Free Republic

During Sunday night’s PBS telecast of the annual National Memorial Day concert from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, television star Gerald McRaney told the story of World War II veterans, highlighting one in particular – the heroic actions of former United States Army Ranger Leonard G. “Bud” Lomell. Lomell, a 24-year-old staff sergeant and platoon leader with the Army’s 2nd Ranger Battalion, trained to scale the 100-foot-high cliffs of Pointe du Hoc on the coast of Normandy in northern France during the D-Day invasion and disable the German Army’s five 155-millimeter guns, which would save countless lives. ...more...

Seven decades after ­Allied troops stormed Normandy’s beaches and saved France from the Nazis, the surrender-happy nation is turning its back on hundreds of US veterans who want to return next month to mark the invasion’s 70th anniversary. France has broken its promise to pay for the vets to fly to this year’s commemoration, according to Rep. Michael Grimm. “Our chief-of-staff heard it from the French Embassy in DC — that they would be flown out to France [for free],” said Nick Iacono, a spokesman for the Staten Island congressman. But when The Post contacted the embassy Friday, the French...

Detailed images two American ships that sank off the coast of England during a pre-D-Day training exercise in World War II have been recorded by a U.S. submarine. The images, recorded by a Massachusetts company that surveyed the wreckage to mark the 70th anniversary of the sinking, are the first in high definition. The two ships were sunk off by German forces during Exercise Tiger on April 28, 1944, claiming the lives of 749 U.S. soldiers and sailors.

On the eve of the Normandy invasion, three planes carrying the members of Britain's 13th Battalion took off for France. In addition to the 60 men aboard, each plane carried one dog. The story of how these paratrooping canines got there — and what happened next — is nothing short of remarkable. Lazar Backovic has penned a fascinating article for Spiegel Online chronicling the brief but astounding story of Britain's parachuting dogs, or "paradogs." Much of the information in the article was drawn from a recent book written by Andrew Woolhouse, 13 - Lucky for Some: The History of the...

British led project covered the famous coastline in poignant silhouettes A team of 500 artists and volunteers contributed the moving installation The 'fallen' were left to be washed away by the tide at the end of the day A pair of British artists have created this stunning installation of 9,000 silhouettes on a D-Day Landings beach to mark international Peace Day. The project, named, 'The Fallen' is a tribute to the civilians, German forces and Allies who lost their lives during the Operation Neptune landing on June 6, 1944. The design was the brainchild of Jamie Wardley, 33, and Andy...

'Bill Millin’s actions on D-Day have made him worthy of remembrance in Hollywood and in a country far from home. On June 6, 1944, with Europe in the control of Hitler, thousands of Allied troops from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Lanarkshire and all other corners of Scotland stormed the beaches of Normandy armed with their rifles. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Bill Millin walked on to those same beaches with gunshots and explosions all around him. Dressed in his kilt and playing his bagpipes, a sgian-dubh tucked into his sock was Bill's only weapon against the oncoming German fire. As personal piper to Lord Lovat...

This Week in History: June 6 marked the the 69th anniversary of D-Day. General Eisenhower addressed the troops departing for the invasion on the beaches of Normandy: "The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory.... We will accept nothing less than full victory! Let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.” Did he mention God? To the troops? Oh my! What an unenlightened time that was. Imagine –a time when our troops felt free to implore a Higher Being as they embarked upon a deadly battle...

As reported earlier, President Obama and the White House failed to commemorate the 69th anniversary of D-Day yesterday. Yesterday was the 69th anniversary of the D-Day invasion and President Obama failed to say anything about it. There is no released statement on WhiteHouse.gov and nothing on the White House or Barack Obama twitter feeds about the anniversary. President Obama did not make any public remarks about the anniversary yesterday, either. Today, President Obama will attend two Democratic fundraisers in California.

Yesterday was the 69th anniversary of the D-Day invasion and President Obama failed to say anything about it. There is no released statement on WhiteHouse.gov and nothing on the White House or Barack Obama twitter feeds about the anniversary. President Obama did not make any public remarks about the anniversary yesterday, either.

Anyone else see the irony? The day Americans of one generation launched the greatest invasion to liberate people is the day their ancestors learned they lived in a police state the nazis would have killed for.

President Reagan's Address at a United States-France Ceremony Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Normandy Invasion/D-Day - 6/6/84. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Leb7ynduCU

69 years ago today my father in law was landing in Normandy France in a glider....crawling through hedgerows....doing his duty. Thank you Ralph "Bud" Thomas.

Both problems listed have a prominent place in our armed forces currently. Now this is pure speculation on my part, but the culture seems to have changed quite a bit in the last seven decades to more easily allow these issues to arise. Sixty nine years ago it was the evening of D-Day. Omar Bradley could say that the initial crisis had passed. The American assault troops had broken through the first wall of German fortifications, though Omaha and Utah beaches were still separated. The success of the paratroop drop was unknown. The fact the Germans had been unable to...

Today your job is straightforward. First you must load 40 to 50 pounds on your back. Then you need to climb down a net of rope that is banging on the steel side of a ship and jump into a steel rectangle bobbing on the surface of the ocean below you. Others are already inside the steel boat shouting and urging you to hurry up. Once in the boat you stand with dozens of others as the boat is driven towards distant beaches and cliffs through a hot hailstorm of bullets and explosions.... In front of you, over the steel...

... ...Slideshow and Video In the face of what has been happening to our military, the humiliation of our soldiers, the needless blood that has been shed by an enemy we are forbidden to name, we MUST remember when sacrifice meant something; when defeating our enemies was job one. The many whose sacrifices and courage kept us free are leaving us much too quickly and with sadness in their hearts wondering what their sacrifice was for. Remember them this anniversary of D Day and honor them because we are not likely to be allowed to win the victories they...

I cry every time I watch this video. Watch at 1:49...A soldier pats his friend on the back to encourage him before they attack the beach. I wonder if they survived. We own these brave men EVERYTHING. They loved freedom enough to die for it. It's for them we fight to save this Free Republic...and we will never give up. John 15:13 ~ Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

It made the papers, but was covered far from sufficiently, when Elisha “Ray” Nance died a few years ago at the age of 94. You may never have heard of him, but he was well known around Bedford, Virginia, a picturesque town located at the feet of the Blue Ridge Peaks of Otter. He delivered mail in that neck of the woods for many years. But it was for what he did before becoming a letter carrier that he should be best remembered. Ray Nance was one of The Bedford Boys. In fact, he was the last surviving member of...

I'm camping at Colleville-sur-Mer, which should be a familiar name to those of you who are familiar with D-Day. Not only do I have a quick walk to the beach, but that walk happens to take me straight into the area of some of the hardest fighting that day. The eastern-most thrust on Omaha walked into a meat grinder, and one part of that grinder was a German position known to them as WN60. WN60 is on a high bluff to the east of where the eastern push by the Big Red One attemped to move up the draw towards...

RUSH: I do want to tell you a couple things about my vacation. I had a couple of fascinating trips. I don't expect anybody to understand this. I really don't. I debated whether or not to even mention or make a big deal out of it. But we went places, Kathryn and I did, hoping that nobody would have ever heard of me. That, to us, was peace -- nobody caring who we were, where we were going, what we were saying, what we were doing -- and it happened. Nobody cared.