D-Day's 74th anniversary

From Yahoo News [photos at link]:

On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, to begin freeing northwestern Europe from under the boot of Nazism. Although it was a decisive Allied victory that changed the course of World War II, thousands of courageous young men gave their lives on those beaches in northern France. The U.S. National D-Day Memorial Foundation has verified that 2,499 Americans and 1,914 from other Allied nations were killed on that day — a total of 4,413 Allied deaths. https://www.yahoo.com/news/remembering-d-day-slideshow-wp-151008712.html

Pointe du Hoc: https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/pointe-du-hoc-ranger-monument#.WxipifZFyAU

So many gave all. Let us not ever forget.

Truly the greatest generation! This group of guys and gals saved the world from an
unspeakable evil. They don't make them like this anymore!

nota bene said:

From Yahoo News [photos at link]:

On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, to begin freeing northwestern Europe from under the boot of Nazism. Although it was a decisive Allied victory that changed the course of World War II, thousands of courageous young men gave their lives on those beaches in northern France. The U.S. National D-Day Memorial Foundation has verified that 2,499 Americans and 1,914 from other Allied nations were killed on that day — a total of 4,413 Allied deaths. https://www.yahoo.com/news/remembering-d-day-slideshow-wp-151008712.html

Pointe du Hoc: https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/pointe-du-hoc-ranger-monument#.WxipifZFyAU

So many gave all. Let us not ever forget.

Click to expand...

Visiting Normandy Beach is on my bucket list. What those men--some of 'em not even out of their teens--must have experienced is beyond anything I could ever imagine.

nota bene said:

From Yahoo News [photos at link]:

On June 6, 1944, the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, to begin freeing northwestern Europe from under the boot of Nazism. Although it was a decisive Allied victory that changed the course of World War II, thousands of courageous young men gave their lives on those beaches in northern France. The U.S. National D-Day Memorial Foundation has verified that 2,499 Americans and 1,914 from other Allied nations were killed on that day — a total of 4,413 Allied deaths. https://www.yahoo.com/news/remembering-d-day-slideshow-wp-151008712.html

Pointe du Hoc: https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/pointe-du-hoc-ranger-monument#.WxipifZFyAU

So many gave all. Let us not ever forget.

Click to expand...

Thousands gave their lives was an understatement, it was a suicide mission against superior german defenses, what makes it so sad is that many in that campaign knew what it was, and that with the nazi defenses in place taking it would be a bloodbath.


I guess I can say I am proud of us and allied forces on d-day who walked into a slaughterfest knowing their odds of death were high, and still went ahead to take the beach, there is a lot of courage needed for what they did.

I don't guess or have any reservations at all.

Phys251 said:

Visiting Normandy Beach is on my bucket list. What those men--some of 'em not even out of their teens--must have experienced is beyond anything I could ever imagine.

Click to expand...

Yep. Omaha Beach, and the cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, are also on my bucket list.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics...artment-d-day-us-germany-relationship-sot.cnn


Because we want to be friends........



To the ‘bucket list’ people; make time for it!

My adoptive Grandfather went ashore late in the afternoon on Omaha Beach, D-Day. His original mission was to establish a POW containment area. Needless to say that never happened, he spent to night in a small village just above the cliffs in a confused fire fight with counter attacking Germans.

He had been told it would be a tough fight but the Germans were low grade and the Heavy bombers would blast the beaches and cliff defenses to bits. The doughs trained to leap frog from bomb crater to bomb crater to the holes blasted in the wire, dozens of specialized teams would have the obstacles blown, dozens of swimmer tanks would attack any remaining resistance. My Grandfather would just have to round up the 3rd rate garrison Germans and baby sit them until they would be sent to England.

It was a huge shock to the first wave to be greeted by a clean beach, untouched defenses, unknown minefields, and far more and far better trained German troops.

As a small child I remember the reunions of my Grandfather's vet friends. They would greet each other at the entrance and then go into the main dining room, the doors would close. I would go to bed. They stopped meeting about the time I was driving. I learned very little about what my Grandfather did/thought of it all. He was not a man who shared his feelings, a very formal man.

Now after serving in the Infantry, I wish I was mature enough back then to ask the proper questions ( a pox on every idiot who asks- 'did ya kill anyone?') and hear his personal account... eace

There was a man that who spent a few days a week at The WW2 Museum in New Orleans. He died a couple years ago, but he was member of the 82nd Airborne. He would set up a display in the entrance of the museum and tell about his experience. He had the gift of gab, so his stories were always interesting. The story he enjoyed telling the most was when he jumped into Normandy, his stick was misdropped and he landed in a cemetary, ending up bouncing off a headstone and onto the ground.