Above & Beyond

Above and Beyond. . ,

I never completely got over it. I still have it. It's always there. I'd like to forget about it, see what tomorrow brings in this world.

, On June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, marking the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. D-Day began an advance that culminated during a bitter winter in the grueling Battle of the Bulge. Both sides suffered staggering loses [sic]. Germany surrendered the following spring. The epic events of World War II were undertaken by ordinary people in extraordinary times. Ten Minnesotans were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, our nation's highest military decoration. More than 320,000 Minnesotans of all races and creeds served in every theater of the war, and over 6,000 gave their lives. It took years of personal sacrifice to preserve freedom and democracy and further decades to rebuild shattered societies. In reflecting upon the war, our task is to learn all we can from the lessons of history in the hope of creating a more peaceful future.,

Europe, 1945: , · Germany defeated in the Battle of the Bulge , · Red Army liberates Warsaw , · Allied incendiary bombing destroys Dresden , · President Franklin Roosevelt dies , · Allies liberate Nazi concentration camps , · U.S. and British meet Soviets at Elbe River , · Mussolini hung by Communist partisans , · Hitler commits suicide as Berlin falls , · Germany signs surrender documents , · May 8: V-E Day–Victory in Europe

, Top: Down the ramp of a Coast Guard landing barge and into deadly German gunfire, troops wade ashore on Omaha Beach in France, June 6, 1944., Inset: Fort Snelling Cemetery, 1938. Dedicated in 1939 to honor all veterans., Quote: Years later, Frank Soboleski from International Falls recalled his intense experiences as an Army paratrooper., Bottom: Brick by brick, Dutch children help rebuild Rotterdam, 1945., Back: The liberation of Paris, August 29, 1944. At that time, there were still eight months of European warfare looming.