I'm Gretchen Ruben and this is a little happier.

In August, my family and I went on a trip to France and we visited the World War II Dede

sites in Normandy.

Dede, of course, is the term often used to refer to the landing operations in June 1944

in Normandy, the Allied invasion.

We visited some of the major Dede sites, including Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, the Normandy-American

Cemetery and Memorial, as well as some sites in little French towns whose names I will

not even try to pronounce, unless any French speakers among our listeners have to rip their

earphones from their ears.

But we went to them.

It was a fascinating day, awe-inspiring.

It is hard to grasp the magnitude of what happened there in June 1944.

So much planning, so much courage, so much sacrifice.

I've spoken often about my America feeling and no surprise, I experienced the America feeling

over and over as we visited those sites.

But something that's true for me is that I feel ideas most deeply when they come to me

through words.

I can visit places, I can see things, but in the end it's writing that strikes me to

the core.

And that is what happened in Normandy.

I felt my America feeling most strongly to the point that I couldn't stop the tears

coming into my eyes when I came across a reproduction pamphlet called a Pocket Guide

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