by Brett Manero.
Operation Overlord, commonly known as D-Day, occurred eight decades ago on June 6, 1944 AD. It is truly amazing that numerous survivors of the Normandy landings are still with us in 2024 AD. Eighty years later, they represent the last of the Greatest Generation, a generation which, as my father told me when I was sixteen, “saved the world.” It’s difficult for a sixteen-year old to understand this concept, but all of these years later, I see all the more just how true this statement is. The generation that defeated the Axis powers in the Second World War did indeed save the world.
In the great span of world history, eighty years is like nothing. And yet for the human person, it is a very long time indeed. What these men have witnessed throughout history is truly extraordinary: they grew up and were formed during the Great Depression, they fought and defeated the Axis powers, they literally changed the course of history, they witnessed the start and end of the Cold War, and they have lived through immense societal change during the last several decades.
These men are witnesses to history. And because of their selfless courage, history is better because of them. It is enormously emotional to think that the generation of the Second World War is soon to be gone, and because of that, their memory and their efforts must all the more be honored. Let us take a moment to reflect on just how extraordinary the victory of the Allied soldiers and sailors was.
They are some of history’s most significant witnesses. As I wrote earlier, their generation is almost entirely gone. The Second World War was a monumental event in world history. It was by far and away the largest conflict in history, which not only brought about the most human and physical damage than any other war, but also brought about the most change in the world. The imperial ambitions of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan were ended. The Allies were victorious, with the United States emerging as the most powerful nation in the world. The British Empire was approaching its end, but its offshoot – the United States – would continue its work as the preserver of peace. The pax Americana (“American peace”) would begin and continues to the present day, like the pax Britannica or the pax Romana before it. The Soviet Union likewise would emerge as a major superpower, ultimately controlling Eastern Europe until its demise in 1991. The Cold War would begin with the end of the Second World War, with the democratic-capitalist West ultimately being victorious over Soviet communism.
They defeated three empires. Think about this for a moment: from 1939-1941, the world was dangerously close to being dominated by the cruelty of Nazism and fascism. Germany and Japan especially came terrifyingly close to winning the war in its early years. Regular men from the cities, towns, and farms of America, Canada, England and Scotland, and Australia turned the tide.
They ended the Holocaust. It is sometimes shocking to think that less than a century ago, roughly one-third of all Jewish people throughout the world were systematically murdered in Germany’s “Final Solution.” Six million Jews were slaughtered in that terrible genocide, as well as five million others, including very many Catholics and other Christians. One of the most grotesque and horrific acts by any nation in history, the defeat of Nazi Germany ended that horrendous act of genocide. We can thank the Allied armies for bringing an end to the worst genocide in history. The end of the Holocaust would also partially lead to the establishment of the modern State of Israel in the Middle East. How ironic that a madman like Hitler desired to murder the entire Jewish nation, and yet the Jewish people rose again. Hitler, meanwhile, died by his own gun in a bunker underneath Berlin.
They saved the world. Of course, they did not save the world in the same way that Jesus Christ saves the world, but in a very real way, they did indeed save it. It is unthinkable what the world would resemble today if it were dominated by victorious Axis powers. Nazi Germany’s horrifically racist ideology would have dominated Europe and much of the world, with Imperial Japan dominating the Eastern world. Liberal democracy would have been suppressed. The Judeo-Christian faith would be oppressed and persecuted. The world would abide in a dreadfully dark place. It is very true that the modern world is far from perfect, with its own list of many problems. But the alternative would have been far worse.
How did they do it? Firstly, they had to do it. Failure was not an option. It is impressive what the human person is capable of when necessity demands it. I think it is undeniably true that the Greatest Generation had much stronger resilience than current generations. Why is that? Perhaps because they had grown up during the Great Depression during the 1930’s, that decade immediately preceding the Second World War. They knew exactly what it was like to struggle, but it was also like to work hard. They knew what it was like to be hungry and in need and yet to still find a way to survive. They knew how to fight, and fought they did. Perhaps it was the work of Divine Providence that allowed this generation to be formed so brilliantly during the adversarial years of the Depression, building that stamina and courage in them that would defeat the Axis powers in the years to come. What an example of how God brings good out of evil.
Lastly, there is something extraordinarily unique about Overlord. In Normandy, there are several cemeteries containing the fallen of the Allied armies who stormed the beaches and fought in the villages during the weeks following. It is common in the history of mankind that nations conquer each other, but it is far less common that nations liberate each other. It is even less common that soldiers from one nation are buried in a foreign nation because they fought to liberate that nation from tyranny, rather than to conquer it. This is perhaps the greatest sign that Operation Overlord is the most important in history.
The Greatest Generation is almost gone. This is an immensely emotional reality, but it is not too late to express our thanks to them. They truly did save the world, and so much of our current freedom and prosperity is linked to their courage and sacrifice. Let us give thanks for them and for the blessings of freedom.