06/10/2026
View from the Hill..
Eighty-two years and counting
Reading the title, you might be wondering if I am much older than I look. The 82nd anniversary of this week has nothing to do with when I came into this world. It does have a great deal to do with the amazing country that we all live in. The many severe sacrifices made this week in 1944 changed the landscape of the world and propelled our country into the role of correcting wrongs worldwide.
The Normandy invasion of France began in the early morning hours of June 6 eighty-two years ago. The leadership of General Dwight D. Eisenhower is well known on that infamous day. Another heroic central Kansan also participated in the “beginning of the end” for Hi**er Europe.
Two brothers from a farm near Junction City, Kansas, had already been fighting the Axis evil for several years by the time D-Day happened. Walter and Roland Ehlers were members of the Big Red One from Ft. Riley and fought in North Africa and Sicily before they boarded landing craft in England to begin the long road to Berlin.
Walter’s leadership had caused him to be promoted to squad leader. When they landed at Normandy, his squad -- 3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 18th Infantry -- stormed the beach and scaled the cliffs to take out German positions. In the ensuing two days, Walter was wounded while saving his unit from likely death at least twice with no thought for his own safety. He also carried a wounded fellow soldier to cover. The heroic behavior of Sergeant Ehlers not only propelled him to a Second Lieutenant promotion, but also the awarding of the Medal of Honor.
The importance of remembering the sacrifices made on that day are summed up in Walter Ehlers’ fiftieth anniversary speech made in front of Queen Elizabeth and President Clinton. Walter said in part: “I pray that the price we paid on this beach will never be mortgaged, that my grandsons and granddaughters will never face the terror and horror that we faced here," Ehlers said in his speech. "But they must know that without freedom there is no life, and that the things most worth living for may sometimes demand dying for."
Walter died in 2014 after having a career of helping fellow veterans while working for the VA in California. At the time of his death, he was the only living Medal of Honor recipient left from the beaches of Normandy. When he talked about sacrifice, he had firsthand knowledge.
I have chronicled the heroism of Ehlers and how he helped to bring down the evil empire, but I haven’t yet told the story of his brother Roland. While the 3rd Squad of the 3rd Platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 18th Infantry was driving Hi**er’s troops from the cliffs overlooking Omaha beach, others had less success. Roland’s squad was landing at the same time only to be hit by the very artillery that Walter was fighting to eliminate. The entire squad was instantly killed. Likewise, the sacrifice from that day must never be forgotten. I ask that you take a moment to reflect on the difference those soldiers made and live your life in gratitude.
