Reflections on D-Day and Its Enduring Legacy
June 6, 1944—known around the world as D-Day—marks a date that holds deep meaning for me. As a baby boomer, I was born into a legacy shaped by the Greatest Generation—the brave men and women who fought to secure our freedom during World War II.
That heroic generation, my parents’ and their friends’, returned from conflict with an unwavering resolve to rebuild America. In Bonners Ferry, civic life blossomed as returning GIs sought to heal wounds and serve their communities.
Organizations such as the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Lions Club, Shriners, Knights of Pythias, Elks Club, Junior Chambers of Commerce, Kiwanis Club, and the Masons experienced renewed vitality. This was a golden age of service, where the spirit of community transformed our towns and, indeed, our nation.
I was fortunate to grow up surrounded by these remarkable citizens, and later, as a young man, I had the honor of serving as an elected official among them. In my early years on the council, mentors who had experienced the fires of war shared their invaluable stories. Councilman Ray Houck, a B-17 tail gunner, relayed tales of daring missions over enemy territory.
Mayor Harold Sims and City Attorney Pete Wilson, infantrymen who advanced from trench to trench across a ravaged Europe, impressed upon me a clear sense of duty and righteousness. State Senator Don Howe, State Representative Marion Davidson, and City Councilman Bob Pace, whose ordeal as a fighter pilot during the Battle of the Bulge and liberation as a prisoner of war only deepened his resolve, offered lessons in courage, sacrifice, and the unwavering clarity of right and wrong.
Inspired by these accounts and moved by the letters my father-in-law, Jack Guthrie—himself a participant in D-Day—wrote home, my wife Patty and I journeyed to Normandy, France. We retraced his footsteps from the beaches of Normandy to Germany—a pilgrimage that profoundly reshaped my understanding of both our world and the tragic cost of war.
Standing atop a concrete bunker on Omaha Beach, I imagined the scene as D-Day dawned and felt a powerful connection to the past, watching the vast, relentless force of the invasion in my mind’s eye. A short drive north along the Normandy coast brought us to the American Cemetery. Crossing from French into hallowed American soil, we were met by an endless sea of white crosses and Stars of David—each marking the sacrifice of a young life. Seeing names and ages—17, 18, 19—the tears began to fall.
These were children, gone too soon, never to return home to build a future or join in the community endeavors that so defined our generation. They rested here, side by side with their comrades, so that through their supreme sacrifice, the freedoms we cherish might endure. The story of D-Day and the sacrifices of World War II must never be forgotten.
We owe it to the gallant souls of that era to remember their lessons and carry forward their spirit of unity and service. While I sometimes fear that the passionate commitment to community may be waning, let us recognize that our collective strength can meet any challenge when we work together. In the spirit of D-Day, let us resolve to make family and community our highest priorities. May we honor these heroic memories every day, keeping alive the values of sacrifice, integrity, and patriotism that shaped our nation.
May God bless the memories of these gallant men, may God bless you, and may God bless America.