Through this project, I was able to find an understanding of the sacrifices soldiers made in World War II. While I knew some of the events that happened during the Battle of Normandy, I was unaware of the true extent to which Allied soldiers went to allow freedom to continue in their countries. Researching and tracing the steps of 2nd Lieutenant Basil Kaczmarczyk gave me a unique opportunity and placed me in his shoes, so that I could see through his perspective to better understand his experiences and those of thousands of other soldiers like him. So often we look into the past and see people like Kaczmarczyk as statistics or just memories, and we forget that they had lives and families, and we need to recognize that they made the ultimate sacrifice, changing our lives forever. Because of my research, I have found I am so grateful for the soldiers that fought in World War II and we should never forget about their contributions to the world we live in today.