‘It’s hard to think about sometimes’: Saturday marks 82nd anniversary of D-Day landings

“Canada was a volunteer army during World War II so every man and woman who stepped up and volunteered knew that they’re putting their life on their line to end the Nazi regime and evil in the world.”

Map of the D-Day landings. (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Thousands of soldiers were killed or wounded on Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches on the French coastline. Sands said the invasion also had a profound impact on the families of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“All of a sudden they’re getting messages or people visiting saying ‘you lost your son’ or ‘you lost your daughter.’ That’s got to be horrible when you think about it,” Sands said. “For those who made it through, having to live with the memories of what they saw, they did, and what they had to do to make sure that we enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy today is hard to think about sometimes.”

Sands said its also important to always stop and recognize the sacrifices made by World War II and other veterans over the years.

“Our world may be messed up, but you’ve got to wonder and think about what it would be like if those men and women didn’t step up and do what they needed to do,” Sands added.

by Victor Kaisar

‘It’s hard to think about sometimes’: Saturday marks 82nd anniversary of D-Day landings

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