....one of the greatest events in our modern history took place. This anniversary carries with it a sad reality, as the youngest veterans are nearing 90 years old, chances are this will be the last attended by so many of them.
While many will be musing over their spilled cup of coffee or morning traffic, just remember that you have it much easier than those on this day in history.
http://m.bbc.com/news/uk-27700479
You go get'em gramps! :-)
His landing craft got delayed and launched late. The LC that took his place hit a mine and went down, he said they were a bunch of gung ho Marines, whose zeal for battle drove their rapid demise.
John has a long mustache.
Check this out: pretty cool gallery comparing shots from the invasion with the same areas today.
In reply to Fueled by Caffeine:
Link no worky.
Beer Baron wrote: In reply to Fueled by Caffeine: Link no worky.
fixed it thanks.
My "Little Known Fact" for the day....
What we are calling D-Day now was just common nomenclature. D-Day and H-Hour represent the time and day an operation is set to begin, so long before June 6, '44 and long after WWII other operations had a D-Day. The day before a D-Day was D-1 and the day after was D+1, so that if the day of the operation changed, all the dates in documentation did not have to be changed or reissued.
My grandfather was on Omaha beach. his was supposed to be the first boat on the beach. but a close mortar attack caused the coastie at the helm to circle back around. the boat that was first, dropped the ramp straight onto the beach and all the men aboard were machine gunned by the Germans.
My Grandfather's boat dropped the men off sideways (side of the boat to the beach) and gave my Grandfather and all his buddies a chance.
He made it all the way to Paris without a scratch before my Great Grandfather died and they pulled him out of the war and sent him home
My thanks to the brave men who were there that day. The Pathfinders in particular were some brave guys; parachuting into enemy territory in the middle of the night to set up radar beacons and landing lights for the gliders.
Our youngest daughter is attending the ceremonies in Normandy, this morning, as part of a school trip.
One of my Uncles would have been off the coast and another one would have been in the air over Normandy 70 years ago.
"You are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you...I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle."
http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Cadets-bring-D-Day-life-display/story-21179304-detail/story.html#vjgSTHtT1QYYT4FW.99
In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:
Yep, other fun fact is that the landing on Omaha Beach was much better opposed due to an Allied intelligence failure. They didn't know a unit of battle hardened eastern front veterans had been moved there(that unit was thought to be the reserve) That assault was in doubt for most of the day, and nearly abandoned.
Another interesting fact:
"All the more staggering when you realize that more people were killed in the rehearsal for the landing at Utah Beach than were killed in the actual landing at Utah Beach."
From Operation Tiger: http://www.npr.org/2012/04/28/151590212/operation-tiger-d-days-disastrous-rehearsal
In reply to aircooled:
Wow.....they like to leave that snippet out of the history books. 
Our commanders expected alot more casualties than they suffered, so that was a bonus.
yamaha wrote: ..They didn't know a unit of battle hardened eastern front veterans had been moved there..
Helped in the other direction by the failure of the Germans to believe it was the invasion early enough and commit their armored reserve units to repel the invasion, which was very short on armor (I think most all of the US armor had sunk getting off the LSTs).
The Germans also had some less the crack units on the beaches. I believe they had mostly committed to thinking the invasion would be more northward (not Normandy). Because of this some of the lesser units were in Normandy.
This is actually depicted (although you would have to observe VERY closely) in Saving Private Ryan. When they breach through the pill boxes and get around behind them, they run into two German soldiers eager to surrender and clearly saying that to them with their hands raised. The interesting part of that is that the soldiers are NOT German, and are not speaking German. They are some of the conscripted soldiers the Germans "encouraged" to serve. I believe they were speaking Bulgarian or some other Balkan language. Needless to say, they were less then eager to lay down their lives for the Reich.
Last year they had this tribute to those that fell. It's pretty amazing. With all of the trivial B.S. that bothers us in daily life---it's humbling to remember what these guys went through. Sure makes any troubles I have seem insignificant and small.
http://thefallen9000.info/
I've been fortunate enough to travel to Normandy several times over the years, including escorting a British vet back for his first visit since he landed in 1944. It's been a powerful experience every time I've been there.
A few of my photos:
Longues-sur-Mer Battery. The 152mm guns are still in the bunkers.:
Arromanches, site of the Allied artificial harbor, remnants of which can be seen in the photo.:
The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.:
In reply to aircooled:
Most conscripts were Russian POW's that would rather fight for the germans than sit in their work camps.
The reason the germans didn't move some of the million plus they had stationed to the north at Calais, was entirely due to a ruse of "Patton's Balloon Army" Operation Fortitude
Another neat story... Eisenhower's "In case of failure" message.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-eisenhower-d-day-message-story.html
"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."
I mentioned todays date at work. NONE of the "kids" I work with knew what it was/meant. One asked if it was "Pearl Harbor", the other thought it had something to do with the towers. Jeez o pete. What the hell are we teaching our youth? ANYTHING?
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Another neat story... Eisenhower's "In case of failure" message. http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-eisenhower-d-day-message-story.html "Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."
Do you think anybody today would have the dignity to make such a statement?
In reply to Bobzilla:
When I was born WWI was only about 50 years ago and I couldn't have told you much about particular battles or how it began. I had to google for the date of Gettysburg. Do you think about that on July 1st and remember the fallen of the American Civil War?
WWII was 70 years ago. I grew up in the shadow of men who fought there (and Vietnam was still going on) so I had some frame of context that was personal to me. No 25yr old today had that experience to cement big events from that era in their minds. They may remember the first and second Gulf Wars or Afghanistan with clarity when they are our age.
spitfirebill wrote:Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Another neat story... Eisenhower's "In case of failure" message. http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-eisenhower-d-day-message-story.html "Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."Do you think anybody today would have the dignity to make such a statement?
nope … now-a-days the trick is to find someone else to blame any failure on
All I can say is a simple thank you for every person who stepped foot on Omaha Beach and risked their ass for freedom.
Life expectancy was less than 60 seconds for the first ones to hit the beach, they knew this and went anyway. "Devotion to duty". Words fail me ...
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: In reply to Bobzilla: When I was born WWI was only about 50 years ago and I couldn't have told you much about particular battles or how it began. I had to google for the date of Gettysburg. Do you think about that on July 1st and remember the fallen of the American Civil War? WWII was 70 years ago. I grew up in the shadow of men who fought there (and Vietnam was still going on) so I had some frame of context that was personal to me. No 25yr old today had that experience to cement big events from that era in their minds. They may remember the first and second Gulf Wars or Afghanistan with clarity when they are our age.
I grew up in the 80's/90's.
EDIT: had to walk away.... I grew up in a house that loved history. So I paid attention in class, checked out books from the library that contained as much history as I can find. Hell, I spent 3 hours this morning browsing the wiki section on Normandy...
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