June 6th 1944. D-Day +63 years

[meesterperfect]

Today is June 6th, its been 63 years since the Battle of Normandy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Normandy

I think alot about how this one particular day changed history and changed the future of mankind forever,changed my life or perhaps created it, and the people who fought there, died there and even the people who lived during that time.
I feel I owe them something.

This was what President Franklin D. Roosevelt said to the world on that day. I found his words interesting.
http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/fdr-prayer.htm

 

[AFA]

Very good post Mr. P I knew a lot about it but I think the early part of Private Ryan really illustrated it. I have an older friend who was involved with this first hand. He doesn't talk about it a lot, but sometimes offers some insight.

 

[Jagger69]

Yes....the whole world owes those brave men a serious debt of gratitude.

My grandfather was there. He was later seriously wounded near Malmedy during the Battle of the Bulge. His entire platoon was wiped out except for him. He was, and always will be, my hero (God rest his soul).

June 6, 1944

May we never forget....

 

[Vanilla Bear]

Can I tell here about my both grandfathers or will you all call me Nazi if I tell you that Im very proud of them?
Both fought for Germany in WWII.
But not in the Normandy.

 

[Roughneck]

The slaughter of the Pacific "beachheads" (Betio anyone?) - visited upon Europe.
My Father never received the "glory" of "liberating Europe". He was too busy surviving Guadalcanal, Peleilu and Okinawa (among other locations).

Male 12 - I wouldn't be surprised if your Opa (both of them) spent significant amount of their service on the Ostfront.... but I would be surprised if they escaped that hell hole [especially if in one piece].



Ahh well!

A salute to the PBI of the US 1st ID who landed that fateful day - from a grunt who once served with the 1st ID.


cheers,




PS: Before anyone asks ---- PBI = Poor Bloody Infantry

 

[negator]

it still makes me stop everything when i think of that day. words just can't express my feelings, but here's some:

sacrifice. hero. fear. courage.

the day a bunch of citizens got together and saved the world.

gambled all or nothing - and won.

Eisenhower.

Thanks.

Very good post Mr. P I knew a lot about it but I think the early part of Private Ryan really illustrated it.

agree. spielberg did right.

i don't have any friend or family connection to the battle, but i feel the entire western world "knows" the blood, sand, and sea, and was born of that day. i try to honor the sacrifice daily.

anyway. . .good post:thumbsup:

 

[GetBent]

Wow. Been to all the news sites today (just to keep up with the latest, as usual) and not a single mention of D-Day. I log into Freeones this evening, and I see that someone has finally brought it up. Good on you.

My father landed at the beach (yeah, I know, I was a late child for him) a couple of weeks after D-Day (he was part of an engineering battalion, not infantry). Needless to say, I'm real proud of my pops.

Thanks again for at least mentioning this significant part of history on this day.

 

[Vanilla Bear]

Male 12 - I wouldn't be surprised if your Opa (both of them) spent significant amount of their service on the Ostfront.... but I would be surprised if they escaped that hell hole [especially if in one piece].

My dads father served mostly on the Ostfront youre right.
But my mums father served in Northern Africa and Italy and some other stations.

My dads father was wounded a few times and was nearly dead.
He lost a finger was in war captivity and has still a shell splinter in his neck. But hes still alive. He was in one of the "best" unit out there, but I dont want to name him or the unit/division!
My mothers dad is already dead. But he wasnt KIA. He was also wounded one time but not as bad as my other opa.

 

[meesterperfect]

Wow. Been to all the news sites today (just to keep up with the latest, as usual) and not a single mention of D-Day. I log into Freeones this evening, and I see that someone has finally brought it up. Good on you.

My father landed at the beach (yeah, I know, I was a late child for him) a couple of weeks after D-Day (he was part of an engineering battalion, not infantry). Needless to say, I'm real proud of my pops.

Thanks again for at least mentioning this significant part of history on this day.

Thats because the news media doesn't want to promote patriotism as this point in time. They have they're reason$

I have 3 uncles that were in WWII also, one was in France on the day they were liberated, Another served in the Pacific and another was shot up in the Battle of the Bulge, but survived without future problems. I'm proud of them, thats all I can say.

 

[Roughneck]

Thats because the news media doesn't want to promote patriotism as this point in time.

Again, sorry but this is utter bullshit.

If you ever read the news headlines and saw the pictures when the Marines stormed Tarawa (for example), you'd eat your words.

The media has always been this way. People just selectively look at the past and pick what they want and choose to ignore the rest (Example: "The Greatest Generation" was also involved in formulating misguided policies - from our military involvement in Korea and Vietnam to the implementation of "The Great Society" programs and expansion of Social Security).

No doubt my Father's generation achieved much, but their generation was no mythical exception - like all other generations, they did good and they also did bad. Just like my generation..... and just like my children's generation... (so on and so forth).


cheers,

 

[belfastsixpack]

Again, sorry but this is utter bullshit.

i couldn't agree more. if anything, the media is overly promoting the need to be patriotic, almost to the point that if one speaks out/acts out against the government, even in a perfectly legal and constitutional way, they can almost be considered the enemy.

