D-Day anniversary today

[Limey]

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f101/lambris/P1010370.jpg

Today is the 64th anniversary of D Day........God bless all those who did that monumental task for us.

I was up collecting some guests who were staying with us for a weeks guided motorcycle touring holiday last week and called in at St. Mare Eglise on the way up to Cherbourg to meet the ferry.......that's the place where your airborne guy's dropped in and unfortunately one of them got snagged up on the church steeple.........even to this day the town honours all those guy's and keeps a dummy of a paratrooper and his 'chute on the steeple....there is a great museum at St Mare Eglise and all along this famous coastline where so many landed there are many places to see and visit and marvel how they any of them ever got off of those sands.......and to visit the many Allied war cemetary's is such a moving experience it always brings me to tears.....there but for the grace of God go I.

If any of you ever get over to France, think about staying with us for a while.....check us out at www.la-janais.com

Safe shooting

Limey

[madcaster]

Thanks Limey,
This may just be one of the greatest threads started today!:drinks:

[NSP64]

:drinks:There are so few left alive. and fewer yet who remember. Ask a high schooler today what's special about today and they will answer 'it's friday?'

[1Shirt]

Suggest that all who review this forward it to as many folks as are on your mailing lists. There are far to few who remember just what today signifies!
1Shirt!

[Morgan Astorbilt]

And don't forget to fly the flag!
Morgan

[Scrounger]

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f101/lambris/P1010370.jpg

Today is the 64th anniversary of D Day........God bless all those who did that monumental task for us.

I was up collecting some guests who were staying with us for a weeks guided motorcycle touring holiday last week and called in at St. Mare Eglise on the way up to Cherbourg to meet the ferry.......that's the place where your airborne guy's dropped in and unfortunately one of them got snagged up on the church steeple.........even to this day the town honours all those guy's and keeps a dummy of a paratrooper and his 'chute on the steeple....there is a great museum at St Mare Eglise and all along this famous coastline where so many landed there are many places to see and visit and marvel how they any of them ever got off of those sands.......and to visit the many Allied war cemetary's is such a moving experience it always brings me to tears.....there but for the grace of God go I.

If any of you ever get over to France, think about staying with us for a while.....check us out at www.la-janais.com (http://www.la-janais.com)

Safe shooting

Limey

Yeah, that was Red Buttons.

[NVcurmudgeon]

It is impossible to impress younger people with the impact of the Normandy landings upon those who heard the news. Even as a child not quite eight years old at the time I can clearly remember hearing the news and Gen. Eisenhower's message on our kitchen radio. Grandparents down to children experienced the apprehension of those days and the great sense of deliverance that the long hoped for landing in France brought. As long as there are a few of us "war babies" alive our heroes will be gratefully remembered. One who hasn't lived through it can have no conception of how completely Americans of that time were committed to winning the war. With many relatives in the service, both parents working in Southern California shipyards, Navy housing in the neighborhood, tanks and other military vehicles on the roads, companies of soldiers marching along our street, training aircraft dogfighting over our school, and doing without some things, the war was inescapable. Simply put, we all knew it was a matter of survival. We could use some of that attitude today.

[9.3X62AL]

I'm not sure whether the generation of our Founding Fathers or the generation that produced the men who hit the beaches at Omaha were our "Greatest Generation"--but both are national treasures.

There is some concern that our nation and its allies cannot again produce a generation like that which liberated Europe. I respectfully disagree whole-heartedly. If one limits their reading to mainstream media, the impression is made that our civilization is on the brink of collapse and that the enemy is at the gates.

BULLSQUAT!

I spent 28 years among men and women in LEO, fire, paramedicine, and other emergency services that labored quietly, diligently, and dutifully to discharge their missions and assignments. I have also had the GREAT privilege to meet and become friends with many of the soldiers and airmen who are friends of my nephew and son-in-law, most of whom have at least one tour in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Their quiet confidence and sense of "can-do/will accomplish" is inspirational. They don't expect to be celebrated in newsprint or on I'mWitless News--they know better than most how unreality-based the media truly is. No, their duty lies in serving their nation--not its media organizations.

There are still heroes. Many thousands of them, make no mistake.

[sundog]

Very aptly said, Al. Hooah.

[scrapcan]

least we not forget, even though our calendars do.

Also think Al's statments are right on also.


