Everytime I watch a war movie I think of all those young men taken at the prime of their life.
Haven't been yet but a visit to this place is on my list...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_D-Day_Memorial
I have visited this D-Day memorial in Bedford. A very impressive "tribute to the valor, fidelity and sacrifice of Allied Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944". I would urge you (and others) to visit the memorial sometime. You leave with a sense of remembrance for the sacrifices of those in the U.S. military in WW2.
I have a family member who lives in Bedford County, VA so we are up there quite often visiting Smith Mountain Lake and other attractions in the area.