  This started as a comment on urlLink Si 's blog, but then got bigger, so rather than clog Haloscan I'll put it here. Thanks for sharing Si, generally I don't think we remember the past enough (but then I'm a history teacher).
We in the safe sanitized west don't see the effects of war in our lives, just on the TV - so its more important than ever to meditate on the loss and sacrifice of Mother's sons that world over. What bowls me over is the idea of being a young man in the D Day type situation and putting so much at risk for dreams, aims and hopes that are not necessarily my own. I spent much of last night watching Platoon cos I'm teaching Vietnam to Y10. It amazed me how youth, idealism and innocence were so readily sacrificed. What scares me the most is how soldiers on any side of conflict can so easily become dehumanized. Become Grunts, Bodies, Casualties or resources. We put distance between them and ourselves, and so take a step towards atrocities.
That said, there is an argument that says that ours is the least fit, least able, most disaffected generation in a while, and its also a generation that hasn't seen mass conflict or conscription. I tend to have anti war leanings but can't help wandering if there is a connection. I think it could be because war is in a way awesome. It forces people to become part of something bigger than themselves. Of course the bigger is destruction and pain, but it still forces people to transcend, isn't that why we remain so fascinated by it?
Because we all long to be more than ourselves. On a simliar note, urlLink this site is very moving. It's a collection of personal a stories about D Day from those who were there. Useful for those of us who want to know and remember. 
