Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day. I have been very fortunate to go to Normandy on a number of occasions and I walked through the cemetery of white crosses and some Jewish Stars of David. I also walked along Omaha Beach.

However, I got more of a feeling of what D-Day is all about after watching the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan". It was chilling. Later I watched actual footage of the invasion as well as interviews of those who survived it. Looking at the pictures and knowing from the interviews that the water was red with blood with body parts were floating everywhere and dead bodies lying all over the beach, I could only feel a deep sadness and horror when imagining what it must have been like.

From Omaha Beach I could see the 10-story bluffs that the boys had to climb in order to reach the German enemy to try and stop the gunfire. In the words of columnist Mike Barnacle, "They were simply Americans - Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant, Greek, French, Irish, Italian, and Polish. The sons of wealth as well as poverty; the sons of doctors, engineers, poets, farmers, and street sweepers. They came because they were called to a higher duty by their government."

This morning I saw what was left of the surviving young men whose ages now range from 97 to over 100 as they received a medal of merit from the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and President Joseph Biden. They could hardly stand up to receive their medal. Time has taken a toll and they are no longer young, but their memories were still sharp and their hearts humble.

80 years have passed since they hit the beach in Normandy, running through the horrific killing field on that beach on this day, June 6, in 1944. A lot of time has gone by but we, as Americans, continue our fight for freedom around the world, whether it's in Ukraine, the Pacific rim, or trying to find a way for peace in Gaza.

To me these old men stand as a symbol of courage, determination, and duty. We cannot forget those many young lives that were cut short that day. Lives that would never see their families again or have a family of their own. They would never attend a baptism or wedding, go to college, have a career, and enjoy all of the things we take for granted.

I thank them for all they have done to allow me and so many others the life we have. I also pray that we will keep the vigil of freedom and democracy for which they made the supreme sacrifice.