Before the commencement of Operation Overlord, the newest soldier of First Infantry Division composed a letter, an effort to reassure his mother. She feared losing him to a bullet like her father during the Great War.
In writing, Private Joseph Edad promised to see her again.
Then, on D-Day, as he marched up Omaha Beach, several rounds of ammo from a German’s MG-42 drilled into his neck. The soldier was the first to fall.
For his last seconds of life, he never thought about his fellow soldiers silencing the German gunners.
He only hoped he didn’t make his mother angry.
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alt="Rude Awakening by Richard Lau"
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