A Crocheted Commemoration

We only took quick drive out to Trosley (official name Trottiscliffe - see previous blip 20/05/2024) for some beer based refreshment back at The George and then took a short amble around the village.
Just after we'd taken a left out of The George's car park I came across this crocheted cover to one of the village's post boxes. On our previous visit I had a little chat with the lady who does the crocheting (she had seen me stop to take what turned out to be a poor attempt to capture an image of her fantastic handiwork just as she was checking up on it) and she said she creates these covers to mark special events, which recently included the Queen's passing and the King's coronation, and places them on separate post boxes at each end of the village. On this particular occasion it was to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. You can tell they've been made with such care, thought, heart and skill.
Over the last few days I've watched quite a few news stories and read articles on D-Day recounting the heartfelt and heartbreaking testimonies of the veterans. One of the addresses to those who had gathered at the commemorations in Normandy said it was "A time for reflection, gratitude and it's a moment to honour the courage and resilience of those who served on that day (and those that followed) and pay tribute to their spirit in the face of unimaginable challenges together. The legacy of D-Day transcends borders, ideologies and beliefs". 
It was such an emotional day for so many of the veterans and I can't even begin to appreciate what they went through but even just a couple of their stories can give you an insight into what they experienced and why their memories of these events are still so visceral after all these years.
Les Marsh, who is now 98, was a wireless operator with 121 Light Artillery Aircraft, was only 19 when he landed on Gold Beach 3 days after D-Day and remembers "We really didn't know what was going to happen. We knew it was going to be terrible when we landed we knew but didn't know what to expect. We all had to put on a brave face on, pretend we didn't care when really we were terrified".
Another veteran Arthur Robinson, who is now 100, paid an emotional tribute to the comrade who saved his life eight decades ago. After being shot in the lung three days after he landed on Gold Beach and being saved by his friend Walter "Gummy" Gummerson "Gummy" was killed the next day along with 26 soldiers from the 6th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment.
He told those gathered for a service at the memorial site in Ver-sur-Mer "I wish I could tell him that I have never taken his sacrifice for granted and will always remember him and our friends. So Gummy - thank you, my old friend."
We owe them so much.