Remembering D-Day today (in 1944)

[Lincsong]

You hear more about today being 6-06-06 than it being D-Day. Hat's off to all the veterans of WWII.:eusa_clap

 

[Solid Citizen]

Right on Lincsong

We have our FREEDOM today because of those boys!

SC :eusa_clap

 

[KAT]

:whistling :whistling

 

[scotrace]

Yes, Frauleine, we love you.

 

[KAT]

what a relief

 

[Hondo]

Thank you for this post. It makes me sick that D Day is not mentioned in ANY headlines of major news outlets right now.

That goes double for me doll, what also drives me nuts is when people confuse D-Day with Pearl Harbor, Its June the 6th, not Dec. 7th:eusa_doh:
I plan to watch The Longest Day, and Saving Private Ryan.

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Today was primary election day in California. I went to the polling place, didn't have to pass through any checkpoints, nobody shot at me or tried to intimidate me or keep me from voting.

Thanks, guys. God bless all who fought and still fight for our country.

 

[MrBern]

That goes double for me dol, what also drives me nuts is when people confuse D-Day with Pearl Harbor, Its June the 6th, not Dec. 7th:eusa_doh:
I plan to watch The Longest Day, and Saving Private Ryan.

I watched Band of Brothers last nite.
For the paratroopers, the invasion started the nite before....

 

[The Reno Kid]

I was fortunate enough to visit Normandy about four years ago. I have always been a history buff so I really looked forward to it. In the event, my reaction was not what I expected. I went to Utah Beach, then Omaha Beach. There is a large American cemetery at Omaha Beach and as I walked among the headstones, the enormity of what had happened there hit me. Then I started reading the markers. Most of these kids were only 18 or 19 years old. I am not an especially sensitive guy, but I lost it. Even thinking about it now is making my stomach twist. I really wish every American could go there at least once. It was not what I would call pleasant, but it gave me a much greater appreciation for what I have and what it cost. I felt very small.

 

[Dixon's Dame]

I watched the first Combat! episode, "A Day in June" in honor of the day. My local paper did feature a front page article on two of our local D-Day vets on the front page, and I couldn't help getting choked up when I read their words. We have so few vets left nowadays; I salute them all.

 

[Robert Conway]

I have (had) relatives who took part in the landings.

On my dad's side, one of them was with the 82nd Airborne and supposedly was in a glider.

We believe my mom's sister's husband was on the beach. Later he fought across France and in to Germany with Patton's 3rd Army. Supposedly he was also part of the march to Bastogne and still had his weather prayer card. He wouldn't really talk about it, so things are a little murky (he was wounded outside of Cologne and shipped home). Some day I'll find the time to do the proper research.

Both survived the war.

I'll be toasting both of them with a nice Martini tonight.

 

[Robert Conway]

:whistling :whistling

Sorge dich nicht. Der Krieg is aus und jetzt sind wir alle Freunde.

 

[KAT]

Sorge dich nicht. Der Krieg is aus und jetzt sind wir alle Freunde.

Ja da hast du recht, ich glaube das ist gut so!

 

[PADDY]

While I sit here reading "Citizen Soldiers..."

The thing that saddened me about my trip to Normandie, was that the guide would not take me and my friend to see the German cemetary, we just drove past it. Seemingly, the Germans didn't have a part to play in this sanitised view of the Battle of Normandy. The only mention made was of an atrocity by a company of German SS troops (which of course fuelled this image of all Germans being monsters and baby eaters!).
Thankfully, I'm old and experienced enough to take that view with a big pinch of salt!!

For me, there are always two sides (at least) to a battle and the human cost is felt on both sides and 'that' should never be forgotten. Young Frans and Deiter from Hanover bled and hurt and cried as much as young Joe from Detroit or Tommy from Newcastle!! these guys, whether it was a battle green or gray uniform, were all human beings at the end of the day.

Just picked up a second hand copy and really enjoying it. The thing that shines through (even though it focuses on the US Forces and the men and ladies who made them up), it also shows the human tragedy and camaraderie of conflict, from Normandie to the fall of Germany.

And in so doing, Ambrose (the writer) interviews former German soldiers and officers (at this stage of my reading, the ones serving in Normandy and France). And by this stage of the war June to late 1944, these men of the Wermacht (German Army), had long given up the idea of an unconquerable army that would rule the world!! These boys just wanted to survive, but were caught between the political devil and the dark blue sea.

Most of these guys were not fighting in the hedgerows for Hitler and his gang (My experience of young soldiers in Northern Ireland and the Balkans is that the majority don't really understand the background politics or 'why' they are even there. But they know they have to follow orders and stick with their friends in the unit, it's that basic!!).

Sixty years ago....Those young and not so young Germans, well...They were fighting for their families back home (because if the Allies broke through in France, then really there was nothing to stop them bull-dozing into Germany). They were fighting to some extent for what they viewed in personal terms to be their country and culture (and that wasn't National Socialism/Nazism). And many of you current military or former military will identify with this sentiment, at platoom; company; battallion and regimental level, they were fighting for their mates/friends/fellow soldiers who they had lived with and fought alongside over the past few years in the likes of Russia!! One of the main differences betwen the German Army and the Allies (certainly in WW2, but not WW1 with the old Pal's Bn's), was that the old German Regiments recruited in local areas, so that you would have all the boys from a set of villages and towns making up a Regiment. These boys had grown up together, gone to school and gone dating girls together, and eventually were fighting and surviving together on the Eastern Front or in Normandy. These boys laughed and cried, were brave or emotionally broken and scared, were loved by a girl back home or a mum and dad and sister/brother, once had dreams of his future life but now took every minute as it came without a yesterday or a tomorrow!! Fighting as a soldier for your life and the life of your comrades is a great leveller and common denominator and brings out the best and the worst in humans on whatever side you may be fighting.

