Today the news is filled with remembrances of the heroism of the soldiers who stormed the beach at Normandy. But why have we as a society forgotten the heroism of those who, on that terrible day, took French classes and played baseball in the afternoon?

This question is particularly piquant for me because my grandfather was one of these heroes. Here’s the cover of his journal from World War II:

Journal
—
CA Det D3D1
—
First U.S. Army
—
Normandy
Northern France
Germany
Cour Z

And here’s his entry for June 6th, 1944:

6 June 1944

French class and road march made up morning schedule. Detachment played baseball in the afternoon, after which all members discussed implications of D-day.

Just imagining what it was like for those young men gives me chills.

(He did end up in France ten days later.)