65 years ago today 156,000 Allied troops consiting of British, Americans and Canadians stormed the beaches of Normandy to begin the arduous task of releasing the Nazi grip that held Europe. 5000 vessels carrying almost 30,000 vehicles headed across the English Channel towards French beaches. Six parachute regiments dropped 13,000 men and 300 planes dropped 13,000 bombs on the German troops just ahead of the landings. The estimated allied casualties of D Day were approximately 10,000 with over 4,400 dead. Roughly 200,000 German troops were either wounded or killed. The D Day landings were a massive blow to Hitler which ended with him being forced into fighting a two fronted war with the Americans, British, and Canadians on the West and the Russians on the East. Within the space of a year he had committed suicide and the war in Europe came to an end.

Please take a moment alone with your thoughts today and be thankful for the sacrifices that these young men made so that we could have the freedoms that we have today. Had D Day resulted in defeat for the Allieds then where and who we all are today may have been a much different story altogether. The 65th Anniversary today will see many remaining veterans that are able returning to the landing sites and graveyards of the fallen for the very last time. By the time of the 70th anniversary, in 2014, the D-Day veterans will be in their 90s or no longer alive.

My day will be filled with thoughts of the fallen and surviving D Day veterans, those of "The Greatest Generation".  There will never again be such a selfless generation.