On this day, about Sixty-Three years ago, thousands of brave men fought and died storming the beaches along the Normandy coast of France in order to breach Nazi Germany's Fortress Europe. It saw the largest gathering of forces ever seen at that time, and since.  The operation had been in planning since 1942, and it harbored one of the most clever schemes to keep it a secret from the Germans.  Precluded the previous day by a massive airborne assault, the infantry who disembarked from the landing crafts found themselves  in hell in some places, and in others a ''walk-on-the-beach.''  It was here that the average infantryman showed his cunning under battle, and eventually pushed up through the beaches and into the hedgerows and farmland farther back.  Thousands of men, from the various countries of the Allies, lost their lives that day June 6, 1944, but their sacrifice had not been in vain, and eventually, the Allies kicked in the door of Nazi Germany's Fortress Europe.

If you have a relative, or know someone, who was there on this historic day, if you haven't already, or even if you have, listen to their story, and thank them for their sacrifices.