11-yr-old boy visits Normandy Beach. When they played “Taps” – I had to stop and wipe my eyes.

Over 70 years ago, brave American soldiers stormed Normandy Beach in an all-out effort to defeat the Nazis. Many of them died the second they set foot on the beach. This was a time of incredible bravery and sacrifice. I can’t fathom what it would have been like to be on one of those boats and knowing that the breaths I was taking might be my last on Earth. The problem is that many of us are forgetting what they went through.

One 11-year-old boy tried to show that he remembered their sacrifice. He went on a trip with his father to Normandy Beach and for the first part of the trip, he visited the cemetery and gave out information. Then it was D-Day and the police didn’t let him into the cemetery. So he went to the beach in his WW2 soldier outfit and planted an American flag and stood there holding it while his other arm was up in salute. He said he envisioned the spirits of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives.

The boy’s action soon started garnering a lot of attention. First were the idle tourists who wanted to take pictures. Then there were the kids who either wanted to take a picture with him or tease him to try to get him to break concentration. Kids will be kids. More and more came – TV news got wind of what he was doing, probably through social media and cameras were soon rolling. Soldiers and veterans made their way over and saluted him. The thing that really got me was a trumpeter stood by him and played “Taps” – I had to stop and wipe my own eyes.

He stood there for an hour and a half, which is an impressive feat for an 11-year-old holding a flag against a very strong wind. His dedication was admirable. Also, his attention to history. Too many kids are busy just playing games on their computer. How many other kids would realize that they adopted the wrong military stance when holding the flag and subsequently apologizing? We should have more kids like this today.

What an amazing kid. I couldn’t believe how long he stood there. Could you? His discipline even with all the attention he was getting was fantastic. Please tell us what you think of the video in the comments section below!