 

[Roughneck]

My dads father served mostly on the Ostfront youre right.
But my mums father served in Northern Africa and Italy and some other stations.

My dads father was wounded a few times and was nearly dead.
He lost a finger was in war captivity and has still a shell splinter in his neck. But hes still alive. He was in one of the "best" unit out there, but I dont want to name him or the unit/division!
My mothers dad is already dead. But he wasnt KIA. He was also wounded one time but not as bad as my other opa.

Hi M12:

I understand your reluctance in sharing more information. I've interviewed many surviving German and Austrian WWII veterans (Heer, SS, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine). My most memorable contact is an SS Colonel who fought against my Uncle's unit during the same operation my Uncle was KIA (in Italy).

Know that my PM box is always open ....


cheers,

 

[Roughneck]

if anything, the media is overly promoting the need to be patriotic, almost to the point that if one speaks out/acts out against the government, even in a perfectly legal and constitutional way, they can almost be considered the enemy.

I'm sorry but this is BS too.

If what you said was true - Cindy Sheehan (for example) would have been behind bars (and the following is important) "because of media".


I admit that the US media has enormous clout - one just needs to look at the Spanish-American War to see the eventual results (and the birth of the term "Yellow Journalism")... for example.

But to claim that the media has actively "supported" 'patriotism' or (actively suppressed) 'dissent' is absurd. I can provide a detailed analysis if anyone wants.

All those who claim that the media is "Pro-government"; y'all were never around during the Vietnam War....
All those who claim that the media is "Anti-government"; y'all were never around during the Vietnam War.....

To say the least.... and the above should give you an idea of what I'm trying to arrive at with this post.


cheers,

 

[belfastsixpack]

All those who claim that the media is "Pro-government" were never around during the Vietnam War.
All those who claim that the media is "Anti-government" were never around during the Vietnam War.

just out of curiosity, which way would you claim the media to be biased?

 

[Roughneck]

just out of curiosity, which way would you claim the media to be biased?

Towards any source that maximizes their profits - as it should be! How else do you think uncensored media would survive in a free society?

Please note, I never meant that "media making money from the news is a bad thing". To argue against this would open the door to "regulation of media" - a theme anathema to "right to free speech".

All I ever meant was "sometimes, the folks who claim to be impartial towards reporting the straight facts; are not as impartial as they claim".

But deciphering "who is true and who isn't" really is up to the "consumers" of media. In other words - just because ABC says XYZ - doesn't always mean XYZ did or did not happen.

"The price of freedom and liberty is an eternally vigilant society".


cheers,

 

[belfastsixpack]

How else do you think uncensored media would survive in a free society?

but the media is censored! of course, not as obviously as in countries such as venezuela or china, but it still is. for example: how many times have you seen news footage of coffins coming home from iraq, or even a death count on tv?

 

[negator]

sorry to inject off-topic, but i just realized the battle of midway is having an anniversary too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Midway

totally different, yet the same.

 

[AFA]

Yes....the whole world owes those brave men a serious debt of gratitude.

My grandfather was there. He was later seriously wounded near Malmedy during the Battle of the Bulge. His entire platoon was wiped out except for him. He was, and always will be, my hero (God rest his soul).

June 6, 1944

May we never forget....

Can I tell here about my both grandfathers or will you all call me Nazi if I tell you that Im very proud of them?
Both fought for Germany in WWII.
But not in the Normandy.

I think the futility of that war is recognized by both sides. But hey we're stupid, let's do it again in Iraq!

 

[D-rock]

I had a lot of relatives that were involved in that, especially on my mother’s side. My grandfather served in both World Wars and was involved in the storming of Normandy. I forgot how many of his unit died in the operation that day but it was a bloodbath.

 

[meesterperfect]

Again, sorry but this is utter bullshit.

If you ever read the news headlines and saw the pictures when the Marines stormed Tarawa (for example), you'd eat your words.

The media has always been this way. People just selectively look at the past and pick what they want and choose to ignore the rest (Example: "The Greatest Generation" was also involved in formulating misguided policies - from our military involvement in Korea and Vietnam to the implementation of "The Great Society" programs and expansion of Social Security).

No doubt my Father's generation achieved much, but their generation was no mythical exception - like all other generations, they did good and they also did bad. Just like my generation..... and just like my children's generation... (so on and so forth).


cheers,

Sorry Roughneck, but we just disagree on this thought about the media of today. Or maybe you are agreeing but your saying its always been this way.
Yes you do know more about how the news media has been in the past. But I'm speaking about todays media and I really don't think they promote patriotism or being proud to be an American in the least amount. I believe they use a divide and conquer techniqe among the people to create contraversy and Sell News.
And I believe that is why there wasn't much mention of D-Day on the news today. The last thing they want is a country united, proud to be what it is and why it is,its bad business. Like you said, the most profit.
I mean just look at the speech Rooselvelt gave on that day. Prayer? Asking God to guide us through the upcomomg challenge.Maybe I'm getting a little off topic, but imagine if a President made that speech today.
The media would be all over it,can you imagine the controversy, the outcries, the protests, the anger, and the rage if that prayer were made today.
Putting all that aside, I'm grateful to that generation, as we all are.
Cheers