Perspective: Learning from our military heroes

Memorial Day, D-Day, Flag Day, Independence Day.

It is a patriotic time of year in which we can appreciate our country's history and the honorable actions of our veterans.

We should also learn from their example.

For instance, they have taught us time and time again that some situations call for individuals to step up and make a decision or take action.

One such example is the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944, in which the United States, Britain, Canada, and other Allied forces invaded France to liberate it from Germany's grip. It was a great turning point in World War II.

According to historians Gerald Astor and Stephen Ambrose, one of the deciding factors in the outcome of D-Day was that Allied forces at the forefront of the battle had autonomy to make prompt combat adjustments while the German defenders seemed paralyzed by indecision.

Lives hung in the balance on the northern beaches of France, as many Americans were under heavy fire. But their willingness to make decisions and take action saved the day, as well as many of their own lives.

On the other side, German officers knew they needed more military reinforcements but couldn't get them, because important decisions came from places as far away as Berchtesgaden, Germany, where Adolf Hitler spent much time residing in the safety of his "Eagle's Nest."

Hitler was sleeping when the D-Day invasion began and no one woke him to ask for his orders.

According to Ambrose, German panzer divisions (made up of armor and infantry) couldn't be utilized by German officers who wanted to mount a counterattack because they were not released by Hitler. "It was madness," Ambrose wrote.

Irish-American journalist Cornelius Ryan, in his book "The Longest Day," quoted one German general describing the situation as "the chaos of leadership."

Astor wrote that there were mishaps, confusion, and a breakdown in the chain of command on the American side as well, but there were individuals who took the initiative and made a difference as "handfuls of determined men with the most junior people in charge."

Ambrose described D-Day in bonus footage provided with the movie "Saving Private Ryan." He said of the Americans on the beaches: "This was a battle in which there was no retreat. There wasn't any way to go back. So you either stayed there and got killed or you did something about it. What happened was - that over here a captain, over here a second lieutenant, down there a sergeant - who had men around him, he didn't even know their names the confusion was so great. He said, "Screw this. I'm gonna get killed here. I'm going up that bluff and I'm gonna take some Germans with me now who's with me?'"

It took great courage for those men to fight their way to victory. But it first took great resolve to do their job even when their own ranks were already decimated.

Ambrose summed it up well in his book "D-Day June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II." He wrote, "The men fighting for democracy were able to make quick, on-site decisions and act on them; the men fighting for the totalitarian regime were not."

We can never repay our military heroes for how they carried out their duties. Perhaps the best we can do is follow their example where we can.

Most of us will never find ourselves in a situation as dire as lying face down on a beach with bullets flying inches over our head, but we do have opportunities almost every day to make a difference by doing what's best for everyone involved.

Most of our combat veterans, both living and dead, would tell us that we should strive to make a better world within the parameters of the freedom they helped preserve.

So while you or I may never see combat, at the very least we should faithfully honor our own responsibilities and commitments, even at those times when we must do so in the face of adversity. On any given day, any one of us may need to step forward and make a decision or take action, much like American heroes did on D-Day more than 70 years ago.

We owe that to them, to our families, and to our country.

David Wilson, EdD, is the associate principal at Jefferson City High School. You may e-mail him at [email protected].