I'm not leaving on 'D-Day'

I’ve decided to stop calling Feb. 14 my “D-Day.” I discovered that the “D” doesn’t stand for “departure” or “debarkation,” as I had thought -- so it doesn’t really fit my event anyway.

On the REAL D-Day…

Hundreds of landing craft formed watery donuts behind the breakwater. They were interspersed among warships of all sizes and shapes, many of which released volleys of hell onto the shore in anticipation of the landing.

Hundreds of aircraft filled the sky and added to the devastation along the shores of Normandy. Most of the horrible energy was focused on the first few hundred yards of real estate lying above the beaches.

Inside those boats, thousands of warriors were engaged in final preparations, Their minds must have been racing with thoughts of the past and future -- though the latter had to be speculative. Most expected to survive the day -- and most did, though the toll was very high.

This day has been and will continue to be remembered by all who survived; those who fell will never be forgotten.

It was an historic day by any measure, a day of consequence, a day that merits respect.

It was “D-Day,” June 6, 1944, the day the allied invasion began and the beginning of liberation for the residents of mainland Europe.

Use of the letter “D” to demark the beginning of operations is common in the military – The “D” literally stands for “day.” Thus, the term “D-Day” is actually redundant.

Establishing a “D” was useful for planning as most of the details of a given operation can be scheduled before, during or following that point in time.

If the date is changed -- as it was in 1944 due to weather -- all scheduled tasks automatically shift when indicated as “D plus-“ or “D minus-“ values.

Planning coordinated attacks requires more detail, of course. A specific instant in time on D-Day can be specified as H-Hour -- and many tasks are designated to be performed at H-Hour or specific times in advance of or following that instant.

As I said, having learned more about the genesis and use of the term “D-Day,” I’ve stopped referring to Feb. 14 as my own “D-Day.”

It’s a bit tempting to carry the idea further, to apply my newfound knowledge of the use of “H-Hour” to the events of my own day; but I can’t continue to compare what may have been the most complicated, significant and massive mobilization in history to my climbing into a car and leaving town alone.

It may be “WD-Day” for a couple of dozen folks who take time to say “good bye and good luck” to this lone traveler who is NOT going into harms way to fight for freedom.

But it’s definitely not going to be “D-Day.”

One of those was plenty.