This year on May 28th, the United States of America will be celebrating all those who have died in the armed forces serving their country, on a day known as “Memorial Day.” People go to cemeteries to be with their loved ones and remember the legacy of their fallen soldier.

However, for this Memorial Day, not only should people honor those who have fallen, but honor the heroes of this nation: the ones who risked their lives for millions of others.

Pilot Julian “Bud” Rice was one of the many pilots who flew during the Invasion of Normandy, or “D-Day”, which was the beginning of the end of World War II. At age 22, Bud Rice piloted a plane over Normandy and dropped several paratroopers during World War II. He was in the 37th Squadron and 316th Troop Carrier Group. Rice flew in an airplane called the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, a military transport aircraft.

Today, at age 96, Rice still remembers the day’s events as if it were yesterday. In an interview with NBC News discussing the 70th year since D-Day in 2015, Rice was asked if he remembers all the events leading up to and on D-Day, to which he responded, “Oh yes, I do remember it very very well,” and continued to remark on all his fellow soldiers saying that he remembers “probably 80% of all the faces there, I could name them all to you. You know, they were like blood brothers.”

On D-Day, Rice’s job was to fly over Normandy and drop paratroopers, while there were soldiers invading from sea. He had to fly through immense fog, making sure he got to the exact point of where he needed to drop his men, or else the blood of many soldiers would have been on his hands. Furthermore, he had to maintain his position in the formation of all the planes. This formation was made so the Germans could not detect the planes and so each plane could drop the 200 or so paratroopers at their certain area.

In 2015, a commemoration was held for the 70th year since D-Day. Bud Rice was flown out to Washington, D.C. for the ceremonies. Today, very little C-47 planes are still around from D-Day, but one of the few to still be in great condition is Bud Rice’s. When he was in Washington, D.C., Rice had the chance to go sit in his old familiar cockpit, the one that helped with the course of history.

Today, Bud Rice enjoys painting and seeing his family. He loves to share his experiences with the world and will wear his United States Veterans hat every day, to proudly show the honor he had when serving the country.

Memorial Day is a special holiday for everyone. For men like Bud Rice, Memorial Day is a time to reflect on his experiences and honor those he knew and lost during his service.

We thank anyone who has served this country and those who have died in service.