Importance, significance of June 6
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In My Humble Opinion
Jodi McDade
I’m sure most of you know that the articles, columns and information that you are reading today (and every Friday) are written several days in advance. Our deadline is noon on Tuesdays. Christa will sometimes graciously give us a small extension, but we always chance not making that week’s edition. I am generally down to the wire because I write about current events that may be unfolding at the moment – kind of a “hot off the press” type thing. This week will be a look at the past.
June 6, 1944, was one of the most important days in our history. It is also called D-Day which means “disembarkation” day for military operations. But this was not an ordinary disembarkation day, but one that is remembered as THE D-DAY around the world. Military troops from all branches, all allied countries, landed on the shores of Normandy to push back the German army and start the end of World War II and liberate the European countries from Nazi control.
Approximately 156,000 allied troops participated in this invasion, including airborne units who parachuted in behind the enemy lines. Of those brave souls it is estimated more than 9,000 allied troops were killed or wounded that day.
If you are not familiar with this part of our history, I suggest you watch a couple of movies that I watch almost every year – “The Longest Day” and “Saving Private Ryan.” These movies, plus quite a few others, have formed my intense interest in this event and the battles that followed.
My dad and several uncles served during World War II; one of my uncles actually flew on D-Day to bomb German arms factories. But none of them really talked about the experience until very late in life. My mom had always talked about the war here on the home front with all the rations, the women taking over the jobs that men had done, the Victory Gardens, and other things that drastically changed our nation for the future. Some of my favorite books to read as a child were biographies of people from that time frame – obviously “Anne Frank’s Diary” was one of the first.
One of my biggest “Bucket List” things left to do is to visit Normandy and the areas in Europe where all these events took place. I have been researching trips and talking about it for years, and I have decided that TODAY is the day to put my plans in motion.
When I finish this column I am going to book a tour with “The Band of Brothers Tours” for next year so I can finally cross this off my list. As much as I would love to have a traveling companion, I have decided to go alone because I want to totally immerse myself in this history without distractions from someone who might not be as interested as I am. When I book the tour, I will be open to rooming with another person traveling solo – at least I’ll know they share my interest.
This day has another special place in my heart. Larry and I were married on June 6, 1992. And believe it or not, I don’t think I realized it was D-Day until just before the wedding. I was so wrapped up in finding the best day available, convenient and workable around everyone’s schedules that it slipped right out of my mind. Larry lived in Eclectic, and I was in Mobile, and we both had work schedules to think about, plus two of his boys were in school so all of that had to be considered.
I wanted as close to a real wedding as possible because my first marriage had been in the home of a notary public with just two friends in attendance. I was the assistant manager of a Days Inn in Mobile where the CSX railroad crews stayed so I was able to use those facilities and my contacts with food and beverage vendors to plan the event.
I was also a “tight-wad” back then and on a limited budget so my friends helped provide food for the reception, and I called in all my IOUs with people I had done business with. I bought a used wedding dress for $6 and a three-piece suit for Larry for $18 at the Junior League Thrift Store! It was marvelous.
We took Larry’s two younger sons with us on our honeymoon to Cherokee, North Carolina, where we went whitewater rafting, fishing and exploring some of their Cherokee heritage. We stayed in a cabin in the woods and ate at a restaurant that only served wild game foods – buffalo, rattlesnake, elk, rainbow trout, and deer. We always enjoyed going back there through the years.
Somehow, I guess there are underlying messages in this column that I was meant to think about today. Live every day like it may be your last. Love your family and friends as long as you can and tell them at every chance how important they are to you. Cherish the memories, but look to the future. Don’t sit down and give in to grief or sadness. Find YOUR sunshine and share it with others.
Now, I need to close and go book my tour! Until next week.
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