D Day

On June 6, 1944 they left the "relative" safely of their landing crafts and stormed the beach, running though the blood soaked bodies of their brothers in the waves.
And to where?
There was no place on the beach to take shelter.
It was up to them to build such a place.
Such bravery, such courage, such dedication, to their brothers on the beach and to mankind.

I do not know what drives men to such heroic acts.
Maybe it is the belief that the good of mankind must come before their own safety.
Whatever it is, it must be a very strong belief.

Across the years and across the miles this scene is repeated.
In the South Pacific, in Europe, in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East and other wars.
It is repeated here at home too.
Every time a firefighter enters a burning building to search for people, every time a cop runs into a sky scraper hit by a suicide plane, every time a  rescue worker searches through a storm or earthquake zone, or rushes towards a marathon bomb site or a burning fertilizer plant, every time a teacher shields her students from bullets.

It is the best of mankind at the worst of times.

How can I honor the heroes of D Day and all the days when men and women, and sometimes children, are willing to put themselves in harms way for the betterment of others?
Maybe simply by following their example of love for my fellow man.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."