Alva Review-Courier -

A tear welled up in Hal’s eye, a deep sadness etched across his face as he recalled the moment. Omaha Beach, the day after the D-Day invasion. Hal had been tasked by his company commander to go back down onto the beach and retrieve some equipment. A farm boy from Iowa now deep into his 60s, he shared this memory with me, his words below.

“It was a beautiful day – the sun was out, the sky blue, the water calm. But there on the sandy beach stretching out before me on down the beach were the bodies, the carnage from the day before. It was so peaceful and quiet and … and …” Hal’s voice trailed off...