On this day in history, fifty-four years ago

A tide was changed, as much as tides go

For 155,000 men scrambled ashore in France

British and American soldiers, not to dance ...



But to turn back the forces of the Nazi oppressor

To chase back to their own land, the aggressors

The forces who'd invaded and plundered Europe

And taken over an entire continent with stirrups



Operation Overlord began on the eve of June 5th

The day after came to be known as D-Day, June 6th

When Allied Forces under the command of Eisenhower

Took back eighty square miles of France, overpowered



By Nazi forces two years earlier when they took Paris

After invading and holding virtually all land, none scarce

Which did not bow down to the might of Hitler's Third Reich

Even Spain's neutrality under Franco was a temporary blight



For Hitler would not stop until all of Europe was his empire

Even including the British Isles (only in his dreams expired)

Early appeasement by Neville Chamberlain set the course

But under Winston Churchill - any British takeover was lost



For the old warrior took the Bull by the horns, stating well

His intentions never to let British ground go to Hitler's hell

In spite of endless German bombing year after year after year

Under Churchill - a country was united through all of the tears



And so we acknowledge this day in history with much respect

To the men and women who gave their lives without expect

Of anything other than helping to keep the world totally free

Of tyrants who kill, torture, maim, just to be the bee's knees



- Tristram



(c) Christopher W. Thomas

10:50am Sat. June 6th, 1998