On Thursday, June 6, the World War 2 Guys were honored to be involved with a ceremony to mark and remember the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. The event was quickly put together by Bill Williams of Patriotic Productions the week before the anniversary. Former Omaha mayor, Hal Daub, served as the MC of the early morning event. Four paratroopers jumped on Memorial Park which is always an awe-inspiring experience. World War 2 Guys unit commander, Eric Krelle, served as the keynote speaker and delivered a heart-felt speech about the ways in which D-Day has intersected with his life over the past four decades. It was a beautiful morning and all of us felt very happy to be able to remember the men who jumped from the skies and stormed the beaches 80 years ago on this date.

After we finished up with the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, several of the World War 2 Guys raced over to the dedication ceremony for the new Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This was an event over two years in the making and well worth the wait. The ceremony was hosted by Rob McCartney of KETV and 11 different speakers shared their comments including Nebraska Governor, Jim Pillen and former U.S. Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel. After the formal ceremony, everyone made their way up to the memorial on the top of the hill west of Sumtur Amphitheater. What a sight to behold!  The new memorial is breathtaking and extremely impressive! The main attraction is an authentic Bell UH-1 "Huey" Helicopter that served in the Vietnam War complete with a life-like bronze crew sculpted by a talented local artist, Troy Muller.  On the ground below the helicopter is a statue grouping of two soldiers carrying their wounded buddy to the safety of the incoming chopper. Joe and Eric served as military consultants for this project and are two of the models used to create this exceptional piece of artwork. But the highlight of the day was spending time talking with several Vietnam veterans and a few spouses as well. It was so special to connect with some of these men and hear a few of their stories and experiences during the war. June 6 was a once in a lifetime day for our group and we were so happy to be a part of it.