My father was a highly decorated soldier. Never having gone further than eighth grade, speaking very little English (French Acadian) he bravely led his troop. He was awarded the following: Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit Badge, Combat Infantry Badge, European African Middle Eastern Theatre Campaign Ribbon with bronze arrowhead, Bronze Star and the Silver Star for "Gallantry In Action". My dad's unit was the first to land on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. His unit assisted in the liberation of Paris fought in central Europe, northern France, The Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and Belgium. His unit was involved in 299 days of combat. Serving with the Army's 8th infantry, 4th Division, he staggered ashore at Normandy amid a hail of shells and bullets; he fought through the Ardennes forest, and for months he stalked through the woods in Germany, his unit sprinting across the country, darting out to engage the enemy and slipping back into the forests again until the end of the European front of the was declared. My father was also wounded receiving shrapnel to his lower thigh which contributed to lifelong pain and later arthritis. My dad suffered from what is now known as "PTSD" and having lost so many comrades rarely ever talked about his experiences. As one of his ten children we came away knowing my dad was very proud to serve and he fully supported his two sons who served in the Korean War and Vietnam. He knew more what faced them than we could ever imagine. Presently we have six young adults serving; four of them in Iraq and one who served and is now a civilian.