Remembering Those Who Fought

Was it really 69 years ago?
D-Day, when so many lost their lives.  I watched the movie D-Day, the 6th of June recently, during the Memorial Day movie marathon of war movies.  The more history I learn, the more it awes me.
My dad, shown here had enlisted before graduation, having enough credits to graduate.  He was placed in Darby's Rangers and saw action well before D-Day, being wounded in Sicily in 1943, and home recovering by then.  Between his wounds and his hearing loss, he was unable to go back.

However, two of his brothers, the next two older, were also in the service at that time.  I do not know what kind of action they saw during the war.  At least one, Uncle Howard was in England when their father died at home in August 1945.  They chose to remain, remembering their father as he had been.  They are pictured on either side of him, on what was probably Memorial Day, 1946.  The other, Uncle Don is on the left.

Luckily they all survived the war.
On my mom's side, a cousin was also serving in World War II.  If he was there for D-Day, he survived.  I am not sure if he was there then or not.  Unfortunately Paul died during the Battle of the Bulge.
More people died on that one day 69 years ago than has died so far in the current conflict.
Let us not forget them.

And pardon one last picture of Dad, back home after the war with my grandparent's dog Ginger.  (She must have been ancient when she died!)  I just had to show off his medals, even if the picture isn't the best.