Sam Elliot paid tribute to Sgt. Ray Lambert, a World War II soldier, by reading his heartbreaking story of surviving D-Day on PBS.

«There was complete disarray. Shells bursting, boats blowing up, people crying because they couldn’t hear anything; machine gun rounds striking the sea all around you, the sound of the boats coming in. «You feel alone in a world of a million people because you’re focused on what you have to accomplish,» Sam Elliot said.

«I simply continued walking.» «All I could think about was going to the soldiers who needed me,» Sam added. «You accomplished the task for which you were trained.» You would have di.e.d if you hadn’t. » Sam ended the narrative with Sgt. Lambert’s thoughts regarding the guys who died on that fateful day.

«Those who have never served in a war should comprehend what warriors sacrifice.» The men we aban.d.oned on Omaha Beach never got to live the life they desired. I haven’t gone a day without praying for the guys we lost and their families. I still wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the boys. Every guy who marched into the machine guns and artillery fire on Omaha Beach that day was a hero. What sort of person am I if I don’t share their stories? »

What a wonderful, poignant tale! After leaving the stage, Sam Elliot approached Sgt. Lambert and shook his hand. «It’s a privilege to share your narrative,» Sam said to the American hero. May we never forget to thank our troops and to remember the sacrifices they made for each of our liberties.

John 15:13 «There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.»