D-Day Salute

Yesterday was the 65th Anniversary of D-Day. It was the day, as President Obama said, "That changed history forever." It also was a day of more bravery and sacrifice ever seen on the battlefield, before or since.

I was not born when this event took place, and if it weren't for the friendship of one of these exemplenary soldiers I would only know what I read in books and online. The "Greatest Generation" is no misnomer. Those who fought and watched their comrades die on Normandy Beach (and all the other beaches throughout France during WW II) and lived to go on, do not talk about their experience. After 65 years it's still difficult to talk about to those who were not there. The ones decorated don't think of themselves as heros, and if you were not close to them you would never know they even received these awards.

My friend, Glen Edquist, is one of those special people. Now in his 80's, Glen will not tell anyone that he won a bronze star and at least one purple heart. The only reason I know is that I saw them in his basement, as part of a patriotic display of his comrades - taken during the war and after.

I helped Glen, for several years, to update his mailing list and do some small tasks as he and another friend or two put together a reunion - something they have done (with a few exceptions) annually since returning from the war. I watched the mailing list shrink each year, and typed the letter to his friends informing them of the health, or parting, of another member. These men and women think of each other as family, and their feelings for each other are just as strong today as they were 65 years ago.

Glen, like many of his friends, returned to the States after the war and got married, raised families and continued on living normal everyday lives. They suppressed the horrors they had witnessed, and retained a patriotism that few of the younger generations either knew or tried to understand. They contributed to their community, and continued to make huge inroads into the improvement of the quality of life around them.

Glen and his wife, Maxine, are very civic minded. They were deeply involved with the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity (where I met them) and the Democratic Party until a couple years ago, when Maxine was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Glen is her caretaker and constant companion, as they have been for over 60 years. The devotion to each other is evident, and Glen is a compassionate and loving spouse - and it is taking a toll on his health. Being proud and stubborn as he is, he will not accept help (another trait of that generation).

Glen continues to write letters to the editor of local newspapers when he sees something that eats at his "craw." Although some would think Glen to be a "curmudgeon" (a miser or an ill-tempered - and frequently old person, full of stubborn ideas or opinions.) he and Maxine have never turned their backs when they see something or someone in trouble. What some see as harsh, I look beyond that to see one of the kindest men I have ever known.

Glen will never tell anyone, but he and Maxine were there to support me when I decided to start a local newspaper, years ago. They not only verbally supported me, they gave me seed money to get started. When I asked them why, they said they had faith that I could be successful, and wanted to help. Years later, I can never totally repay their money or their confidence - and they will never know how much that support meant to me.

When people ask who their heroes are I don't say some athlete, movie star or politician. I tell them that the biggest heroes I have, outside of my parents - are Glen and Maxine Edquist. Everyday people with larger than life hearts. Who have seen the battlefields, and used that experience to make the world a better place.

I salute Glen, his comrades, and their spouses. They are the American Dream.