My Dad went ashore at Utah Beach and while not as hot as Omaha, it was no cakewalk. The only thing he ever told me about what he saw was about that day, when what he mostly saw was debris and bodies. He made the long slog across Europe to the heart of the Rhineland, his division celebrated V-E Day.
He said the happiest day of his life (up to that point) was when he heard about the bombs being dropped in Japan. He knew he was going home to the girl he left behind. Dad was my hero, and while I never told him that in those words, I think he knew I felt that way.