[Sweets]

June 6, 1944. I know there's a weapons pictures type of thread already going on, but I wanted to have one just to commemorate the 'decade anniversary' of this incredibly important event in the history of western civilization and democracy. The kids and young men who went ashore that day and survived are old men now and, as I already watched one of them say in an earlier ceremony, none of them will be around for the 80th. Thanks to them all. We will remember them.

 

[Cody M1A]

I've been in the military 28 years, had the Honor of leading 2000 airmen in war but I am still amazed and humbled at the scope, suffering and loss of life and equipment seventy years ago today. I salute everyone that left England that day knowing full well the prospects of coming home were slim. We all owe them a debt of gratitude.

 

[ageusaf]

I must be getting soft.. I get choked up just thinking about it.
I tried explaining why this day is so important to my 6 year old this morning and was having trouble holding it together.

 

[Circlehook]

Those men that bailed off those transport boats into that cold water this day 70 years ago were true heroes! They were REAL men. They changed the world! The sheer bravery is mind numbing! I thank and salute all of them!

On another note, it made me sick to watch our current Pres, who has sacrificed nothing, who believes in exactly the opposite, to give a speech with words he doesn't believe.

 

[MrShmitty]

God bless those fine men. The greatest generation to date and hopefully not our last.

 

[leid]

70 years ago, the old man became a guest of the Wehrmacht as part of the 82nd ABD 507th PIR drop on Sainte-Mère-Église. His actions made it a short stay. He escaped, joined up with the FFI, and proceeded to do what he was trained to do. I will properly salute him & all like him this evening. Cheers!

http://www.costoffreedom.org/Leidenheimerpg3.html


A copy of this is in the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans. Just weeks after our family sponsored the WW2 82nd ABD 507th PIR reunion in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina almost took the original below. We even had a small group of active duty 101st guys on leave show up at the reunion (sauced to the gills, of course). They were welcomed, fed to help sober them up a bit, then turned over to a family member (T/Sgt. 101st ABD LRRP/Ranger Dominican Republic & Vietnam) who got them totally BAGGED. I was the bartender but did not touch a drop; there was too much history floating around. And I was well aware that the WW2 82nd ABD 507th PIR reunions would soon pass into history as well.

 

[Sweets]

The SS off Juno Beach executed dozens of Canadian POWs in the first few days. I heard their CO on the radio yesterday, joking in English about their capture during a past interview done after he got out of a brief stay in prison. Then they had him circa last year saying Hitler was a good guy. Too bad he's still alive, but thanks to our heroes we ourselves were spared from such scum.

EDIT: Watching the official commemoration ceremony in Normandy: virtually every veteran attending is in a wheelchair. The last time I saw that was about 10 years ago, with the WWI vets. We are indeed losing them.

There is too much Euro BS in this ceremony. Hard to watch right at the moment but I'll refrain from further comment.

 

[Dire88]

A 90yr old British D-Day veteran who resides in a nursing home was told by the staff that he wouldn't be allowed to attend, due to his health.

He went missing this early this morning, and was found standing on the beach at Normandy shortly thereafter.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-reported-missing-from-care-home-9501638.html

If the Nazi war machine couldn't stop him, what made them think they could?

The SS off Juno Beach executed dozens of Canadian POWs in the first few days. I heard their CO on the radio yesterday, joking in English about their capture during a past interview done after he got out of a brief stay in prison. Then they had him circa last year saying Hitler was a good guy. Too bad he's still alive, but thanks to our heroes we ourselves were spared from such scum.

EDIT: Watching the official commemoration ceremony in Normandy: virtually every veteran attending is in a wheelchair. The last time I saw that was about 10 years ago, with the WWI vets. We are indeed losing them.

There is too much Euro BS in this ceremony. Hard to watch right at the moment but I'll refrain from further comment.

We lost our familys' last WW2 vet last year. It's pretty sobering to think that my future grandchildren will never get to meet any of them. Or how when I was younger I gave no thought to it when I met them.

I still think the most astounding thing about them, is that these men were part of arguably the most important human endeavour of the 20th century, and all they asked for in return was a job and to live their lives. Not fame, not fortune, no special regards.

I'll never forget the bomber crewman I met after highschool who was shotdown over Germany, was captured, escaped, made it to Belgium, and was hidden by/fought with the resistance until he was finally able to link up with the Army. He never mentioned a word of it while talking to him.

Didn't even know until we got him back to the nursing home and one of the aides brought it up and pointed out the framed newspaper article they had done on him the year before.

 

[XXIV Corps]

God bless those fine men. The greatest generation to date and hopefully not our last.

+1, works for me

GI5

 

[Col. Colt]

That is an awesome testimonial to the spirit that prevailed that on that day, seventy years ago - and won us a Free World.
Now if we can only hold onto it against the home grown "Progressive"/Communists and the blood thirsty Muslims in this generation....... CC

 

[Enfield]

I can't speak German.
Thank you!

 

[bren10man]

I cried while reading the British coverage (much better than ours).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ounted-biggest-amphibious-invasion-D-Day.html

I miss my great Uncle CW3 George Hjelt (1920-2001), US Army 1943-1964.




He was not at D-Day...however, while a member of 11th Armored Division (Thunderbolt), 3rd Army, he participated in the Battle of the Bulge and the Central Europe/Germany campaign. I grew up hearing his stories and taking his advice to heart. I ate it up like a pig in slop.

I cherish our last visit together in March 2001. He came back to Alabama to visit my aunt's grave (he had moved to Washington State to live with his sister after my aunt died in 1994; I spent Christmas 1996 with him as I could not afford a plane tix to Alabama, so I spent Christmas with him!!!) and we guessed to say goodbye (I think he knew he had cancer but didn't tell a soul until his sister told me 1 week before he died on 1 SEP 2001). I showed him my gun collection: Garands, M1 Carbine, M1903s, M1911s. He could still operate all of them with ease. And yes, he warned me of M1 thumb (I told him I found already found out the "hard way"...LOL).

My kids sadly will not get to know these precious moments with the Greatest Generation that is their Great Grandparents. We were lucky to have known them. They were my heroes growing up...and why I joined. When I told my Uncle that I was about to be sent to Fort Stewart and to the 3ID in 2000, he told me: "Good outfit. Audie Murphy's division. You do well and remember what I told you about being a leader!!!"