Freedom

I have always been grateful to live in America. But I really didnt understand the cost of that freedom until June of 2000. I was with my family in Europe, having a fun vacation. I knew our next stop was the d-day beaches, but I didn't really understand the significance of that. The next few days were amazing. We saw the beaches that the American soldiers approached Europe on. We saw the mines-now inactive that we're there to stop anyone from attempting to come that way. We saw the huge bunkers with guns where the German soldiers shot at our soldiers from. We saw the craters in the ground- now covered with grass, where bombs were dropped. And we saw the old men, all with some part of their old uniform, with tears streaming down their faces as they remembered the first time they were at this beach and their friends who died that day. Then we saw the cemetery, with rows and rows and rows of white crosses and stars. We saw the names of all the soldiers who died there so that we could be free. I saw the look on my brother's face and understood why he was in the Army. Because our country still needs to fight for freedom, an we need brave men and women to do that fighting. Thank you to all who have served and still serve!