OT D-Day
 

June 6, as we all know, is a historic day. It probably will go virtually unnoticed this year but not by me. I remember the date every year.

High school students should be required to watch "Saving Private Ryan" as part of their history lessons.

We must never forget the sacrifices and courage of the World War II generation. They are true heroes. My great-uncle was one of those heroes. Although not at D-Day, he was killed in action by shrapnel from German mortar and artillery fire in Italy in February 1945. I have many of his personal belongings, including his billfold that is torn from shrapnel. It still contains the stub from his $15 army paycheck that he sent home to his parents.

In one of the letters he wrote home before he was killed, he wrote, "I would like to be back home on the farm, but I know we've got a job to do."

Re: OT D-Day
 

Matt, this is one of those things one finds hard to write about. But a great many people will certainly never forget those who gave their lives for our freedom. Patrick

Re: BAND OF BROTHERS
 

For those of you who loved "Saving Pt. Ryan", I just saw a Tom Hanks interview, where he was extolling the above TV series, soon to be on HBO. It will be based on Steven Ambrose's fine book "Citizen Solider", which starts at D-Day and follows the "common" dogface thru the rest of WW2. Judging from the clip shown, this will show a lot of small arms of both sides (in clip saw a Garand, MG34 & MG40) and not the romance of Pearl Harbor or Enemy at the Gates. I may have to get cable just for this one and the Sopranos.

Re: BAND OF BROTHERS
 

Steven Ambrose also has a book titled, "Band of Brothers," which I highly recommend. It is an oral history, interviews with the survivors of a paratrooper company (I can't remember whether 82nd or 101st). He follows them through training, parachuting into France on D-Day, operation Market Garden, and the liberation of Hitler's liar in Bavaria. He also attends some of their reunions years later. Excellent!