Remembering D-Day

This beautiful new leg machine arrived at the gym yesterday. I put it to good use today. It is used for leg extensions and hamstring curls.

EXTRAS:
Today is the 77th anniversary of D-Day.  If a young soldier was say 20 years old on this famous day, he would now be 97 if he was still alive today. I am guessing that only a few veterans still survive from that day.

In 2004 I had the honour of travelling from UK with the 46 Royal Marines Commando, their families and friends on their return to Normandy, for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. I was invited by French D-Day historian Philippe Bauduin, to make a photographic and video record for the veterans and their families and the local French officials. 

It was such a privilege to be a part of the group for this very special and extremely emotional occasion. Philippe had organised the return of the surviving members of the 46 Royal Marines Commando from England because these were the commandos who had  liberated the Normandy coastal towns in the days following D-Day.

One photo shows the event poster that I brought back from Caen. Another shows a part of the reception committee on Sword Beach for a very small re-enactment of the D-Day landing. President Bush and French President Chirac were present, but further down the beach on their special platform. It was one of the greatest and most emotional days of my life to be a part of this group. 

If interested you can find more details of my time with the Royal Marines here.