When you wake tomorrow it will be 65 years since D-Day, the allied invasion of France in 1944.

I had the honor of participating in the 50th anniversary in 1994. On June 4 we flew in the largest air armada assembled in 50 years. I don’t know how many aircraft were involved but it was a lot as we flew over the hundreds of thousands of people massed around Portsmouth Harbor. The Queen and President Clinton were down there somewhere too.

This is a picture of an RAF Spitfire I took when we were on the ground at an RAF aerodrome before the flight. It came in low and fast and we could feel the piston engines as it passed by.

On June 6, 1994, much like in 1944, the day dawned cloudy and misty. The USS George Washington was nearby and F-18s were to do a fly by as the President conducted a wreath laying ceremony at sea. Problem was the clouds were too low.

No problem, call in Marine helicopters. So, two Marine AH-1W gunships (with me in one of them) linked up with two USCG helicopters and we executed one of the slowest and lowest and closest flybys in the history of flybys. I think we were looking up at the George Washington as we flew by. (We were going over 130 knots but that isn’t much compared to an F-18…but then again the F-18s were going zero at the time!)

The next day I toured the Normandy beaches. Because of the anniversary there were reenactors all over the place. (Just like we have Civil War and Revolutionary War reenactors here). It was surreal. I remember walking into Arromanches, surrounded by vehicles of the era, and hearing Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller streaming from a small cafe. For a second I didn’t truly know what year it was. I will never forget that moment.

And I will never forget Omaha Beach where casualties ran over 90% in the first wave. If you have seen Saving Private Ryan you get the picture but you can’t truly understand the horror and valor until you walk the ground. The steep dunes, call them cliffs, that had to be scaled.

Today at the top of the dune is a US Cemetery. There are 9,387 of those bright white grave markers we know all too well.

I have been back to Normandy since that first time and the terrain is the same. What changes is the number of veterans still alive from that era. The number of people who even know what D-Day was? I know it is a losing battle. Time always wins.

I always try to have a business point in my blogs….. So, how about this one.

Culture and values are the heart of an organization and much of that stems from the history of the organization. So, the question is what do you do to preserve and remember the culture and history of your organization. This is tougher with mergers and downsizing but figure a way to do something special to let your people know they are part of something that matters. They may not be storming hostile beaches but they are working hard and leaders must recognize this. President Obama will go to Normandy for this very reason.

I am working with a large firm and we are working with the owner to put some important points about culture and values on video. It is important as the firm grows to see him and hear him so that coworkers feel connected.