June 6, 1944. Allied forces storm onto the beaches of Normandy in the largest amphibious assault in history.
I think my first exposure to the world wars was by playing a game called Battlefield 1942 when I was thirteen. The D-Day “level” was the one of the hardest in the game. The level always started out the same way: you’re in a landing boat, you reach land, you wade to shore and inevitably get shot at, and you quickly crouch behind some sandbags for safety. I always chose to be the sniper guy to take out Axis machine gunners…
The narrator in the video describes what it was like at the Omaha landing point for the infantry. Troops inside the landing boats could hear the rattling barrage of bullets as the Axis forces were concentrating their fire onto the landing door. The moment that door lowered, you were a goner. You might as well have left your rifle and ammunition clips behind for the guys in the second wave…
I’ve stopped playing simulated historical war games for a while now. The whole “respawn” thing makes me feel like a total jackass. Unavoidably, after a few retries in the game, I reflect and realize it trivializes everything those heroes died for.
We’re a complacent, self-indulgent, materialistic bunch we are, my generation. And we’re the lucky ones.
