On this day 64 years ago, 156,000 allied American, British, and Canadian troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. In the subsequent days and weeks their numbers would swell to nearly a million, supported by 6,900 ships and landing craft, 12,000 aircraft, 148,000 vehicles, 10,000 tons of bombs, and 570,000 tons of supplies.
Over 10,000 of these allied soldiers, sailors, and airman would lose their lives or be wounded. But, their sacrifice doomed the Nazis stranglehold on Europe. Their sacrifice gave millions a chance to live and to live free.
When I think of the individual men and their families, I weep for their sacrifice. When I think of the nobleness of the cause that could move men on such a grand scale, I weep for the sacrifice of their generation.
War is terrible. I hope that my sons and daughters never see battle or wear its scars. But I know that as long as sin abounds in this world, there will be war.
So, as a homeschool father, I hope to teach my children two overriding principles concerning war. The first is to know history. To understand the history of war and warfare is to recognize inevitable approaching conflicts.
It is no coincidence the Winston Churchill was the earliest and loudest siren against the rise of Nazism in Germany (for which he was ridiculed), he homeschooled himself in history and warfare from a very early age. It is also no coincidence the Churchill was the best equipped to lead England as she stood alone against the German war machine.
The second principle I want my children to learn is to confront evil whenever and wherever they find it. Tyrants grow from petty, selfish people. Greed is something inherent to a child. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the ability and authority to overcome sin.
We can go back to the "liberation" of Europe and see that the Soviets replaced the evil doctrines of Hitler with the evil doctrines of Marx and Lenin, and the people suffered for forty more years. Only in the west did the Christian liberators bring liberty and self-determination to the people.
From Considering Homeschooling.