As a lot of you know I work as a commercial producer and occasionally I get to travel in my work.  Last month I was in San Francisco shooting a Comcast spot and yesterday I flew into Milan, Italy to shoot for Buitoni Pasta.  The spots will run in the US only but they want the Italian city as a backdrop.  There are no direct flights from Los Angeles to Milan so you’re forced to layover in a city designated by your airline.  KLM goes through Amsterdam, Air France through Paris and British Airways through London Heathrow.  I took British Airways.

Yesterday was the 65th Anniversary for D-Day.  I’m a huge geek about WWII and love to study it whenever I can but when I booked my flight last week I did not realize I’d be crossing the channel on this day.  It was not until I’d landed for the 1.5 hour layover and was walking to my connecting flight that I noticed many people gathered around news monitors watching President Obama pay his respects that I realized I was making the same trip that thousands did on that historic day.

My flight went over the channel at 30,000 feet in a heated plane with stewardesses serving cocktails so the experience was not the same as sitting on a bench inside a wooden glider (being towed by a Stirling Bomber) with a hundred pounds of combat gear strapped to my back counting the minutes to the drop zone in the flak pummeled air.  That must’ve been one heck of a ride!

I got to the hotel and went for a walk in this ancient city.  I ended up at Piazza Duomo.  What an amazing sight (as you can see).  As I wandered around I gave thanks to all the men and women who made D-Day possible.  They gave so much for so many.  Quite the afternoon!!