KYIV, Ukraine—This week we honor the soldiers who saved Europe by storming the beaches of Normandy 75 years ago on D-Day—June 6, 1944.
These soldiers were not born and bred to be warriors. No, they were born as free men, with other plans besides going to war. Family. Career. A life lived with purpose in peace and in pursuit of happiness. These were the ordinary dreams of ordinary men. But fate had the last word. Theirs was a generation unfortunately born into a historical moment that demanded exceptional sacrifices.