• Home
  • Background
    • About Us
    • Q&A
    • Disclosures
    • Privacy Policy
  • Services
    • Planning Process
  • Clients
    • Business Owners
    • Individual Professionals, Families, Retirees
  • Contact Us
    • Newsletter Sign-Up
    • Useful Websites & Quick Hits
  • Account Access
  • News
    • 2021 News Articles >
      • What is it about September?
      • Will Tax Law Changes Increase Your Taxes?
      • Tax Watch: SECURE Act 2.0?
      • The unstoppable bull market?
      • Stocks Cruise at a High Altitude
      • Tax law changes on the horizon – 5 things to consider
      • Not Your Fathers Economic Recovery
      • Are HSAs the New IRAs?
      • REVENGE OF THE NERDS - Internet forums vs. the professionals
      • Protect Your Financial Information
      • 2021 January Market update - A rollercoaster year ends on a high note
      • Avoiding 7 Retirement Traps
    • 2020 News Articles >
      • December Client Letter - Cruising at 30,000 Feet
      • 9 Tax Facts & Tips to Save You Money
      • 9 Smart Planning Moves to Consider
      • November Client Letter - Election 2020
      • 7 Financial Planning Steps for Year End 2020
      • 6 Tips on Filing the FAFSA
      • Circling Back to the SECURE Act!
      • A September Pothole
      • 6 Steps That Put You on the Path to a Successful Retirement
      • Consumer Scams Part 2
      • September 2020 Client Letter
      • Consumer Scams
      • May Client Letter-- Worst-Ever Economy Yet Stocks Show Best Monthly Gain Since '87
      • Why Waiting For A Market Rebound Could Cost You
      • How The Greatest Generation Approached September 11th
      • Laid Off And Near Retirement - What Now?
      • The SECURE Act
      • Market update: When favorable fundamentals collide with uncertainty
    • News - Archives >
      • 2015 - To be happy, be grateful. - It's science!!
      • 2015 - Market Volatility - So Now What?
      • 2015 - Retirement planning: Start early or start late – just start
      • 2015 - Financial Planning Checklist
      • 2014 In Review - A bullish mood and risks that dot the landscape.
      • 2015 - A sneak peek at 2015 – What to keep an eye on
      • 2015 - Getting The Most Out of Financial Aid for College
      • 2014 - Cheaper by the Dozen: 12 smart year end planning moves
      • 2014 - How safe is your personal information?
      • 2014 - Hey, what’s your number?
      • 2014 - What did we do before GPS?
      • 2014 - Changing Jobs Checklist
      • 2013 - US Government Shutdown - What it means
      • 2013 - Investing in College
      • 2012 - Getting (back) on track - The best part of my job…
      • 2011 - The Henny Penny School of Investment Wisdom
      • 2011 - 8 Ways to Help Couples Overcome Money Conflicts
      • 2011 - Intelligent Computer Shopping
      • 2011 - 7 things you and your student should discuss before they head off to college
      • 2011 - 7 mistakes to avoid when exiting your business
      • 2011 - Why you need an Estate Plan even if you don’t live in a mansion
      • 2011 - Celebrating Irish Heritage
      • 2010 - Priorities: Retirement Planning Vs College Savings for Children
      • 2010 - in review, and a look toward 2011
      • 2010 - New Years Resolutions - 2011
      • 2010 - Business Owners – a special case for diversification
      • 2010 - Year End Planning 2010
      • 2010 - Paying for college - Applying for student aid, determining your Expected Family Contribution
      • 2010 - Paying Taxes
      • 2010 - Job-Loss
      • 2010 - Habits
      • 2009 - Shopping
      • 2009 - Gift-Idea
      • 2009 - Thanksgiving
      • 2009 - Q3
      • 2009 - Recovery
      • 2009 - Results
      • 2009 - Digging
      • 2009 - Time
      • 2009 - Considering
      • 2008 - Planning
      • 2008 - Resolutions
    • Life Transitions >
      • Get A Job/Leave Job >
        • 9 Questions to ask your CPA at tax time
        • Getting (back) on track - the best part of my job
        • Changing Jobs Checklist
        • Job Loss
        • Taxes - 7 ideas to ease the burden - 2018
        • Year End Planning Checklist: 12 smart planning moves to consider
      • Marriage/Divorce/Re-Married >
        • 8 Ways to Help Couples Overcome Cash Conflicts
      • Kids (Birth/College/Marriage) >
        • 7 Things you and your student should discuss before they head off the college
        • Getting The Most Out of Financial Aid For College
        • Investing In College
        • Budgeting For Students
        • Save on Textbooks
        • Subsidized vs unsubsidized loans – what’s the difference?
        • 7 Tips for Your College Bound Student
        • “What I did on my Summer Vacation – 2019”
        • Budgeting for College Students - 2018
        • Most Significant FAFSA Changes in over 20 Years!!
        • Direct 529 Plan Changes To Be Implemented
      • Birth/Death >
        • Is a cash windfall in your future?
        • Planning for People with Special Needs
    • Client Letters >
      • 2019 - July Client Letter: Records Are Made To Be Broken
      • 2018 - Summer's Hot Issues
      • 2018 - November Market Update:
      • 2016 - January Client Letter - A volatile year ends with a whimper
      • 2016 - September Letter to Clients: The Ides of September?
      • 2016 - November Letter to Clients: The Final Countdown?
      • 2016 - December Letter to Clients: Near Term Impact of Trump's Victory
      • 2015 - September Client-letter: Looking past scary headlines
      • 2015 - November Client Letter: The Clouds Part
      • 2015 - December Client Letter, A Baker's Dozen: 13 Smart Planning Moves

