D-Day....June 6, 1944 - 70 years ago today

[RailroadJoe]

A very emotional place to visit is the graveyard in Normandy. My daughter just got back from visiting and said next to the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii this is another very solemn place. It makes you think.

[nhboat61]

I want to say thank you and remember my grandfather and great uncle who came ashore in Normandy so long ago and help liberate Europe .

Also, 70 years ago today, Rome was liberated and another great uncle was part of that and helped free family members still living in Italy under Fascist and Nazi rule at that time.

[dt5150]

Amen.......

[TheProfessor]

As one who has visited Normandy on June 6.
On a beautiful sunny day as today is there.

One is awestruck standing and walking amongst the white crosses and stars at the US cemetery. And to read the names on the crosses. Some just state "Unknown".

St Mere Eglise has a museum both indoor and outside. The famous parachute is still hanging on the church roof in center of town. Inside the museum is one intact glider. The movies don't do justice as to the rudimentary construction of these gliders.

Some areas along beaches have the concrete bunkers still intact for viewing. Interesting to view that some had small railroad type tracks to bring the replacement ammunition from other storage bunkers.

Walking along Omaha beach, we had locals walk up to us and in limited English say "Thank you".

Just driving along the coast roads there is monument after monument. Listing and stating how many lives were lost just taking out one emplacement.

Also there are many reenactment people and places along the roads. Interesting to view US WWII jeeps with locals dressed in WWII Army uniforms. More then a few WWII vehicles just driving along.

All of the locals were friendly, polite, and grateful.

A trip to be taken by those who can. A trip that I will never forget.

[JMR]

I do not think we can over-state the contribution that these hero's made to history. Try to imagine the world today if they had failed. My heart and admiration goes out to all of them. My father was a fighter pilot in northern Italy and was speechless when he saw the D-Day part of Saving Private Ryan.

[MAXUM]

At no other time in history has this country ever proved it's greatness than in WWII. To think of the sacrifices that were made by everyone during that time. It's easy to look back now and say we won the war, but many don't realize that we were facing significant foes that in some cases had superior firepower and home field advantage. Many of the solders were put into harms way, mistakes were made and many lives were lost. I cannot imagine the stress our military brass was under and how difficult it was for them to make the decisions they did only knowing for sure that they were sending men in that would not make it back, and have to live with that. Yet then we had men of honor, character, and conviction, we had a population that was willing to sacrifice for the betterment of this country and we had leaders that were for the most part statesmen. It was and always will be the greatest generation of all. The USA faced incredible odds many times being out manned and outgunned, yet we prevailed and thank God we did. The world would be a far different place had we not.

Something to think about considering the current state of affairs this country finds itself in now.

[VitaBene]

My uncle Jim landed on Omaha beach in the first wave 70 years ago today, ultimately seeing action through France and the Rhineland (this was after serving in Tunisia and landing in Sicily (as part of the Big Red 1)).

The only way I know the above is from his service records. He, like many combat veterans, never spoke about the War. He was one of the kindest, gentlest people I have met. I had the pleasure of him living with us for the last five years of his life.

I went to Normandy 10 years ago today and was extremely moved by all of the sites, but especially Omaha (so much beach to cross) and the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by RailroadJoe

A very emotional place to visit is the graveyard in Normandy. My daughter just got back from visiting and said next to the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii this is another very solemn place. It makes you think.

There's a French village preserved today that shows a village after decimation by the enemy.



The village at Oradour-sur-Glane serves as a reminder that even a month after the Normandy invasion, Frenchmen suspected of aiding the resistance were marched out to be shot. Ultimately, none in the village survived that day. Below is a photograph of male Oradour-sur-Glane villagers being rounded up.

A piece of WWII trivia, is that the enemy's uniforms were designed by Boss of New York.

[Merrymeeting]

Thinking of my uncle today. He was a Gloucester fisherman. As a result, he was tabbed to drive one of the landing boats on D-Day. Like most of his generation, he didn't talk much about his time in the service. But I recall my mother telling me once about him talking about the landings. Once he dropped the gate, many never even made it off the boat, and of those who did, many never made shore. And he had to do this multiple times during the day.

As the father of 2 boys now at the age of those soldiers, I cannot imagine the horror, either for them or for the parents who had to listen to it evolve on the radio.

Thanks to all of them.