FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK
The iconic photo of General Eisenhower meeting with paratroopers hours before the invasion began. June 6 is the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, the 1944 Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II to begin the liberation of France from Nazi Germany.
Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
A young and proud military man at the airport the other day asked me what my dad did in the Army. I stuttered about his joining the military and his different job descriptions.
What I should have told him was that my father shipped to England where he awaited D-Day, crossed the beaches at Normandy, fought to liberate Europe from the Nazis, was shipped to the Philippines and then to Japan for the occupation. He was later among the first U.S. soldiers sent to fight in Korea.
My father spoke almost nothing of his wartime experience; I only learned of it while tracking his uniform ribbons. I do remember him saying that we would never know about those years of his life. A humble and dedicated patriot, my father was a great man and I forever appreciate all that he did for his family and country.
Mary Monkoski
Kapolei
EXPRESS YOURSELF
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser welcomes all opinions. Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor.
>> Write us: We welcome letters up to 150 words, and guest columns of 500-600 words. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and length. Include your name, address and daytime phone number.
>> Mail: Letters to the Editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser 7 Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana, Suite #7-500 Honolulu, HI 96813
>> Contact: 529-4831 (phone), letters@staradvertiser.com, staradvertiser.com/editorial/submit-letter