According to the National World War II Museum, less than 1% of American World War II veterans are still alive today. In 10 years, fewer than 1,000 may remain.
Gen. George S. Patton once remarked, “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”
These words resonate deeply with me as we recently concluded another Memorial Day and now mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
June 6, 1944, stands as one of the most pivotal moments in modern history. Seven thousand Allied ships, including more than 4,000 landing craft, sailed across the English Channel in the largest armada ever assembled.
After the 100-mile crossing, over 150,000 Allied service members stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. They joined thousands of American, British and Canadian paratroopers dropped earlier behind enemy lines to open a much-needed Western Front in Europe.
Among these courageous few were many from our state. Indeed, walk the Normandy American Cemetery, in France, and you’ll find the names of over 500 Illinois World War II veterans eternally chiseled in stone, 59 of whom died on D-Day.
In total, more than 200 Illinois service members died on June 6, 1944, alongside over 4,400 American and Allied forces.
