My GrandDad (center, above) was a 27-year-old Lieutenant in K Division (Radar) on the U.S.S. Arkansas, which provided fire support for the invasion of Normandy. His assignment was to operate the radar jammer to help protect the ship from German fire. "They splashed some water on us," he recalls. Some of the injured soldiers from the land invasion force were brought aboard the Arkansas for medical care.

Every now and again he'll make a remark about how he's being a drain on government resources, since he's still drawing his navy pension 30+ years after retirement. My response: no matter how much we the people pay you, we'll still owe you for Normandy (and Operation Anvil [Southern France], Iwo Jima, and Okinawa).