Dudley Henriques
June 3rd 04, 04:58 AM
I don't post much around here any more, but I thought I'd drop by just
long enough to share these thoughts with those of you who might
appreciate them.
Departing from the aviation scene for just a moment, I would like to
again share
with you a reflection about D Day that I posted last year about this
time.
Remembering D Day surely affects people in different ways. This is only
natural. The event certainly affected many lives, each in a particular
and
personal way. One only has to stand among the grave markers at Normandy
to
realize the sheer personal impact on human lives.
I wasn't present during the landings, so my personal memory is of course
much different from those who were. You can talk to any veteran who was
there that day, and they all seem to have that same look in their eyes
as
they speak; that far away tear filled emotional look that usually is
accompanied by a hesitation in the voice, as they remember some long ago
moment in time, when in the span of a few seconds, something happened to
them, or they witnessed something so horrible that it has remained with
them
all their lives. It's in meeting and talking to these veterans, that you
begin to realize the price of war.
My thoughts about D day are perhaps unique to me; perhaps not. They
concern a
man I never met or knew in any way, yet his image has remained with me
all
my life, and will remain with me until I die. Every year on June 6th, I
see
him again. I've seen him in countless movies at both the theatre and at
home
on television. I seriously doubt if there has been a single year gone by
in
my life when I haven't seen him at least once or twice. I don't know his
name, but I feel closely bound to him anyway. I can honestly say that
I've
thought about this man enough during my life to easily qualify him as a
close friend, even though he remains unknown to me.
My friend appears in a 3 second film clip, shot on the beach by a combat
photographer while obviously under heavy fire. The clip shows several
men,
American solders, running in from the water's edge. The fire is quite
heavy;
machine gun bullets spraying the sand around the soldiers as they run.
My
unknown friend lives in this clip just long enough to take two steps.
He's
at the lower left side of the screen. Then he's hit and falls forward,
obviously dead.
This film clip has been seen by almost everyone in the world at one time
or
another. I'm willing to bet heavily that there are many reading this
post
who are now thinking about the many times they have seen this soldier
die
and thought to themselves just as I have thought through the years; who
was
this man?
I have lived my life surrounded by military airplanes and those who fly
them, yet, my most personal memory of war is associated with this one
unknown
soldier dying on a beach in France.
He appeared in my life only a few seconds many years ago in a film clip,
and I have absolutely no idea who he
was, but to me he represents something I never want to forget; that war,
above anything else, is deeply personal!
--
Dudley A. Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot/CFI/Retired
long enough to share these thoughts with those of you who might
appreciate them.
Departing from the aviation scene for just a moment, I would like to
again share
with you a reflection about D Day that I posted last year about this
time.
Remembering D Day surely affects people in different ways. This is only
natural. The event certainly affected many lives, each in a particular
and
personal way. One only has to stand among the grave markers at Normandy
to
realize the sheer personal impact on human lives.
I wasn't present during the landings, so my personal memory is of course
much different from those who were. You can talk to any veteran who was
there that day, and they all seem to have that same look in their eyes
as
they speak; that far away tear filled emotional look that usually is
accompanied by a hesitation in the voice, as they remember some long ago
moment in time, when in the span of a few seconds, something happened to
them, or they witnessed something so horrible that it has remained with
them
all their lives. It's in meeting and talking to these veterans, that you
begin to realize the price of war.
My thoughts about D day are perhaps unique to me; perhaps not. They
concern a
man I never met or knew in any way, yet his image has remained with me
all
my life, and will remain with me until I die. Every year on June 6th, I
see
him again. I've seen him in countless movies at both the theatre and at
home
on television. I seriously doubt if there has been a single year gone by
in
my life when I haven't seen him at least once or twice. I don't know his
name, but I feel closely bound to him anyway. I can honestly say that
I've
thought about this man enough during my life to easily qualify him as a
close friend, even though he remains unknown to me.
My friend appears in a 3 second film clip, shot on the beach by a combat
photographer while obviously under heavy fire. The clip shows several
men,
American solders, running in from the water's edge. The fire is quite
heavy;
machine gun bullets spraying the sand around the soldiers as they run.
My
unknown friend lives in this clip just long enough to take two steps.
He's
at the lower left side of the screen. Then he's hit and falls forward,
obviously dead.
This film clip has been seen by almost everyone in the world at one time
or
another. I'm willing to bet heavily that there are many reading this
post
who are now thinking about the many times they have seen this soldier
die
and thought to themselves just as I have thought through the years; who
was
this man?
I have lived my life surrounded by military airplanes and those who fly
them, yet, my most personal memory of war is associated with this one
unknown
soldier dying on a beach in France.
He appeared in my life only a few seconds many years ago in a film clip,
and I have absolutely no idea who he
was, but to me he represents something I never want to forget; that war,
above anything else, is deeply personal!
--
Dudley A. Henriques
International Fighter Pilots Fellowship
Commercial Pilot/CFI/Retired