D-Day +75 years

[375 Ruger Fan]

Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the US/British/Canadian/Allied invasion of Europe and major turning point of the fight against Nazi Germany. I don't think it's an understatement when historians say that the Allied effort in WWII saved the world.

 

[Bullthrower338]

Indeed an important day in history, we all lost a lot of soldiers on those beaches defending freedom and stopping evil. Definitely the greatest generation is a deserving title.

 

[spike.t]

Been to the beaches a few times as not far in a direct line from Jersey. ( the Naval bombardment could be heard from there and the fighting on the cotentin peninsula when the invasion reached the West Coast of it also could be heard and seen as only a few miles across the channel between Jersey and France)..... visited the cemeteries of the various nations including the German one....standing at all those places really makes you look in awe and gets you thinking and wondering.......one time we had a specialist guide for the day and he took us to places and told stories that if you go and do it by yourself would never learn about.....and he stood us on Omaha beach and pointed out the bunkers and machine gun nests which we had also looked at on the way down......and said go stand and quietly think about it.......looking at the setting you wonder how the landing troops there weren't killed to a man......perfect amphitheatre with fire coming in an arc from all directions....... Very sobering to stand on that beach.......we all owe those combatants of all services and nations who took part in the landings our total respect and gratitude......

 

[cpr0312]

Hard to comprehend what happened that day and how many young men faced it head on!!

So grateful for these soldiers who served and all who have served before and since then!!

 

[spike.t]

Just a little side track and don't want to derail this thread....but as Jersey and rest of the channel islands weren't liberated till May 1945 and everyone including the large German garrison were starving the commander ordered an attack on Granville , a port in France over from the channel islands in March 1945. Now I have an M1 carbine made by Rockola that supposedly was brought back from this raid.......can't be proved but neat story.....

https://googleweblight.com/i?u=https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville_raid&hl=en-ZM

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Americans saved the world once again. I honor and thank all the soldiers who made great sacrifices for the preservation of our freedom.

 

[kevin masters]

I am on the board of a charity called honor flight ky. We fly veterans to D.C. to visit their respective memorials.
The most incredible thing that I have experienced with this is the stories that if you are really lucky you might get to hear these guys tell!
I sat at a gentleman's house one Saturday morning for four hours as he recounted landing on Omaha beach, and then marching some
thirteen hundred miles. All the men he saw die, the friends he lost! He was knighted by France, and they flew him over for the fiftieth anniversary!
They offered him a home and the opportunity to stay in France. He had a shadow box that was about four feet by four feet that was full of all the medals
he had received! But as I listened in awe and questioned him time and again he would say, we just did what we had to do. nothing special I aint no hero.
These men were and are a special generation! There are four thousand stars on the freedom wall at the world war two memorial, each of those stars
represent one hundred service men and women that the united states lost during world war two. Freedom is most assuredly not free.
I pray my children know this and appreciate it!

 

[Newboomer]

All gave some, some gave all. Those who came back say they are not heroes, they are survivors and the ones that didn't make it back are the heroes. In my book every last one of them are heroes. Sadly, we are losing more and more every day. If only more of them would tell their stories. So much history and experience to impart. It is vital to record as much as possible for posterity. Valuable lessons to be learned.

I recently lost one of my uncles who served in Italy in WWII. The obit said he was an aircraft mechanic on bombers. What I didn't know was that he was a Bronze Star recipient. I don't know the details and was surprised to learn that as I don't recall him saying much about his experiences. I've found that to be true of many who were "in close proximity to the enemy" in any conflict. Those who saw the most say the least, usually.

 

[Lee M]

Just saw this post or i wouldn’t have started another. My Grandfather was a USMC devil dog in WWII. As Newboomer said, he never said much about what he experienced. I just watched a few hours of documentaries on Nat Geo. Unbelievable what our young soldiers did and sacrificed in WWII.

 

[Brent in Az]

My great Uncle died on the beaches of Normandy. Never met the man, as he died long before I was born. I do have his old .410 single barrel shotgun. I plan on refinishing it someday.

 

[sgt_zim]

The war took an almost incomprehensible toll on human lives. Consider the Battle of Kursk in the summer of '43 between Germany and Russia. There were more men killed in that one battle than there were Americans killed in the entire war.

More Germans were killed at Stalingrad than the US, UK, and Canada combined for the entire war. Stalingrad also accounted for more Russian deaths than US/UK/Canada combined for the entire war.

Not minimizing what happened to our guys, but the war was over in 1941 when Hitler stopped attacking the UK and poked at the two biggest kids on the block at the same time (US and Russia). At that point, it was only a matter of blood and time until the German army was annihilated.

 

[Brent in Az]

Another great Uncle of mine who survived WW2. He was married to my grandfathers sister, and they wintered in Green Valley, just south of me here in Tucson.