Sacrifices of many made this country great

June 6 is almost upon us. This letter is not just a reminder of that day, but also a day to remember we live in the greatest country in the world.

I fly our beautiful flag on a 20-foot flag pole in the front of my house and on my car. Call me a superpatriot if you choose, but when I see that flag every day, I see the faces of heroes - men and women who died to keep our country free.

I am one of the still-living survivors of D-Day, having landed on Utah Beach in the greatest invasion ever known.

One can never forget the noise, the screams of the wounded and dying, the sight of those who didn't make it off the beach, the sound and flash coming from U.S. Navy ships just off-shore that supported our landings.

I can still see Gen. Teddy Roosevelt walking up and down the beach in full view of the enemy, prodding and encouraging us to advance beyond the sand dunes. We did and carried out our mission to link up with paratroopers who had landed in St-Mere-Eglise hours before.

I've been back to that beachhead and town three times since the war ended, and the memories keep flooding back.

I never forget, and I implore you to never forget the sacrifices made by those men and women.　Please take a moment to reflect and remember that day 73 years ago.

Long live the United States of America. God bless America the land of the free and the home of the brave.

The writer lives in Myrtle Beach.

This story was originally published June 4, 2017 at 10:53 AM with the headline "Sacrifices of many made this country great."