In western France, a village remembers D-Day's 'secret massacre'

reuters.com ^ | 5/22/2019 | Richard Lough

[Huaynero]

“The soldiers say that “...Private Ryan” is the most realistic portrayal.”

Even allowing for it being a movie, for me the series “Band of Brothers” was an accurate portrayal of infantry life.

Long ago read a a review of “Private Ryan”. Review mentioned a closing line by the Capt. Miller character to Private Ryan; “earn this”.

I carried a description of that and follow-on scenes in my brief case for a good many years before I could watch the film. Probably still have it.

It’s a burden trying to “earn this” with no definitive answer of having done so. Fifty years on the question remains.

Semper Fi!

[GOPJ]

“It was tough for them to come back because they felt that in some way they had abandoned the villagers, left them to face the Germans’ revenge,” said Denis Small, mayor of Graignes for the past 22 years. “But the village received them for the liberators that they were.” Two years later, in 1986, the U.S. government recognized Rigault for her courage in aiding the troops as a young girl with an Award for Distinguished Civilian Service.

Great post - thanks rktman...

[FLT-bird]

For all the attention it gets, 2500 KIA and 10,000 casualties total on D-day was relatively not so bad from the American perspective.

Compare that to the Hurtgen Forest where casualties are estimated at between 33,000 and 55,000 depending on what’s counted as part of that battle, or the Battle of the Bulge with 89,000 casualties including 19,000 KIA. Those two battles happened in pretty quick succession too.

[dp0622]

I need to watch “A Band of Brothers”.

I heard it was just GREAT.

If today’s yoots, especially minority, were to be taught about real and brutal sacrifice and REAL hardship, they might have more of an appreciation for what they have.

I know it makes me appreciate things more.

Remembering sacrifices like these are especially helpful in those “poor me” self pity moments (i get them too) over things that just ARENT that bad.

[warsaw44]

I really hope you watch ‘ A Band of Brothers ‘.

It’s unlike any WWII movie / series I have ever seen. I’ve watched it at least three times. I think it’s the best ever produced.

Before each episode begins, one or two of the original paratroopers speak about their experiences. It’s quite moving.

People to whom I have recommend the series are always pleased to have viewed it.

[2banana]

Well, you just invited destruction to the entire village...

#####

“The Americans converted the village boys school into a command center, mined access roads and turned the belfry of Graignes’ 12th century church into an observation post.”

[tenthirteen]

My Dad was there,made it off the beach ss far west ss St. Lo. German breakout and he was hit with mortar. Evacked to UK. Spent a year in hospital. Telegram sent said he was MIA. Finally another sent 3 months later corrected that. Passed in the ninties

[TheDandyMan]

The German troops involved in the massacre were from the 17th SS Panzergrenadier. Graignes consisted of 200 homes before the battle, just two after, the rest were burned. almost 4 dozen French villagers were shot.

The article mentions that the village has invited both American and German veterans to the anniversary. I can’t believe the German vets invited are from the 17th SS.

As a result of being sidetracked digging the Americans out of Graignes, the 17th SS didn’t reach Carentan in time and was pushed back by the 101st Airborne.

[rfreedom4u]

The Pacific is very good as well. One thing I like better about it is that it showed Sledge after he came home.

After I returned from Iraq I only saw two movies regarding the war there. I’m glad that I went alone as my wife at the time would have been watching me watch the movie. Emotions are strong even years afterward.

[Big Red Clay]

Both “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific” are available on Amazon Prime for free. The “Band of Brothers” miniseries follows Stephen Ambrose’s book almost exactly. “The Pacific” miniseries takes some dramatic license and veers off of the books that it was based on a tiny bit but it is still an excellent series. I read both “Helmet for my Pillow” by Robert Leckie and “With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa” by Eugene Sledge. “The Pacific” was based on those books. I highly recommend both. I also would urge you to watch both of those miniseries. Great drama.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

If the Germans had had a legit air force, we would have been decimated that day.

. . . which is one reason why D-Day didn’t happen until mid-1944.

It would’ve been impossible to execute the landings against significant aerial opposition - which is why Jimmy Dolittle’s change of bombing tactics and escort tactics was so crucial.

Under Dolittle’s plan, the bombers were actually bait, and the real mission was to decimate the Luftwaffe’s fighters with P-51 fighter sweeps rather than passively waiting for the Luftwaffe to attack. Under pressure of that attrition, the Luftwaffe was pulled away from the French coast and became ineffective there.

As you most likely know. But even at that, the Allied invasion ships were towing barrage balloons until their captains decided the aggravation wasn’t worth it and cut them adrift.

[dp0622]

Just the original paratroopers talking is worth the watch.

I have amazon and was told it is on there.

i see a series binge in my future..like this week.

[oldvirginian]

“i see a series binge in my future..like this week.”

Definitely binge watch!

I have the series on DVD and watch it through about every six months.
Great acting by the cast and great work by the crew for that “you are really friggin there” feel.
Damien Lewis did a great portrayal of Capt. Dick Winters and Frank John Hughes hit the home run as Sgt. Bill “Wild Bill” Guarnere (aka “Gonorrhea”).
David Schwimmer (Ross from Friends) was great as martinet Captain Herbert Sobel and Donnie Wahlberg (New Kids On The Block) played Carwood Lipton in a strong and understated way.
Schwimmer and Wahlberg were the only two “names with fame” in the cast. Spielberg didn’t want big name ego’s to distract from the story.

The crew did an excellent job when you consider the entire series was shot on a single 4 acre lot! You read that right, an entire WW2 miniseries taking place in 5 different countries was shot on a single 4 acre lot. The exception being the Bastogne footage which was shot in a temperature controlled warehouse.

[CJ Wolf]

If you have not seen it, it’s one of the best. Beats that dragon show hands down.

[dp0622]

Wow.

It does sound great.

[Midwesterner53]

Can a Presidential Medal of Freedom be awarded to a town?

[Oatka]

The Normandy Invasion took more guts than 95% of any American has NOW.....just think about it.

Then:

Now:

[warsaw44]

That’s right!

It is on Amazon - say goodbye to sleep!

[dp0622]

Ya know what?

Skipped family party today. Will go to tomorrow’s one.

Nodded off for a few hours.

Now it’s time to binge.

[Tunehead54]

@banana: "Well, you just invited destruction to the entire village..."

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Might as well add a bit more from the article. 170 men from the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment - worst mis-drop on D-Day, behind enemy lines, most of their equipment in a swamp so they hunkered down, fortified a position, mined the roads and were eventually out manned and out gunned.

Probably mostly 18-20 year old green soldiers. They fought for nine hours before they fell back. Their wounded were slaughtered by the SS.

Me? I'd cut them some slack. Apology accepted in advance for our fallen.

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"In Graignes, the U.S. paratrooopers were outnumbered and outgunned.

For nine hours, Rigault sat huddled with her sister against the church’s stone walls as wounded soldiers and civilians were brought in. As dusk fell and their defenses crumbled, the American soldiers were forced to retreat from Graignes.

The Germans were brutal in their reprisals against the village, Rigault recalled.

The village priest, Father Albert Leblastier, and a Franciscan priest were shot dead and their bodies burned. Homesteads were torched. The maimed paratroopers left behind were split into two groups: some were marched down the road and executed, others were “thrown into the marshes and bayoneted,” Rigault recalled. “We weren’t allowed to pull them out for several days.”"

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