I’ve always had a soft spot for D-Day veterans. Not that I’d ever met any until 6th June 2014 on D-Day 70, but it was the most monumental event I’d ever learnt about back in 1987 at the age of 15 standing amongst all the graves at Arromanches seeing them stretch off into the distance as far as the eye could see, many of them for men not many years older than me. My parents had won a caravan holiday to Normandy and they’d decided as we were so close we should go and visit the cemeteries. The effect was quite profound, but as I always say, if you’ve ever been you’d understand why.

Years later finding myself living in Swanage only a few miles from where they practiced the landings on Studland Beach and where lots of American GIs were posted before 6th June 1944, and not being able to find a local commemorative event we decide to go to Fort Henry at Studland to mark the occasion with a small impromptu service, and with help from our local newspaper invite anyone who would like to come and join us. I hadn’t expected actual D-Day veterans to attend. It was very humbling.

To make amends for it being all a bit last minute for D-Day 70, on D-Day 71 a friend and I organised a People’s Commemoration of D-Day at my old place of work, Leeson House, which turned out to be the loveliest and most memorable occasion. To read more about that amazing day click HERE.

This year, 10 years on, on D-Day 80, I’m still not sure if there’s anything happening locally again. Sadly several of the wonderful veterans who attended the garden party have died, but two lovely gentlemen, Peter Lovett and Cliff Brown, I hear are still going strong.

I’m very aware that getting about might be a bit more difficult these days (I’m sure they would say different) so I had another idea…

The D-Day 80 Thank You Card Drop!

Would anyone like to join me in sending a thank you card to show them that what they and their friends went through for us on that fateful day is very much remembered and appreciated? I thought it would be lovely if we could get at least 80 thank you cards for them for D-Day 80. It’s just to let them know how grateful we still are. I would love to show them that we still care, and really it could be a mark of thanks to all the D-Day and WW2 veterans still with us, and especially to all those who died that day.

We can never really imagine what it must’ve been like on that day but it always feels poignant to remember it, made more so when everywhere looks so lovely in late spring.

If you would like to, please send cards by 6th June 2024 to:

The D-Day 80 Thank You Card Drop
C/O The Handwritten Letter Appreciation Society
PO Box 9347
Swanage
Dorset
BH19 9BG

They can be written to Peter or Cliff or to “Dear D-Day Veteran” to recognise all the surviving D-Day veterans around the world.

Thank you so much for helping to mark this occasion.

Dinah