One of my more vivid recollections as a child was that of my best friend's father telling us kids what it was like stepping off into water over his head, holding his rifle up and struggling fully armed up to the beach at Juno.

He witnessed his best friend on his knees beside him, when they finally made it to dry land yelling, "My guts are burning!" while his buddy tried to stuff his intestines back into a gaping would in his stomach.

His friend didn't make it, but he did and although he was captured by the German Army, at one point he managed to escape and survived for awhile on peelings from trash cans.

The story left an indelible impression on my young mind and it was the only time anyone ever recounted their war experience in such horrific detail. Most did not talk about it.