My uncle was one of those guys who hit the beach during the Normandy invasion. His landing craft was hit by artillery fire offshore, and he swam through burning fuel to get there. He was horribly scarred from his neck to his waist for the rest of his life. Ironically, that might have also saved his life, as most of his original unit was wiped out at the battle of the bulge while he was in a field hospital, recovering from his wounds.
