This year is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Nazi-controlled Europe, starting on the beaches of Normandy, France. By the next significant anniversary of the day, in 2029, it is almost certain that there will be none of these men left.
I must admit that I’m impressed by the French remembering.
The planes took off Sunday from Duxford, England, for the 90-minute flight to Carentan. The Normandy town was at the heart of D-Day drop zones in 1944, when paratroopers jumped in darkness into gunfire, many scattering far from their objectives. Sunday’s jumpers were from an international civilian team of parachutists, many of them former soldiers. The only woman was 61-year-old Dawna Bennett, who felt history’s force as she exited her plane into the Normandy skies.
Back in 1984 I didn’t appreciate the following speech as much as I do now, probably because I was too immersed in the general despising of America and especially President Reagan, although I thought he was okay as a President (certainly streets ahead of Carter and Mondale) and supported most of his policies.
No Minister 
I have a link to D Day through my family. A now deceased Uncle went ashore on the Normandy beaches. He survived the war and raised a family : )
D Day Uncle was one of two uncles who were British regular forces when war broke out in 1939 (for the British anyway – the Czechs had already tasted the German war machine). Another was called up and served in RAF ground support
Only one of the regular forces Uncles saw active service – the other was too valuable as an experienced artillery man, so he spent his war training new recruits in the arts of positioning and targeting field artillery… a very frustrated man by wars end.
I have no link to the ANZAC tradition apart from being born in NZ – my parents arrived here in the 50’s. But I am forever grateful as my Dad would have died in a forced labour camp and I would not be here, if the Allies hadn’t rallied and eventually liberated Europe
Lest we forget, the price of opposing tyranny and evil is always blood if we allow tyranny and evil to grow in our indifferent shadow…