Posted on 06/05/2011 7:53:38 PM PDT by doug from upland
D-Day: It is hard to conceive the epic scope of this decisive battle that foreshadowed the end of Hitler's dream of Nazi domination. Overlord was the largest air, land, and sea operation undertaken before or since June 6, 1944. The landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and over 150,000 service men.
After years of meticulous planning and seemingly endless training, for the Allied Forces, it all came down to this: The boat ramp goes down, then jump, swim, run, and crawl to the cliffs. Many of the first young men (most not yet 20 years old) entered the surf carrying eighty pounds of equipment. They faced over 200 yards of beach before reaching the first natural feature offering any protection. Blanketed by small-arms fire and bracketed by artillery, they found themselves in hell.
When it was over, the Allied Forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead. Yet somehow, due to planning and preparation, and due to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Forces, Fortress Europe had been breached.
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>>Those were truly the “times that try men’s souls” (as these are).<<
The difference is that at that time there were men (and women) who cared about the USA and freedom as both a structure and a concept.
The only people who feel “these times are those that try men’s souls” are those not on the dole (need I remind everyone that fewer than 1/2 of all Americans pay .01 in taxes?) and those whose religious/ideological fellation of a pedophile is exalted upon the altar of Political Correctness.
These are not the times that “try men’s souls” since souls are in such a meager supply.
If Britain and France truly had Poland's back like they said they would, it wouldn't have come to this.
Latecomers,, . isn’t is amazing that Europeans then and now assume that they should retain full and immediate access to American kids for any war they begin. The most recent war in the Balkans is a good example.
If we do enter a Eurowar, it should be as a bitter last resort, as we did in WWII.
Ahhh Yes. Slick Willie's Wag the Dog War. Still think we chose the wrong side. Trying to appease the Muzzies did not work out that well then. Going to stop there, although I have some strong feelings about our mistakes in the Balkans.
The dice are on the table. It is hot in Suez.
"The Invasion....They're Coming!"
Yep, I brought my father (and mother) dinner tonight. Normally I do that at lunch each day. He packed an M1 in France, Belgium, Germany and Checkloslavakia. He was an armorer, worked on Quad 50's and Bofors.
He missed "the Bulge" by 2 weeks.
He was at Munich about 3 weeks after Dachau was liberated, and was in charge of overseeing a group of German Prisoners who cut the timber from around the camp that winter for firewood.
At 18 he faced evil in the eye. There were many that did then. You should have seen his face when I showed him the Obozo "Sing for Change" video during the campaign for the last Presidential elections. (he had seen the Hitler Youth in Germany)
D-Day was a tremendous show of military will power,courage and faith. No doubt the world learned and remembers that men dedicated to a cause of freedom can overcome life consuming obstacles. Only about one year later after many other island invasions the USA would have to face the last great invasion of the war for Okinawa with as many combat troops. However D- Day stands as a monument to what this Nation and fighting men were able to rise to when needed.
What is the source of your claim that most D-Day soldiers were not yet 20 years old? The truth is that the average age of WWII GI’s was 26. Also, the reality is that the Soviet Union was on it’s way to defeating Germany on it’s own. D-Day was all about saving Western Europe from the Soviets.
I have the same view from over here.
The Soviets were utterly dependent upon supply lines from the U.S. through Britain. If we were that concerned about stopping them, we would have simply cut them off. There's no arguing that the USSR was the other major pincer in the Allied fight, but the Nazis were hardly washed up. The main thing the Soviets did was drain them, and they couldn't even have done that if Hitler had awakened from his obsession with the East and focused solely on nailing down Britain. If he had, it would have been a very different outcome, and the Soviets would never have stopped him or taken Europe - Hitler would have simply entrenched in the UK, gone back at North Africa until he retook the oil fields, and then cut up Russia, all while we faced a cross-ocean fight without the UK as a base.
As an Air Force Tech Controller(307X0), I was privileged to have been taught the then still Classified Counter Measures and Counter Counter Measures of WWII.
A ping in honor of our dad...
29th Infantry Division, 116th Infantry Regiment
D-Day - Omaha Beach
Saint-Lô
Vire
Brest
Roer
Ruhr
2 Purple Hearts, bronze star
Well, I’ve told my dad’s story on FR before, but I like it, so here it is again. My dad detonated mines on Omaha Beach on D-Day. He was an ensign. After he and his men cleared the beach, he rescued floundering soldiers out of the water and carried the wounded. He was awarded the Navy Cross by President Truman himself for his valor that day. His own reflection on that time was merely that he was following orders. Also, for the rest of his life, he passed up fireworks displays, saying that he had seen enough rockets red glare in the D-Day invasion to last him a lifetime.
He went on to do more military service, though. After D-Day, he was sent to the Pacific theater to work with the brand new SeaBees. He was also called up for active duty in Korea and was in Thailand during the Vietnam War.
He was a life-long Democrat, but that was back when a patriotic, anti-communist, pro-life Democrat was not an oxymoron. It was normal. He wouldn’t recognize his party now.
And then screwed it all up with their kids.
The info I posted is from the website.
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