BENTON HARBOR/ST. JOSEPH — “To brighten the future, we must illuminate the past.” That is the principle by which Lest We Forget operates.

Founded in 2001 by a small group of Berrien County veterans, the nonprofit led by Don Alsbro seeks to educate the public about the sacrifices that have been made by our service people over the course of American history.

Over the years, Lest We Forget has fulfilled its mission through a number of activities, such as the creation of documentaries that present the oral histories of local veterans. It also promotes patriotism by organizing a variety of events year-round.

Certainly the most well-known of those events, Lest We Forget is once again organizing its three-day tribute to veterans at Tiscornia Beach in St. Joseph as well as in Benton Harbor at the Southwest Michigan Regional Airport.

Taking place from June 20 through 22, the event will focus on historical events that happened during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Significantly, the event will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Allied beach landing at Normandy.

While the three-day schedule is packed with events that run from sunrise to well past sundown, a number of highlights stand out. More information about the weekend’s events can be found at www.lestweforgetusa.org and on the Facebook page, Lest We Forget USA.

For example, on June 20, re-enactors, vehicles and “War Birds,” or vintage military aircraft, will be arriving at the airport throughout the day, including a C-47 military transport plane.

At Tiscornia Beach, the Vietnam Huey Helicopters will be offering memberships and rides to the public beginning at noon. Event-goers will also have the unusual opportunity to ride in a World War II landing craft at Tiscornia Beach that day. Those rides will continue throughout the weekend at the DNR boat ramp in Benton Harbor.

On Friday evening, “A Walk through History” will be presented at Celebration Cinema in Benton Harbor from 7 to 9 p.m. The evening’s program will include film clips from the three featured wars, as well as presentations by three recipients of the Medal of Honor: Hershel Williams (World War II), Duane Dewey (Korea) and Allen Lynch (Vietnam).

Saturday’s events begin at the airport when the “chow hall” opens to the public at 7 a.m. Then, military vehicles and troops will begin departing for Tiscornia Beach in anticipation of the weekend’s highlight.

At 10 a.m., Lest We Forget will stage a reenactment of the invasion of Allied forces at Normandy. The largest, most complex amphibious invasion in history, the attack involved 7,000 warships, 11,000 planes and 200,000 men.

While the reenactment at Tiscornia could not possibly rival the original event in size or scope, it does cost between $60,000 and $90,000 to stage the event, but it—like most of the weekend’s events—is free to attend. It also presents a rare opportunity for the public to witness a rendering of the event that includes authentic military vehicles and re-enactors who take their roles very seriously.

The Normandy reenactment will be followed by a presentation, “Inchon Remembered,” honoring veterans of the Korean War, and it will include a flamethrower demonstration.

The focus will then return to World War II with a reenactment of various events that took place in the Pacific Theater of that war, including the invasion of Okinawa and the Battle of Iwo Jima.

On Saturday afternoon, events will resume at the airport, where the Vietnam War will be the focus, with presentations by renowned veterans and a Vietnam reenactment, which will include two aircraft that were used in Vietnam, a flame thrower, authentic vehicles and the 25th Infantry Division, known as the “Wolfhounds.” A flag retirement ceremony will also be held that afternoon.

To round out the day, the Fiskar’s Hangar will be transformed into a “canteen” at 6 p.m. The entertainment will include a 1940s fashion show and an a cappella performance by Grand Rapids’ Voices of Freedom, followed by an evening of swing dancing to the music of a big band, The Moonlighters.

Sunday will also include its share of exciting, historically-related events at the airport, including a 20th century museum, a re-enactment of a World War II church service, an appearance by General Patton-impersonator James Goodall and various flag drops and flyovers, including the Missing Man Formation. The Liberty Jump Team will also engage in a World War II ground battle re-enactment at 2 p.m.

With a full slate of activities planned at several venues in the St. Joseph-Benton Harbor area, Lest We Forget’s seventh tribute to America’s veterans is neither to be missed nor forgotten.