D-Day. 76 years ago today, our brave veterans descended upon the beaches of Normandy to conquer the enemy. They were met with tremendous opposition, not just from the enemy but having to overcome the waves as they disembarked. Last November I was able to visit the World War II Museum in New Orleans and one of the first artifacts I saw was the landing craft on Normandy designed by Andrew Higgins, the New Orleans businessman whose contributions to the United States during the war were unsurpassed. As I walked through the exhibits, the explanation of what we as a country were up against and the artifacts that helped tell the story were emotionally draining. Our opposition was considerably better equipped than we when the war in Europe began. A victory seemed impossible. But we as a nation as well as our allies helped restore order and peace throughout the world by August of 1945. How could we as a country gone through something so horrific? And those men on the front lines were put through hell and uncertainty. Among the people at the museum were veterans who fought in World War II who were there to greet the patrons. They shook hands, answered questions and provided a wealth of knowledge. Seeing them, I thought a great deal of my great uncle Silvio who fought in Europe. He landed in Normandy on D-Day and was part of the third wave of men who landed. I tried many times to get him to talk about it and share his adventures, but he quickly dismissed it. I did not want to press him, if it was something he was not comfortable talking about, but there was so much I wanted to learn. But on this day, we need to remember those who fought and what they did to bring the horrific events to an end. Here’s to all of you!