GAIL WHITE Never again will I forget June 6, 1944

I hate making mistakes.
Since joining the paper more than two years ago and writing this column two times a week, I have made my share.
I have made grammatical errors, misspelled people's names and used incorrect titles when describing professional positions. Once, I even related a person incorrectly -- calling a woman's mother-in-law her mother.
I always feel bad when these mistakes occur. There is a certain sense of embarrassment associated with misleading many thousands of readers.
None of these mistakes has paralleled the embarrassment I feel for last Friday's column, titled "Veteran: It's just nice when someone says thanks."
My interview with Capt. William Linkhorn, commanding officer of the 992 Engineer Company in World War II, was very lengthy. This distinguished hero and his company built bridges throughout Europe and were instrumental in enabling the Allies to conquer the Germans.
After nearly four hours with the captain, we had barely scratched the surface of his wartime conquests. I was eager to return to the office and write his story, knowing the few inches allotted for my column would never be enough to explain the service of this wonderful hero.
Little did I know the disservice I was about to commit.
Wrong date
Referring to my notes, the column was written and submitted with the date of the Allies' invasion of France as Oct. 6, 1944.
Whether the date was said incorrectly or I wrote it down wrong is irrelevant.
I should have caught this error. The reason I did not, to be painfully honest, is because I did not know.
Answering questions from editors Friday evening concerning this gross oversight, I confessed that something about the date was unsettling to me. In my haste and ignorance, I ignored the urge to research.
Bill Linkhorn was among the first to call the paper. My apologies will never be sufficient for the error in his story.
I pray my apologies will be accepted by the many veterans I spoke to throughout the weekend and returned e-mails to this week.
When I first learned of the mistake, my knees went weak and tears welled up in my eyes.
My hope of honoring the brave heroes of our country turned into an insult to the World War II veterans who fought for my freedom.
As Bill said, "I don't want to be famous." Veterans simply want to be remembered.
If my father, brother, husband or child had been involved in D-Day, the date would be etched in my memory forever.
Complacent, ignorant
Because of the bravery of the generations before me, my generation has been spared of the ravages of war.
Their sacrifice has become my complacency, which I now recognize as ignorance.
Attending a Veterans Day program at my son's school Monday, the tears welled up in my eyes again.
As each branch of the armed forces was called -- Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines -- the brave heroes of our country rose, shyly, to the applause.
Truly, there is no way to thank these men who fought for freedom.
The sacrifices they endured and the haunting memories they carry with them even today can never be repaid or erased.
The best I can do for these heroes is to say a heartfelt "Thank you" and to honor their contribution by remembering.
I am the mother of four boys. I cannot fathom the thought of sending any one of them off to war. My heart would be torn.
I am ashamed that I did not recognize the date that thousands of our country's young men took a giant step in saving the world from the tyranny of a dictator full of hate.
Never again will I forget what happened June 6, 1944.
Forever, I will be grateful for the sacrifices and dedication of the veterans of our country.
gwhite@vindy.com