“What I did on my Summer Vacation – 2019"

 I went to the beach.  But not how you might think.  Visiting France and seeing the D-day landing beaches has been on my bucket list since I was old enough to read about it.  Visiting Scotland and seeing the small town where my Grandpa Davidson grew up has been on my bucket list since I was old enough to sit on his lap and hear about it.  Last month I managed to check both of them off the list.  The trip was in the works for over a year, with the goal of participating in the GORUCK 75k Star Course to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Allied landings.  More on that later, but suffice it to say, the event was just the excuse to make the trip happen in the first place. 

Scotland was great, and I got to see the town of Saltcoats, where my Grandfather lived and went to school.  Some of you know that this firms name is taken from KylesHill school.  Not much was left from his time there.  There was an apartment building where their house once stood, and a police station where his school had been.  -We managed to take a picture with the last 2 columns from the old school gate.  Everything else was gone.  But it was a great sunny day (rare in Scotland!) and we did enjoy walking around town and having a pint.  We also spend a few days in Edinburgh, touring the great castle, spending time with newly discovered cousins, and yes, we visited a distillery and sampled some outstanding single malts.  After a brief 1 day stop in London to meet up with Tim and Dan, both college classmates and my rucking teammates on the RagTag Circus, we flew over to Caen to get ready for the event.  Anne would be our driver, babysitter, and support crew before during and after the event itself, but she would not be doing any rucking.  Because it’s a silly way to tour a country!

The GORUCK Star Course is a team event involving navigation and rucking (walking with a weighted backpack (rucksack).   With the required event weight, plus supplies of food and water, our rucks weighed 35-40 lbs.  We chose this one as a way to get together and to honor those who landed in Normandy 75 years ago.  We had to navigate our way to 14 points of historical significance -Places like Pointe du Hoc, Utah and Omaha beaches, the Garden of The Missing, Sainte-Mere-Eglise.  That one being particularly spooky walking through the pitch-black countryside of Northern France at night, into town and seeing a parachute hanging from the church tower.  We managed to finish the 50ish miles just under the 20-hour time cutoff -without a lot of lingering aches and pains that you might expect from a handful of fifty-somethings with desk jobs. 

A day or two later, I had an opportunity to help with one of the other 75th anniversary GORUCK events and felt honored that I could bring out the pipes and play for a couple of rangers who fought their way across Europe 75 years ago.  There aren’t many of these men left, so it was really special to hear some of their stories firsthand.  One of them looked like he could still get the job done today if you gave him a ladder and a rifle.  The other offered to let us try on his Legion of Honor Medal.  I told him “No thank you, sir.  -It looks heavy”.

