…the Third Reich invaded Norway. In my line of work such dates tends to be noticed, and my mind is on things not terrible related to shaving today.

April 9th 1940 marked the start of a two month long campaign that ended in the Norwegian Armed Forces in Norway surrendering. It was the longest campaign after being invaded in 1940 – Poland fell in four weeks, France in six… but Norway, with the numerically smallest, barely trained and even worse equiped army in Europe at the time held out for eight. Granted, our geography makes it easy to defend – but our soldiers and volunteers for the most part simply did not give up.

For those unfamiliar with this – in the grand scheme of things – minor part of history, here is a few links:
Operation Weserübung, Norwegian Campaign, HNoMS Pol III, Battle of Drøbak Sound, Battle of Hegra Fortress, Battle of Vinjesvingen, Battles of Narvik, Battle of Dombås, and German occupation of Norway – Wikipedia
The king’s defiance, and chaotic escape and Norway to recall loss of freedom – NewsInEnglish.no

It sounds like a cliché, but freedom isn’t free. Sometimes it must be protected against enemies from outside the nation, sometimes it must be protected against enemies from the inside the nation – but it must be protected regardless.