Monday is the 61st Anniversary of the WWII D-Day invasion. It should be a time to remember those that gave their lives to save Europe, Asia, and the World.

I think that when people think of World War II, they don't fully realize the scope of the war. It was a war that compares to no other in history. Just think about these facts (which I refuse to call trivia):

• It is called a World War, because it literally affected every corner of the globe.

• Tens of millions of people gave up civilian life to defend civilization as we know it.

• About 12 Million Americans served in World War II. About 400,000 never made it home. (Compare this to the 130,000 we have serving in Iraq, with less than 2000 casualties.)

• D-Day alone required the mobilization of more than 1 million Allied ground troops.

• Russia lost nearly 30 million civilian and military souls.

• Most private factories ceased normal production and began producing weapons and equipment for war. (You ever drive a 1943 Ford? If so, it's probably olive drab.)

• Many of those factories were packed with women, who were relatively new to the work force.

• Women took on untraditional roles working in steel mills, factories, and as mechanics.

• Women also joined the war effort taking on roles such as nurses, pilots, mechanics, and radio operators.

• Civilians back home were required to ration food and domestic goods because the war effort was using so many of our natural resources.

• To fund the war effort, much of people's discretionary income was voluntarily given back to the government in exchange for war bonds.

• The U.S. started the war with only 8 aircraft carriers.

• More than 100 carriers of different types were built during the war, and nearly 100 were still in commission at the end of the war. There were others still being built whose production had to be cancelled.

When you think of how the war impacted everyone's daily lives, the size and scope of the war seem unimaginable.

(Image via National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia.)