Remembering D-Day six decades later

Forget for a moment
the price of gas
and contemplate a war long passed.
Consider the cost
for a day at the beach
that turned the tide toward peace.

The 6th month
The 6th day
60 years ago
11,000 airplanes
5,000 ships
150,000 troops
(mostly men less than 20 years old
carrying 80 pounds of equipment
toward a destination 200 yards through the sand)
10,000 casualties
4,000 dead
Millions abroad hoping
Millions at home praying
that the moustached-monster in Berlin
would finally meet his match.

11 months and 2 days later
those hopes were realized
and those prayers were answered.
But not without a hefty price tag.
The bottom line was more than a thin red one.
The cost was incalculable.