"Tomorrow is anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944" Topic

Big day for the Allies on sea, in the air and on land.

Gdep

Big day for the Allies on sea, in the air and on land.

Gdep

Big day for the Allies on sea, in the air and on land.

Gdep

Yes, yes, yes.

A good friend of mine is spending the week in Normandy, Lucky bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Day Early this year. You aced everyone out.

A good friend of mine is spending the week in Normandy, Lucky bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny how times change. I doubt you would have said that seventy three years ago!

He'll have to buy me dinner first.

Certainly one of the most important battles of the WWII Western ETO. Hope the media makes it a point to remember it. But there is a lot going on in the news/world. However, hopefully some at least will do a short piece on it.

Big day for the Germans, too!

Germans went to bed on June 5 and their western defenses were intact, nary an enemy around. By the next night, there were nine allied divisions in Normandy.

Grelber

Yes, in just a few hours the Allies had breached the vaunted Atlantic Wall and were ashore for good. A day to remember.

I thought a lot today. 73 years ago, my Dad and three great uncles were in England. One of the great uncles sat in the cockpit of a Waco glider tethered behind a C-47. The other two separately climbed aboard C-47s, one wearing the patch of the 82nd and the other the 101st. I remember Dad saying that the sky was black with airplanes so thick you could almost not see the sky. He was ordnance and came ashore several days later along with heavy equipment, recovery vehicles and the usual support vehicles and repair and maintenance equipment. Felt very proud and wished they were all still here so I could tell them in person. All four came home. Deepest respects and gratitude for all the brave men on that "Longest Day".

In the time between sunset June 5 and sunset June 10, my paternal grandfather, one of my paternal second cousins and two maternal second cousins were KIA. Two at Omaha, one at Utah and the fourth's body was found near the Meredet River.

My Father landed at D+10 as a replacement with the 90th ID. As an Infantry SGT. He was WIA'd in the Lorraine Campaign. It was just "lucky" he didn't make the landing.

My Mom made P-39 parts.

It stories like these that not only binds us but honors the sacrifices. My own late dad landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. A tenuous connection to so many others here.

My uncle Bob was there, he served on a RAF rescue boat.

He spent most of his time fishing bodies out of the water.

My uncle Allen was flying interdiction behind the beaches on D Day in a P47 and took flak. Made it over the channel but had to ditch. Lacerated his leg getting out. Got picked up by a freighter going to Canada which was without a proper surgeon. By the time the ship reached Canada, gangrene had set in and he lost his leg. That effectively ended his flying career but listening to him tell stories helped plant the flying bug in me.

I would love to visit the battlefields. Both my grandparents were kids when D-Day occurred, and remember hearing the news of it. I have been fascinated with Normandy ever since I watched Saving Private Ryan. Omaha Beach is my favourite of all D-Day beaches to read about.