Valor eternal
The D-Day invasion saved the free world
This is a day to remember John J. Pinder Jr. and the thousands of other soldiers and airmen who helped turn the tide of World War II. Seventy-five years ago today, the McKees Rocks native stepped into waist-deep water off the coast of Normandy, France. It was D-Day, and Pinder, who entered the Army at Burgettstown, was among the many who would not make it through the day.
He was hit, as were many around him, just a few yards from the boats that had delivered them to Nazi Germany’s doorstep. Carrying an important radio, he pressed on and delivered it to the beach. He was bleeding profusely but re- turned to the bullet-raked surf three times to retrieve additional communications gear, losing increasing quantities of blood and getting shot once more in the process. He made it to the beach again and was putting the equipment in order when he was shot a third time and died.
Pinder was one of 12 servicemen awarded the Medal of Honor for valor at Normandy but one of 130,000 on the front lines of the invasion. The battle was won because each did his part. Some of their stories survive for us, who still benefit from their sacrifice, to cherish. But many accounts of heroism doubtless died with those on the beaches and never will be known.
The scope of what Pinder and his comrades accomplished is breathtaking.
D-Day enabled the Allies to gain a foothold on the continent, and that spelled Adolf Hitler’s doom. But that was just the beginning. The Allies’ struggle to defeat the Axis powers resulted in an enduring alliance that shaped the postwar world and has contributed to global peace for nearly eight decades. The Allies rebuilt Germany and Japan — now two of the West’s strongest partners
— and their united front against communism helped to topple the Soviet bloc.
This alliance has withstood shifting political winds. As President Donald Trump, a frequent critic of U.S. allies, said Monday in England: “The bond between our nations was forever sealed in that great crusade.”
Most of those who made it home from the war lived simple but productive lives. They went to work in mills and factories, contributing to America’s continued prosperity and strength. Many served their communities through groups such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion. They never stopped serving.
WWII veterans are disappearing, but their legacy will never die. What we have today we owe to John Pinder and others like him. We can honor that legacy by respecting our political freedoms, by working diligently to improve our communities and by remembering — today of all days — those who gave more than their share.