On June 6th 1944, the greatest generation stormed the beaches of Normandy to win World War II.

4,300 Allied personnel lost their lives serving their country in what would be the largest amphibious invasion ever launched.

We do not need to go to Marvel Movies or read Marvel Comics to know that the Avengers, our American Soldiers, have always made us a Superhero nation.

On a personal note, One of the reasons, D-Day and WW II, means so much to the Rao family, is that we also honor one of our family heroes, my late Grandfather, Major S.V. Rao (Venky) who served in world War II for the British Army and then the Indian Army after partition. He fought the Japanese in Burma.

I visited Normandy in 2019, and was so moved to visit the museums, to read about the soldiers, who faced gunshots when they landed on the beach, many of them would see dismembered bodies in the water. Men, as young as eighteen years of age, from all walks of life, dying within minutes of landing at Normandy. It was so emotional to see the graves of many of these soldiers, and to see with my own eyes, the true sacrifices made by the greatest generation our nation has ever produced, our World War II Veterans.

The best way we can honor those who sacrificed and died for this country is to never take our Freedom for granted. We must always respect our differences and never cease our commitment to equality and justice for all Americans.

At the end of the day, we must always remember our fallen soldiers not only by how they died, but more importantly how they lived: as truly courageous heroes who are everlasting reminders that we truly are the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.