Growing up, many of us can recall having the privilege of listening to survivors of the most destructive war in modern history tell their stories. Their tales were often harrowing to hear, but they remind us that events that sound unbelievable not only happened, but happened recently enough that our grandparents can tell us about them.
Unfortunately, we may not be able to hear from these living witnesses for long. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs, an estimated 348 World War II veterans die every day. Among the millions who served at that time, less than 500,000 of them still live today.
This likely had a lot to do with why a special event was held to honor one of the war's most significant days and it had an even more special guest.