The 6th of June is a big deal around here. Each year my wife and I translate the local mayor’s speech and I get to read it out to the assembled veterans at the local para hute regiment memorial. 12 veterans made it this year including for the first time a Chelsea Pensioner. 100 plus people in all and a 65 piece brass band.
I have had the pleasure of talking to a number of veterans some of whom jumped in normandy on D-day and at Arnhem.
Later in the day when my daughter was not at school I took her to the brigade HQ and field hospital which is in the grounds of a private house and not normally open to the public. She readily agreed to translate the Para Captains speech, off the cuff. I could not have been more proud.