Before Allied Troops stormed the French coastline along a 50-mile stretch in the Normandy region 69 years ago, General Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “You are about to embark upon the greatest crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you…I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle.”

Over 156,000 Allied troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France and Norway took part in the invasion. From the U.S. alone, over 6,600 soldiers were considered casualties; just over 1,450 Americans were killed in action.

Last week (on their 92nd birthday), I met twin brothers Gerald and Harold Miller from Elgin, who were born June 6, 1921.

Both joined the Navy; Gerald, in February 1941 and Harold in August 1941. Gerald took part in multiple battles in the Mediterranean. Harold traveled the North Atlantic, landing in England. The two communicated monthly via letter, but they did not see each other.

Until June 6, 1944; their twenty-third birthday.

Gerald’s ship took troops to Utah Beach. Harold’s ship headed for Gold Beach. When Harold’s boat arrived in the middle of the night, he was part of the crew on a Higgin’s boat (incidentally, Higgins was born in Columbus and attended Creighton Prep High School) that carried troops to the shore.

After taking the second load of soldiers to shore, Harold waited on the LST 30, scheduled to move in at 9 AM. A raucous horn blasted the air and when Harold turned, he saw the noise was coming from the LCI 14, the ship carrying his twin brother.

Long story short, Harold was granted permission to take a small craft to his brother’s boat for a quick visit.

Of course, Gerald scolded his brother for not wearing a helmet or Mae West (life jacket) since there were 88s in the water. Harold said he just wanted to see his brother.

Then, the two brothers separated again, two ships passing in the early morning light.

Gerald continued serving in the European theatre until the war ended. Harold remained until VE Day and was transferred to the Pacific theatre. After being discharged, the brothers returned to Elgin.

I listened to the story, the details of loss and glimmers of hope, for over 90 minutes, knowing there was no way I could fully comprehend the experience and aftermath they went through.

No, this wasn’t a Hollywood-ized version of war. It was real life, a tearjerker that happened to end as happily as it could. I fought back tears until they refused to stay silent and in place.

That evening, when sharing the experience with Scott, I questioned how to preserve this wonderful gift of history, how to ensure that future generations realize the sacrifices made by our nation’s citizens, because sometimes, we take things – like freedom and sacrifice and courage – for granted.

Many of us forget the messages we should learn from the past and the tangible sense of history available from older generations.

We need to start listening.

I met with several members of the O’Neill Bravo group, an organization for local teens that fights dating violence, bullying, and abuse. Here’s my story in the Norfolk Daily News.

Nebraska “Pipeline Fighters” continue to fight a proposed tar sands pipeline through the state. A final environmental impact study (EIS) from the U.S. State Department won’t be released until later this year. Until then, opponents have several plans to keep the route out of the Nebraska Sandhills and the Ogallala Aquifer. Here’s my story at the Norfolk Daily News.

Dear Bruce Dern,

I grew up despising you. I know what you are thinking; that’s not a nice thing to say. But it’s true. Don’t take it personally. I did not like the characters you portrayed. When you played Tom Buchanan in “The Great Gatsby,” you broke my heart when you (Tom) lie to George Wilson and he ends up shooting Jay Gatsby.

I’ve had the same feeling about many of the productions you have appeared in. The characters are mean-spirited individuals, hell bent on revenge. I must say, you do an excellent job of bringing those characters to life.

Unfortunately, when you spoke to a New York Times reporter about the filming of your upcoming movie, “Nebraska,” you weren’t acting.

And for the words you spoke about the place that means so much to me, a state that warmly welcomed you and the entire cast and crew of that movie (directed by our state’s own Alexander Payne), I feel sorry.

Obviously, you misspoke.

I would like to give you the benefit of the doubt; it’s difficult to hear the tone of words when they are printed on the page.

Unfortunately, I think you were serious when you said “…Nebraska is a cemetery. I mean, it’s over.”

Nebraska is dead? It’s over? Let me assure you, Nebraska is alive and kicking.

Let’s see, Nebraska ranks number four in Best Places to live in America by Gallup, ranks in the Top 10 in Americans Top States for Business, second in best employment leader, third in best quality of life, best states for jobs, and best pro-business legal climate, fifth in best pro-business state, fifth in best education climate, and eighth in best states for business and careers.

Sure, call the mortuary and tell them to bring the hearse.

You weren’t kidding when you said, “…Nebraska is black and white….You don’t go through Ohio and Nebraska and see color.”

I can step on my deck and view a vibrant, pink-orange sunset fade into the deep purple of night. Across the road, rows of lush green crops wave in the breeze.  The scarlet red of a Cardinal shows vividly against evergreens.

You also uttered, “The barns are drab. The people are drab.” It’s possible you hit a bit of truth here, but you will find drab people in New York or California or Oklahoma. And well, painting the drab barn may need to wait when you’re battling a drought so you can feed the world.

Overall, Nebraskans are genuine, caring, hard-working individuals who understand the value of a hard-earned dollars and common sense; lessons everyone could benefit from.

We may have shown interest in the filming process and watched while you brought your interpretation to Woody’s character. Then we went back to work, back to our business, which supports our families and communities. It’s what we do; it’s the Nebraska way.

But Mr. Dern, Nebraska is not a dead. Perhaps you should return to Nebraska, soak in its splendor and get a real sense of what makes Nebraska one of the best-kept secrets in the world.

And then, you should apologize.

Dern’s interview, which appeared in the May 24, 2013, New York Times Arts section can be found here. 

It’s Monday, and that means music by a Nebraska artist or about this state.

Now, a few years ago, there was a girl who loved a boy from Nebraska. Turns out Lady Gaga and Luc Carl had a thing and she spent quite a bit of time in the Omaha area.

In You and I, she mentions her Nebraska boy, an allusion to Luc. Enjoy.