All those boys fighting (Brits, Yanks, Canadians, Germans..etc) had it rough and went through things that no human being should have to go through or experience.

Just remember the human cost whatever the uniform worn or language spoken. We are all someone's son/daughter, father/mother, boyfriend/girlfriend, sister/brother...we are all human with all the complexities, qualities and shortfalls that goes with that. So, bless them all!

 

[KAT]

The thing that saddened me about my trip to Normandie, was that the guide would not take me and my friend to see the German cemetary, we just drove past it. Seemingly, the Germans didn't have a part to play in this sanitised view of the Battle of Normandy. The only mention made was of an atrocity by a company of German SS troops (which of course fuelled this image of all Germans being monsters and baby eaters!).
Thankfully, I'm old and experienced enough to take that view with a big pinch of salt!!

For me, there are always two sides (at least) to a battle and the human cost is felt on both sides and 'that' should never be forgotten. Young Frans and Deiter from Hanover bled and hurt and cried as much as young Joe from Detroit or Tommy from Newcastle!! these guys, whether it was a battle green or gray uniform, were all human beings at the end of the day.

Just picked up a second hand copy and really enjoying it. The thing that shines through (even though it focuses on the US Forces and the men and ladies who made them up), it also shows the human tragedy and camaraderie of conflict, from Normandie to the fall of Germany.

And in so doing, Ambrose (the writer) interviews former German soldiers and officers (at this stage of my reading, the ones serving in Normandy and France). And by this stage of the war June to late 1944, these men of the Wermacht (German Army), had long given up the idea of an unconquerable army that would rule the world!! These boys just wanted to survive, but were caught between the political devil and the dark blue sea.

Most of these guys were not fighting in the hedgerows for Hitler and his gang (My experience of young soldiers in Northern Ireland and the Balkans is that the majority don't really understand the background politics or 'why' they are even there. But they know they have to follow orders and stick with their friends in the unit, it's that basic!!).

Sixty years ago....Those young and not so young Germans, well...They were fighting for their families back home (because if the Allies broke through in France, then really there was nothing to stop them bull-dozing into Germany). They were fighting to some extent for what they viewed in personal terms to be their country and culture (and that wasn't National Socialism/Nazism). And many of you current military or former military will identify with this sentiment, at platoom; company; battallion and regimental level, they were fighting for their mates/friends/fellow soldiers who they had lived with and fought alongside over the past few years in the likes of Russia!! One of the main differences betwen the German Army and the Allies (certainly in WW2, but not WW1 with the old Pal's Bn's), was that the old German Regiments recruited in local areas, so that you would have all the boys from a set of villages and towns making up a Regiment. These boys had grown up together, gone to school and gone dating girls together, and eventually were fighting and surviving together on the Eastern Front or in Normandy. These boys laughed and cried, were brave or emotionally broken and scared, were loved by a girl back home or a mum and dad and sister/brother, once had dreams of his future life but now took every minute as it came without a yesterday or a tomorrow!! Fighting as a soldier for your life and the life of your comrades is a great leveller and common denominator and brings out the best and the worst in humans on whatever side you may be fighting.

All those boys fighting (Brits, Yanks, Canadians, Germans..etc) had it rough and went through things that no human being should have to go through or experience.

Just remember the human cost whatever the uniform worn or language spoken. We are all someone's son/daughter, father/mother, boyfriend/girlfriend, sister/brother...we are all human with all the complexities, qualities and shortfalls that goes with that. So, bless them all!

THANK YOU!!:cry: (and i mean it)

 

[Robert Conway]

Very well said, Paddy.

 

[Hondo]

Combat

I watched the first Combat! episode, "A Day in June" in honor of the day. My local paper did feature a front page article on two of our local D-Day vets on the front page, and I couldn't help getting choked up when I read their words. We have so few vets left nowadays; I salute them all.

I hope who ever owns the rights to Combat! gets the entire series in DVD format, that and 12 O'Clock High what a shame, those are two very rare shows from Tv era in the 60's, not like the junk you view today, very sad.

 

[scotrace]

Well said

Paddy, that was very well said and something that needed to be said.

The German cemetery at Normandie is not visited?

 

[Paul]

D Day Remembered by the young in the UK

Just thought you like to know that D day is still remembered by some of the young over here in the UK also.

My sister a teacher, goes each year with a school to the Day beaches with 120 14 year old children girls and boys, it's there own choose to go on this trip not compulsory.
Apart from going on the beaches and been taught about the events.
She said the most moving part for her was when the staff give the children the opportunity to pay their respects at one of the cemeteries , not compulsory again ! most of these 14 year old children come out in tears, not a easy thing for children to show emotion in front of each other just shows how they realize what when on and the great loss at D Day.
On a lighter note!
On the ferry home these kids were all in a large group for safety purposes these days (the school take security guards to protect the children from the public) when two vets with medals pinned on the chests wanted to walk where these kidswere blocking a walk way, nothing was said by the teachers or children or even the vet but instinctively the children move to one side,and made a passage through the middle so these two vet did not have to walk around them.:eusa_clap
D Day and both wars are still remember here by the young and rightfully so.
Paul

 

[PADDY]

Thanks for that Paul.

Often as adults, we don't give enough credit to young children and what they pick up on. I dare say, such visits to Normandie will stay (in some form or snap shot mental image) with those children for the rest of their days. I appreciate you posting this.