[China Clipper]

Every year, I take time to remember the brave souls who fought and died on these beaches. For the past 20 years or so, it’s been the same routine for me. I try to attend Mass in their honor and memory, and later I watch Saving Private Ryan in the home theater.

No matter how many times I see it, those first 15–20 minutes hit hard. I find myself thanking God for the courage, grit, and sheer determination of those young men who stormed the beach 81 years ago today.

May God bless them, and may He continue to protect and watch over our country.

[No name given]

If it weren’t for those brave men, we’d all be speaking German and sporting swastika armbands.