Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Crossing

In the early hours of August 19th, nearly 5000 men, mostly Canadians, slipped away from the English coast in the dark of night and headed towards the beaches of France. Their goal was to test the strength of German defences. They were scheduled to hit the beaches as dawn broke, take the town and its surrounding defences, and then retreat back to England..
Murray writes ...
My thoughts are of the men who sailed out of this port at midnight on August 19th, almost 70 years ago. What must they have been feeling? Leaving Newhaven on ships, making their way through the darkness towards the French coast, clambering down into landing craft as the coast came within sight, standing crowded together as the crafts pushed their way over and through the swells, overwhelmed by the crude roar of their boat's engines, the crashing of the waves against the craft, and the increasing sounds of airplanes and their machine guns overhead. I imagine each man waiting in silence, alone with his own thoughts as they got ready for their run to the beaches. I imagine them reflecting on their lives, and savoring the memories of those most precious to them: their parents, their families, their friends, their communities. I imagine them holding them close as if clinging to the most positive aspects of life itself would add another shield to their armour. I imagine them feeling brave, and feeling scared, as they contemplated the unknown, which was fast approaching. They each had a past, but none had a future that was certain. No one knew what battle really would be like; no one knew who might pay a price. No one knew, as those craft approached the shore, who would be there tomorrow.

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