I took this at the American Cemetary near the beaches of Normandy. It was a serene, beautiful place and a very powerful experience. Go there or to Arlington if you ever get a chance. These places are sacred ground and represent the ultimate sacrifice paid by those we honor on Memorial day. The picture below puts you right there. I've often wondered about Calvin Webb, and the rest of those Guys resting in that far away place. William Rennick USN Ret.
I just spent a couple of hours trying to find Calvin on the web. He was in the 82nd Fighter Squadron whose main mission was escorting long range bombers on their runs into Germany. In Feb. 1944 the 82nd was assigned to clearing the skies over Normandy in preparation for D-Day. Calvin was shot down April 1, 1944, more than 2 months before D-day. Here's a link to learn about the 82nd. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/78th_Fighter_Group
It is something what these brave men endured during WWII. To give you an idea of the scale of dead and wounded this link shows the list for one battle, Tarawa. My uncle, George Korhel is on that list. He was wounded in action. Died many years ago, 1976 I think. Let us honor all who fought and paid the tab for our freedom. http://tarawa1943.com/pages/casualties tarawa.htm#AA
Operation Praying Mantis took place in 1988. It was the biggest naval surface combat operation since WW II. I remember being told that two of ours were killed that day, in fact my ship was involved in the search and rescue, (we didn't find them that day, but navy divers found them a month later). I was always embarrassed that I didn't know their names. Thanks to the internet, I found their names and can give them a more proper thanks. Capt. Stephen C. Leslie, 30, of New Bern, N.C., and Capt. Kenneth W. Hill, 33, of Thomasville, N.C. - Thanks for your service, you are not forgotten.