D-Day, which is a very important date in American history, has been referred to by historians as the “beginning of the end of World War II.”
D-Day commemorates June 6, 1944, when troops from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other allied countries invaded the shores of Normandy, which were occupied by the armies of Nazi Germany.
There were 156,000 Allied soldiers who stormed the shores of Normandy on D-Day and 4,000 Allied soldiers were killed by the Germans on that day. The D-Day invasion was the largest air and land operation in history.
By August 1944 all of northern France had been liberated and in the spring of 1945 the Allies had defeated the Germans.
The “D” in D-Day doesn’t actually stand for anything, unlike V-E Day (Victory in Europe) or V-J (Victory in Japan). After twenty years Dwight Eisenhower was asked what the “D” stood for in D-Day and his answer was: Any amphibious operation has a departed date, therefore the “D” in D-Day is used.
Unfortunately the veterans of D-Day are a dying breed. They fought for our freedom and our democracy and hopefully they will not be forgotten.
Now for the Fourth of July: The Fourth of July is also known as Independence Day, and is celebrated as the “Birth of American Independence.”
At the time of the American Revolution, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence from Great Britain.
Two days later the delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the “Declaration of Independence,” which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson, becoming a historic document.
From the present day going back to 1776, the Fourth of July has been celebrated as the “birth of American independence.”
This “American independence,” known as the Fourth of July, has awarded the American people with participating in festivities including fireworks, parades, concerts, picnics, family gatherings and barbecues. What could be better than that?
To one and all, a happy and safe Fourth of July, and don’t let those firecrackers and fireworks harm you or get in the way of your good times.
Lois Eisenberg
Valencia