Today marks the Normandy Invasion of 1944.

By Parminio
June 7 2003

I remember as a kid that each week leading up to June the 6th always saw advertisements for the old war movies and the like. A parade was often held...things of that sort.

This is the first year in my life that I didn't see or hear a thing about it. You see...it has a huge meaning for me. It's also my fathers birthday. My father is German. You see the irony surely.

I love my country. I love my father. Again, the irony is that he loves this country too. I called him tonight...it's 9:06pm as I write this...I called him around 6:30pm to wish him a happy birthday and a happy D-day. It's a running joke for us...has been for a long time. We talked for a while as I was cooking dinner. We both thought the same thing. "Has everyone forgotten?"

My father was tipped out of bed by his buddies at 5:50am on June the 6th, 1944 in the North of France. They were screaming at him,"It's here..they're here...we gotta go...shit and get man...let's go!!!"

My father thought it was a joke. They all went out the night before and got good and drunk on some of their CO's "liberated" Hennessee. My father figured it was a birthday prank. He was wrong.

He even told me tonight that he had been thinking about that day and the days immediately after for a couple of weeks. My father is getting very old now, and he and I both know that he doesn't have much time left. Hell...do any of us? The one thing he mentioned was the fact that there was no mention of it.

Have we all...on both sides...become so arrogant that we don't need to remember? Have we all become so caught up in what we deem to be life, that we forget the 10's of thousands that bled the beach, ocean, sky and cliffs red? Have we become so self centered, that none of it matters anymore?

My father shot down 5 British and 7 American planes that day. He flew 5 missions. In ONE DAY. Of those, he knows for sure that none of the British could have lived. He thinks that maybe 3 of the Americans might have made it. He's not sure.

He lost 14 of his friends. 6 from his own squadron.

In short, today...in 1944...the course of history itself changed. Forever. For everyone.

Here's to those who fought on both sides. Here's to the ones that didn't make it. Here's to remembering... and NEVER forgetting.

Happy Birthday Dad. I'm proud of you. Always.