It is tempting to use lots of superlatives for the immediate impact of this shot - far more superlatives than there are elements in the shot in fact. The simplicity of the composition is a powerful counterpoint to the complexity of what went on at this beach in World War 2 - so many men must have died here, the beach would have been full of vehicles and men, the air alive with noise and the sounds of war. I wonder how many lost lives each of these flags represent - perhaps no-one knows accurately and completely... There is something special about the movement in these flags - in the photograph the poles and the flags almost seem to stand out in 3-D (a testament to your use of light and super-skillful post processing work), and the movement of the flags ripping in the breeze only emphasises the silence and stillness now now compared to the vision of hell this beach witnessed some 65 years ago. So - full marks for impact! I think that the square format and the partial vignetting works well to emphasize the subject matter, and the placing of the flags and the foreground in the frame is absolutely right. This critique is not critical - I cannot find anything here that could be better - the perfect marriage of technique, subject matter and story.