quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:As JALLEN and BH have stated, the people of Normandy are particularly fond of US and Brits, and Canadians. Our flags fly prominently in that region. If any of you have a bucket list, be sure a trip to Normandy is on it.

Fixed it for you.

tac

quote:

Originally posted by tacfoley:

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:As JALLEN and BH have stated, the people of Normandy are particularly fond of US and Brits, and Canadians. Our flags fly prominently in that region. If any of you have a bucket list, be sure a trip to Normandy is on it.

Fixed it for you.

tac

I shouldn't be surprised. It was the Allies who did it, and it is only fair that they share the blame!

quote:

Originally posted by tacfoley:

Fixed it for you.

tac

Sorry about forgetting the Cannucks!

My late Father-in-law was in the 29th Inf and was one of 3 from his LST that made it to the beach. He wasn't hurt there but was wounded twice the next few months.

Marathon Music and Video has a 3-DVD set on D-Day -- Buildup, Invasion, Breakout. I will watch all of them while working in the home office today.

The US National Archives has some color photos if you haven't seen them:

https://unwritten-record.blogs...week-d-day-in-color/

Example:

Local Identifier: 111-C-1258, “These American troops have loaded their equipment onto an LCT and are waiting the signal for the assault against the Continent.”

quote:

Originally posted by Russ59:...If any of you have a bucket list, be sure a trip to Normandy is on it...

I have only two travel related items on my bucket list, one is to go to central England where the majority of my "roots" are from, the second is Normandy. I almost made it some years ago when I was planning to to pick up my son after two years in Lisbon, then spend two weeks sight seeing through southern France up to London/Wales. But there were other priorities and it didn't happen.

This is worth the time to watch.

This is a really excellent documentary, one of the best I've seen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfZD2_LHi5c

Thanks for the posts with content links. I have been working my way through them

To this day some of my most emotional experiences were staring at the cliffs and the remaining machine gun bunkers and imagining hell raining down on those glorious brave kids. My god how did they ever get through that. The other was the couple hours spent at the cemetery. If you ever need to know the true cost of freedom just stare at the rows and rows of crosses of those that gave the ultimate sacrifice defending us from evil. May god bless those souls that had the courage to stand up to tyranny and evil and do whatever it took to win. The world would be a very different place, and not good, had those brave souls failed.

The price of freedom is steep. Unfortunately there will be more wars. I only hope when it really hits the fan again we still have the will to defend freedom. Sometimes I wonder and worry.

I posted this last year or year before on D-Day. If you haven't seen the national D-Day Memorial, make the trip. The area is beautiful and it's very easy to make a weekend or more of it. It's right off the Blue Ridge Pkwy which again you could make a trip just to see.

The monuments are very well done, the Operation Overlord one is very impressive, it's huge.

If you live in VA, MD, WVA, or NC you have no excuse not to go.

I karmaed off a print of this picture my GF took from there. One of my favorite pictures from our trip on D-Day a few years back.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Skins2881, June 06, 2018 05:31 AM

I went to the D-Day Memorial in 2009 & was fortunate enough to take the tour with a D-Day Veteran. Just an amazing experience.

God bless them one and all.

quote:

Originally posted by justjoe:
This is a really excellent documentary, one of the best I've seen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfZD2_LHi5c

That was pretty good. I have always wondered why the US built tanks with gasoline engines. I suspect it was to save money, some sort of cruel idea supported by the stupidest of bean counters. The Germans called them Ronsons, as they "always light". Ronson was a cigarette lighter company who's slogan was that they always light.

+74

Here’s to the greatest generation.....

I posted this today on some other fora -

What was happening 74 years ago today..........

in case anyone needs a hint, it was the greatest amphibious invasion in the entire history of the human race, all done in the name of freedom.

Already, 74 years ago today, many thousands of British, Canadians, Americans and many other nations had given their all, and passed the flame on to their brothers-in-arms to take up the fight.

Thankfully, my Uncle Geoff, a sniper in the Queens Own Royal Rifles of Canada, was not one of them, as he struggled in the breaking waves with his rifle over one shoulder and his bicycle over the other, into the murderous machine gun fire and sand and shingle-covered minefields.

Spare a a thought for him, and all his brothers in your daily affairs.

Bless 'em all.

tac

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I found out about this story a couple years ago and it's surprising that it's not more well known.

How weather forecast from Mayo lighthouse saved D-Day invasion

Blacksod Lighthouse[/QUOTE]

You should also know that winds blew the landing craft off course. They estimates are they landed where it was 10-20% fortified but the original landing zones were where it was 90% fortified. Of course they didnt know but it sure was lucky.

I visited all the Normandy beaches and drop zones about 10 years ago. I stood on Omaha beach at low tide and can't really wrap my head around how anyone got off that beach alive.

The American cemetary overlooks Omaha beach. Burials were/are limited to service members killed in conjunction with the Normandy landings. In the literature they give out at the site it says that about 75% of the KIA's were eventually repatriated to the US for local burial so those who remain represent just 25% of those who were KIA.

I plan on watching The Longest Day tonight. Sort of an annual tradition for me.

On top of the supreme courage that it took, I'm also reminded of how well our country came together back then and were one united

cc