D-Day in Normandy

Today is the memorial the of D-Day. 

"Le debarquement de Normandie" in my language.

65 years ago, thousands of American soldiers arrived on the coast of Normandy. Thousands were savagely killed as soon as they set foot on the long barren French coasts. The world would probably look totally different if it wasn`t for their sacrifice.

However, I have  followed the celebrations distantly. Not out of lack of interest of course, but because there are times when I seem to just can`t take news anymore.

While briefly watching a footage of Obama, Sarkozy and several other heads of states in Normandy today, I felt very positive and emotional about our political leaders wanting to not just let history`s lessons fade into a mere lapse of memory.

Whether or not this really prevents us from starting new wars again and again is unfortunately debatable.

Angela Merkel`s gratitude to the allies for defeated Germany at the end of the war was very powerful too. Without support and forgivemess, Germany would never have had a chance to get passed the horrors of the nazi regime and start almost from scratch. 

I liked being reminded of the bond we have with the thousands of American, Australian, Canadian soldiers who gave their lives in Normandy (probably not all that willingly! They had no choice) and the gratitude we owe them to have fought for a cause they could probably not even conceptualize until some of the survivors made their way east and saw the prisoners of the concentrations camps. 

Gratitude for the willingness of Europe and the new American administration to achieve peace especially in the middle east.

Gratitude for this personal bond I have with America, a country where for many reasons I have planted some meaningful seeds for the last 28 years, and more so for the last two!

P.