After some rest, Anne and I were able to get on a tour bus and take a more leisurely pace to see the sights.  -During the ruck, we were on a very tight schedule to complete the course, so we didn’t spend any time to take things in.  That was probably a good thing…  because later in the week when I did have the time to stop, look around, and consider what went on in the early hours of June 6, it was more emotional than anticipated.  I waited most of my life to see these places, and I was truly excited to finally have this opportunity.  I don’t recall the exact moment, but it was sometime in elementary school at Gesu, when I first started reading about D-Day and the many selfless acts of bravery and courage by so many men.  The men of the 82nd airborne, jumping out into the darkness, far off course, landing literally in the middle of town in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, the rangers, scaling the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, and all those coming ashore in those landing craft in the early hours of the battle, before many of the German defenses had been silenced.   Not to mention the American Cemetery above the cliffs at Omaha beach, with row after row of crosses or the star of David.  
But now that I was actually there, more than once I found myself wanting to look away or walk away.  And at times it was simply overwhelming.  More than once Anne would be walking along and turn back to ask if I was coming to catch up with the tour group.  I gave her some story about being sore from the ruck and just moving slow.  But the truth is I was stopping to compose myself.  Standing near the water at the edge of the English Channel, at low tide, seeing several hundred yards of flat, open sand between me and the nearest cover, looking up at the cliffs and surrounding terrain, and you think about what those first men ran into as they landed.   Having read and heard about the allied bombs that fell several miles inland instead of on the beach ahead of the landings to take out the coastal defenses, the additional defenses from 75 years ago, including several hundred machine gun nests  that were now long gone, and the concept of interlocking fields of fire -and then the ramp on the Higgins boat goes down...  It is almost beyond comprehension.  Those young men had unimaginable odds stacked against them.  And they just.  Kept.  Coming.  It has been almost a full month since then and I still can’t find the words to explain the emotional impact of this trip to my family and friends.  Except grateful.  I tell them, Be grateful.  -And go visit those beaches. 
 
Your comments and questions are always welcome.
We look forward to hearing from you.  mail@kyleshill.com


Sign up for our newsletter!

The information being provided is strictly as a courtesy.  When you link to any of the web sites provided here you are leaving this web site.  We make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy of information provided at these web sites.  Nor is the company liable for any direct or indirect technical or system issues or any consequences arising out of your access to or your use of third-party technologies, web sites, information and programs made available through this web site.  When you access one of these web sites, you are leaving our web site and assume total responsibility and risk for your use of the web sites you are linking to.  

