71 years ago today ... the Allies invaded Normandy, marking the start of the extended invasion from the Nazi's west (the Soviets were already attacking from the Nazi's east). After much hard fighting, the Allies brought the Nazis to their knees, and the European front of WWII was over.
I've walked Omaha beach in Normandy, and visited quite a few sites of battles in WWII. I've also visited three Nazi concentration camps, and the ruins of Soviet fortifications in Estonia, and Nazi gun emplacements outside St. Petersburg (Leningrad). While I've read quite a bit of history (especially of WWII and the rise to power of the Nazis and the Meiji), but physically visiting the sites of the events I'd read about was more moving, more profound than reading alone could ever be. On the Pacific side, I've visited Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Okinawa, Tarawa, and Peleliu. My reading of history and those experiences have shaped me, especially politically. I wish more Americans could (and would) do the same...
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