D-Day....June 6, 1944 - 69 years ago today

[tummyman]

Let us never forget the brave Allied hero's who stormed the beaches in Normandy, France on June 6, 1944 to provide freedom for people under Nazi tyranny. This military operation was the largest naval invasion in history. May those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, many of whom are interred on foreign soil, rest in eternal peace. We must NEVER forget their sacrifice for our freedoms today!!!!!!

[dt5150]

Amen......

[donnamatrix]

The Longest Day--Erwin Rommel

[Lakesrider]

I have today off and am watching WWII in HD right now on the History channel.
Amazing stories from some of the last of the greatest generation.

[TheProfessor]

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill; Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Lawrence Binyon

[tis]

When we were kids my parent's always talked a lot about DDay. Now, you hardly every hear it mentioned. As a matter of fact, I didn't hear it mentioned once on tv. (I don't watch much tv though.)

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by tis

When we were kids my parent's always talked a lot about DDay. Now, you hardly every hear it mentioned. As a matter of fact, I didn't hear it mentioned once on tv. (I don't watch much tv though.)

I fear that if you mentioned Omaha Beach or Utah Beach to young people today, they would wonder how the ocean got into those states.

I read this morning that 115 WWII veterans served in the Senate, and the last of them was Sen. Lautenberg of NJ, who just passed away. Last of the House of Representatives survivors are Ralph Hall of Texas and John Dingell of Michigan. It is unlikely that any new WWII survivors will be elected as they would typically be in their 80's or older.

As in the past, it will be unfortunate that when the last surviving member passes, there will be little or no fanfare.

I was at Pease yesterday to greet troops returning from Afghanistan, including over a hundred National Guard troops from ME, and I got to see yet again an American Flag that flew over Guadalcanal in WWII. My Dad served in the Marines on Guadalcanal in WWII, and I like to think that Flag flew over him while he was there. Seeing that Flag on my visits to Pease is a constant reminder of the service my prior generation gave so that I may enjoy the life I do now.

Their memory will never be lost in my mind.

[AC2717]

Originally Posted by tis

When we were kids my parent's always talked a lot about DDay. Now, you hardly every hear it mentioned. As a matter of fact, I didn't hear it mentioned once on tv. (I don't watch much tv though.)

agreed, I am only 32 but I remember what my grandfater did. And I too was mad that nothing was mentioned, except for at all places, AOL.com, and then of course here

Greatest generation in my eyes and mind and will always be, not taking way from our troops today, but in a general sense in the whole country

[Barney Bear]

I was nine years old when Pearl Harbor was attacked. I heard the announcement on the radio and asked my mother "Where is Hawaii?". My father enlisted in the army medical corps in June 1942. We would visit him at Ft. Bragg in NC while he was in the 82nd Airborne [gliders], and later while on maneuvers in TN. He was transferred to the Third Army and crossed the English Channel on D-Day plus 17. He traveled across France and into Germany with the 35th evacuation hospital, operating on both American and German casualties. Dad returned home in late 1945. Both Mom and Dad were able to enjoy cruising on Lake Winnipesauke when we bought our first boat, and later visited our cottage on East Bear Island.

[Nauset]

My 16 year old daughter recently went on a trip to England and France with 50 of her high school classmates. Among the places they visited were the Churchill War Rooms which is an underground bunker in London and Omaha Beach in Normandy including the American cemetery there. She brought me back a smooth stone from Omaha Beach which was nicer than any gift she could have bought in a gift store. The cemetery is so vast that they were instructed to seek out one marker each from the thousands and commit to memory the name of the solder who is buried there. It was great that the students were exposed to that kind of history.

[Nauset]

On another note I turned on the History Channel on Memorioal Day expecting to see some interesting shows about our war history only to find re-runs of Pawn Stars.

[RailroadJoe]

Makes on wonder why Pawn Stars are on the History channel. No history!

[rander7823]

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

Makes on wonder why Pawn Stars are on the History channel. No history!

Actaully there is a lot of history on Pawn Stars. People bring in all sorts of WWII, Civil War, Political, Native Amercian artifacts. They guy from the Clark County Museum comes in a lot to offer his expertise, but he never places a value on the items just whether he thinks they are real or not. This show is actually very educational. Now Hardcore Pawn is a different story.

Apologies to everyone of for the potential hijacked thread, but i just love watching Pawn Stars.

ABC News had a piece that night on D-Day and Saving Private Ryan was on one of the movie chanels in some sort of loop. Everytime I watch that movie I thank God that I was born when I was and didn't have to go through anythig like that.

Our Military are very brave people

[ApS]

Originally Posted by tis

When we were kids my parent's always talked a lot about DDay. Now, you hardly every hear it mentioned. As a matter of fact, I didn't hear it mentioned once on tv.

I'm lucky enough to have Internet access to my Dad's PBY logbook, but when I checked for his location when he'd possibly heard the news of the D-Day invasion, there were no entries for June.

So I asked him where he was on that day, nearly 70 years ago, and he answered, "I was waiting for orders to the Southwest Pacific at Point Loma Naval Air Station, California."

Q: Did you see the end of the two-front war approaching?

A: "We weren't aware of the significance of D-Day for months".

[cee65]

I am coming very late to this post. However in 2007, I was able to visit the D-Day beaches in Normandy and the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. Seeing the cemetery was one of the most moving experiences in my entire life. All those white crosses and Star of David headstones took my breath away. You cannot go there and not realize what a tremendous sacrifice of lives was made by so many to liberate Europe from certain tyranny. It was unforgettable.