Where Did D-Day Go?

---by Micheal

Maybe this is just a sign that the relentless glacier of history has moved us too far from World War 2 to see it anymore. Maybe this is just another proof that I've become an old coot. Where are all the media announcements that today (June 6th) is the 64th anniversary of the landings on the beaches of Normandy? Used to be, that TV and newspapers would talk about D-Day for at least a few days before the 6th, and have ready some photo montages to run on the news, or interview with vets, etc.

Now? Hardly a peep. What was perhaps THE pivotal event of that century, has slipped under the bridge and floated downstream.

Perhaps it's our fruitfly-like attention spans. Perhaps it's our cultural-myopia that can only think about events of the past year or two. Whatever the reason, the symptom is there. We're no longer remembering. At least, we're no longer remembering out loud How will the youth of today (and by youth I mean anyone under 30) ever know that such a huge event took place?

Answer: they won't if we don't tell them. Tonight, I plan to take down a couple of my WW II history books (the ones with pictures) and remind both of my kids what happened on this day, 64 years ago.

No, I wasn't there. I wasn't even born yet. But D-Day is one of those historical forks in the road which leads to the nation we all live in today. How can we forget this? How can we allow ourselves and our kids to forget?

My kids will more than likely roll their eyes at me -- yet another pointless rant from the old man -- but they'll have heard. They may not remember, years from now, but it WON'T be because I didn't tell them.