- John Davidson, CFP
  • Home
  • Background
    • About Us
    • Q&A
    • Disclosures
    • Privacy Policy
  • Services
    • Planning Process
  • Clients
    • Business Owners
    • Individual Professionals, Families, Retirees
  • Contact Us
    • Newsletter Sign-Up
    • Useful Websites & Quick Hits
  • Account Access
  • News
    • 2021 News Articles >
      • What is it about September?
      • Will Tax Law Changes Increase Your Taxes?
      • Tax Watch: SECURE Act 2.0?
      • The unstoppable bull market?
      • Stocks Cruise at a High Altitude
      • Tax law changes on the horizon – 5 things to consider
      • Not Your Fathers Economic Recovery
      • Are HSAs the New IRAs?
      • REVENGE OF THE NERDS - Internet forums vs. the professionals
      • Protect Your Financial Information
      • 2021 January Market update - A rollercoaster year ends on a high note
      • Avoiding 7 Retirement Traps
    • 2020 News Articles >
      • December Client Letter - Cruising at 30,000 Feet
      • 9 Tax Facts & Tips to Save You Money
      • 9 Smart Planning Moves to Consider
      • November Client Letter - Election 2020
      • 7 Financial Planning Steps for Year End 2020
      • 6 Tips on Filing the FAFSA
      • Circling Back to the SECURE Act!
      • A September Pothole
      • 6 Steps That Put You on the Path to a Successful Retirement
      • Consumer Scams Part 2
      • September 2020 Client Letter
      • Consumer Scams
      • May Client Letter-- Worst-Ever Economy Yet Stocks Show Best Monthly Gain Since '87
      • Why Waiting For A Market Rebound Could Cost You
      • How The Greatest Generation Approached September 11th
      • Laid Off And Near Retirement - What Now?
      • The SECURE Act
      • Market update: When favorable fundamentals collide with uncertainty
    • News - Archives >
      • 2015 - To be happy, be grateful. - It's science!!
      • 2015 - Market Volatility - So Now What?
      • 2015 - Retirement planning: Start early or start late – just start
      • 2015 - Financial Planning Checklist
      • 2014 In Review - A bullish mood and risks that dot the landscape.
      • 2015 - A sneak peek at 2015 – What to keep an eye on
      • 2015 - Getting The Most Out of Financial Aid for College
      • 2014 - Cheaper by the Dozen: 12 smart year end planning moves
      • 2014 - How safe is your personal information?
      • 2014 - Hey, what’s your number?
      • 2014 - What did we do before GPS?
      • 2014 - Changing Jobs Checklist
      • 2013 - US Government Shutdown - What it means
      • 2013 - Investing in College
      • 2012 - Getting (back) on track - The best part of my job…
      • 2011 - The Henny Penny School of Investment Wisdom
      • 2011 - 8 Ways to Help Couples Overcome Money Conflicts
      • 2011 - Intelligent Computer Shopping
      • 2011 - 7 things you and your student should discuss before they head off to college
      • 2011 - 7 mistakes to avoid when exiting your business
      • 2011 - Why you need an Estate Plan even if you don’t live in a mansion
      • 2011 - Celebrating Irish Heritage
      • 2010 - Priorities: Retirement Planning Vs College Savings for Children
      • 2010 - in review, and a look toward 2011
      • 2010 - New Years Resolutions - 2011
      • 2010 - Business Owners – a special case for diversification
      • 2010 - Year End Planning 2010
      • 2010 - Paying for college - Applying for student aid, determining your Expected Family Contribution
      • 2010 - Paying Taxes
      • 2010 - Job-Loss
      • 2010 - Habits
      • 2009 - Shopping
      • 2009 - Gift-Idea
      • 2009 - Thanksgiving
      • 2009 - Q3
      • 2009 - Recovery
      • 2009 - Results
      • 2009 - Digging
      • 2009 - Time
      • 2009 - Considering
      • 2008 - Planning
      • 2008 - Resolutions
    • Life Transitions >
      • Get A Job/Leave Job >
        • 9 Questions to ask your CPA at tax time
        • Getting (back) on track - the best part of my job
        • Changing Jobs Checklist
        • Job Loss
        • Taxes - 7 ideas to ease the burden - 2018
        • Year End Planning Checklist: 12 smart planning moves to consider
      • Marriage/Divorce/Re-Married >
        • 8 Ways to Help Couples Overcome Cash Conflicts
      • Kids (Birth/College/Marriage) >
        • 7 Things you and your student should discuss before they head off the college
        • Getting The Most Out of Financial Aid For College
        • Investing In College
        • Budgeting For Students
        • Save on Textbooks
        • Subsidized vs unsubsidized loans – what’s the difference?
        • 7 Tips for Your College Bound Student
        • “What I did on my Summer Vacation – 2019”
        • Budgeting for College Students - 2018
        • Most Significant FAFSA Changes in over 20 Years!!
        • Direct 529 Plan Changes To Be Implemented
      • Birth/Death >
        • Is a cash windfall in your future?
        • Planning for People with Special Needs
    • Client Letters >
      • 2019 - July Client Letter: Records Are Made To Be Broken
      • 2018 - Summer's Hot Issues
      • 2018 - November Market Update:
      • 2016 - January Client Letter - A volatile year ends with a whimper
      • 2016 - September Letter to Clients: The Ides of September?
      • 2016 - November Letter to Clients: The Final Countdown?
      • 2016 - December Letter to Clients: Near Term Impact of Trump's Victory
      • 2015 - September Client-letter: Looking past scary headlines
      • 2015 - November Client Letter: The Clouds Part
      • 2015 - December Client Letter, A Baker's Dozen: 13 Smart Planning Moves