The D-Day Lottery

Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword. Such simple words betray the horror that occurred on these beaches on June 6, 1944. The soldiers who survived the Normandy Invasion, sometimes called the D-Day Lottery, are old men now. Many are gone, but for those who remain, the images of that day are unforgettable. 

How does a young fellow forget seeing the dismembered body of his buddy? Whether destroyed by a water mine or bullet before ever reaching shore or mowed down by waiting German artillery, the idea of war became a living nightmare for soldiers commanded to “take the beaches.” How do you take a beach when you’re being blown to bits? And yet that’s what they did.

Allied forces accomplished the seemingly impossible. Thousands paid the ultimate price. Thousands more paid with an arm or leg or other injury that crippled or disfigured them for life, but the word they clung to as blood rushed from their bodies was “life.” Watching a documentary or reading an account of that stormy spring day one thing becomes clear. It’s life that is important, not the missing limb or the loss of a handsome face.

It’s easier to understand the necessity for our involvement in World Wars, but I can’t grasp the current logic of sending troops into one conflict after another when very little seems to be gained. Ignored by visual media, recent wars have become like phantoms, rarely given a thought by the general public until a friend returns home in a flag-draped coffin or a loved one commits suicide as a result of battle stress.   

Politicians and generals warn us about terrorism if we don’t eradicate Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Like a Hare Krishna mantra, we hear the daily drum beat that 14 years after 9/11 war is still necessary to maintain our safety. If we stopped trying to colonize the Middle East, perhaps terrorist threats would stop and our soldiers could come home.

Recently an acquaintance said war is good for the economy, entrepreneurs, and contractors who rebuild what we have bombed. And furthermore, everyone knows there are no jobs for returning vets. I agreed some folks do get rich from war, but asked if combat was a viable means of employment and should the killing continue so McDonald’s can open a restaurant in Kabul. My friend made no reply.

I wonder if the soldiers disembarking from landing crafts in 1944 shouted, “Long live the economy.” Seems a little far-fetched to me and an insult to the memory of those who died on foreign beaches 71 years ago or in Afghanistan yesterday. When watching documentaries, I’ve yet to hear a dying soldier mention the economy. Amidst the noise of the battlefield, it’s always the call for mother and home that echoes the loudest. 

Hopefully, those who profit from war will share their bounty with our heroes, the volunteer men and women who fight the enemy and unknowingly pave the way for entrepreneurs to safely enter foreign lands. It’s something to think about on D-Day.