal.
What you let go of determines how high you’ll fly.

Madeleine Albright reminds us that “The ties that bind America
Are stronger than disagreements over any particular policy,
And far more durable than any party affiliation.”
It’s not “us or them!” It’s “WE!”