I also feel that we have proclaimed a day for everything in our current society and it has taken alot of meaning away from some monumentous days of the past.

[twotrees]

A friends father heard his youngest son saying how he was going to quit school and join the Army. His Dad (A Member of Darby's Rangers, 1st division) came over and told us.

"I was trained to kill a man 17 different ways , with just my bare hands, and what has that ever gotten me? Join the Navy, or the Air Force and learn something you can sell when you get out"

That stuck with me, here was a man that had been there done that and those words rang true. I joined and spent 7 years in the service, 4 of them going to school. It has allowed me to raise a family and enjoy life, all these years.

Thanks Mr Gianopolous, for those words of wisdom so long ago.

Thank you Uncle Joe, that dropped in the morning before the beaches were hit with the 101st Airborne.

Thank you Dad and Francis and all the others, that went when they were called an allowed us to be here today.

I hope I did you proud with what I was able to do.

R.C.Brown SSGT USAF 65-73

[Limey]

Hiya Scrounger,

It was not Red Buttons in real life......Red was an actor that played the part of the stranded parachutist in the film 'The Longest Day'.

In real life that parachutist was Private John Steele of the 82nd Airborne. He was stuck on that steeple for around 2 hours, feingning death so the Germans did not continue to shoot at him........and as depicted in the film, he was deafened by the church bell which was being rung to summon all the inhabitants of the town to man the fire buckets to put out a burning house.

Although wounded, he survived the war and I am sure I read on his return to the States he became a taxi driver in New York.........sadly he died of cancer in the late 60's.

Safe shooting

Limey

[Blammer]

I know what today is.

It's my 10yr anniversary.


:)

[encoreman]

Thanks for the picture Limey, I didn't know the movie was based on true facts. My dad had 3 kids and flat feet and they rejected him. My mom & 1 aunt worked in the shipyards of California, in fact she was chosen to christen a ship and turned it down. I had 2 uncles serve in WWII, a good friends dad was an 18 year old tank driver on Omaha beach the 2nd day and he still can't forget running over all the dead bodies, they didn't have time to move them. I have a good friend that was on the Bataan death march at age 18 or 19. He is probably the most humble man you have ever met. Lest we not forget America or it could happen again. Come November everyone had better get to the polls and cast the ballot for the only candidate we can vote for. All you WWII vets, I salute you. You are my heros. To all vets thanks for your service to the greatest country on this planet. May she always be the greatest. God Bless America

[Boerrancher]

My great uncle, Sgt B.A. Anderson passed away a few short months ago. At the age of 19 he fought his way from Omaha beach to most of the way across France before losing an arm. As a young boy I was always eager to listen to his stories on sunday afternoons after lunch, at grandma's house. I only wished I could have spent time with him after I came back from my tour. By the time I was out of the hospital and discharged, his health had gotten very bad. I got to see him one time after I got home before he died.

He was a good, and kind man who never took credit for any of his heroic acts. He always talked about them in the third person. You always knew he was talking about himself when he would say, "I knew a guy," or, "Isaw this guy," If it was someone other than him he would use their name. God only knows how much I miss that man. He always was, is, and shall ever be my personal hero, and I will forever be grateful for his, and the rest of his generation's sacrifice. My children will also know of his heroism and bravery. If every parent would take the time to teach their children about these hero's, the greatest generation would live forever.

Many thanks Uncle Ben. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. May you finally rest in peace.

Joe

[Dale53]

Al;
As always, well said!

I had two uncles in the War. One fought with the 1st Army from Sicily to Germany. The other served with the Army of the Occupation in Japan. My Field First Sergeant was captured in North Aftica, after being wounded, and spent two years in a German Prison Camp. One of my Cousins was lost over Germany (Navigator on a B-17) and another Cousin served a year in a German Prison camp before escaping (he suffered terribly under a sadistic guard who left this world during the escape).

My father was a tool maker during the war at Wright Aerornautical and my mother worked there all during the War building fighter engines. It seems that everyone in my extended family was, somehow, in the War effort.

I was just a small lad, but well remember rationing and the sacrifices that our families made. Our next door neighbors took in Allied Fliers while they recuperated from their War Wounds.

My son is a full Colonel in Special Forces (Medical Officer) and I have met many of his fellow soldiers, both male and female. Each and everyone of them is a true Patriot. Someone to admire greatly. I feel priviledged to have met them.

Dale53