Over the last couple of years, I’ve told you about my great Uncle Joaquin. He would always turn our visits to his home outside of Havana into history lessons, from President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address to war stories. “Tio Joaquin”, as we called him, was a judge, a teacher, an attorney and someone who was determined to pass on the great lessons of history.
D-Day and war stories were among his favorites.
As my Tio Joaquin would say, the World War II generation earned place in our hearts. They were the young men who went to war against Hitler and liberated Europe. Over 400,000 died.
On D-Day 1944, thousands of US soldiers were killed landing at Normandy.
On that day, Pres. Roosevelt went on radio and spoke these words to the world:
“Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom. And for us at home — fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters and brothers of brave men overseas — whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them — help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice. Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a countenance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.” (FDR’s D-Day Prayer)
Sadly, we are losing World War II veterans daily. 16 million served. Most are in their 90’s today and at a rate of 372 a day.
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