06 JUNE 1944

A man of eighty years walks slowly
Through the never-ending sear of ivory crosses
He staggers, his legs collapse
The emotion. . .the memories are all too much

His family rushes to his side
But nothing can prevent the flood
Crystal tears travel slowly down his wrinkled face
As his cerulean eyes play a show that only he can see

That fateful day, remembered as D-Day. . .June 6, 1944
Thousands of hearts raced in unison as the boats drew closer to the shore
How many actually knew they would die that day?
How many had a feeling in their bones that today would be their last?

Metal hulls scraped the sandy bottom
Commands were shouted
It was time to rush the enemy
To die in the name of freedom

The ramps dropped, feet slapped the water
And then all hell broke loose
Bullets rained down, piercing through clothing so quickly
Screams of agony fill the air

The blood of brave men stains the ocean
Turning the tide a deadly shade of crimson
A few bodies sink to the seafloor
As hundreds more begin to litter the sand

More horrible screams
Blood flows freely from gaping wounds
Limbs are missing; soldiers drag themselves up the beach
With each shot, a brother, a son, a father is killed

Eventually, our heroes gain some ground
Scanning the beach below them, their hearts break
So many innocent men, dead before they even had a chance
Lost in the name of freedom

A man of eighty years kneels before an ivory cross
Tears freely falling down his face
For all the men who prevailed and saved our nation
And for all the men that the engraved crosses stood for

- - - - -

Written on 11 October 2003.

Inspired by the portrayal of the actual events of D-Day as seen in Saving Private Ryan.