76 years ago today the greatest amphibious invasion in history took place. The Allies landed in Normandy, starting the liberation of France from under the power of Nazi Germany. The mobilization of so many soldiers, paratroopers, sailors, and airmen has not been seen since.
So much has been written about D-Day, so many movies have been made, and still we cannot possibly know or fully understand what those who went through it experienced. Hopefully, no one ever will.
The closest any of us may come to understanding is the scenes of D-Day as depicted in the movie Saving Private Ryan. I watched that movie with my then roommate, his father, and his father’s friend. Both of the older gentlemen were veterans of WWII and had landed on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. As the scenes depicting Omaha Beach were showing on the screen, I could see my roommate’s father as his hands gripped the armrests, knuckles pale. His friend had tears running down his face.
The only thing they said as we left the movie theater was “That’s what it was like.” It was a quiet ride home.
It is with this in mind that I present this video, the music composed by John Williams for the movie.
