My uncle Neil and uncle Charlie stormed Normandy that day. Both came back and lived until the 90's.
I was trying to look up a quote that perhaps doesn't really exist.
Is it true that Charles de Gaul asked President Eisenhower to remove all US troops from France, to which Ike asked, "Does that include those buried at Normandy"? Maybe it was President Truman?
Kind of hard to imagine what would have happened if Al Gore or John Kerry had been President in the 1941-1945 period.
That's true. As I understood, it was around the time France withdrew from NATO, ~1967.
LBJ's reply was transmitted through an aide, and was, approximately, "We will, of course, require extended time to exhume the Americans in Normandy."
Of course, at that point, the entire thing was dropped.
A GREAT MAN!! Who led GREAT MEN!!! We need men of this kind of courage and conviction to lead America again. Where are they???
The bombing of the targets on the beach head largely missed the German defense positions on Omaha Beach due to bad weather causing hundreds if not thousands of american G.I.'s to be shot dead as they were exiting the Higgins boats at Omaha.
We eventually won and we will win this one too despite the media! I pray!!
My mother's Uncle was one of the first on the beaches that day as well. He told her many years later that there was a point in time that he said to himself, "If I get out of this alive, I will never take any sh*t from anyone ever again".
Evidently, he saw it all that day. My mother was personally so disturbed by the stories he later told her that when the Private Ryan movie came out, she refused to see it.
Just a Kansas/Historian Plug
If you ever get the chance, be sure and drop by the Eisenhower Museum and Archives in Abilene, Kansas.
I spent many a day there on research for grad school and it is a wonderful town. The folks who operate the archives are fine, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable about the Eisenhower Administration, WWII, the 50's and the era in general.
Most of the folks there have their own "special interests" . Cold War, Covert Ops, Psychological Operations, 50's Popular culture...it's all there. (No, there's nothing on Roswell, Aliens, etc. Don't bother asking...they get enough of that...hehe)
It is a wonderful experience to be holding a document , realizing Pres. Eisenhower held the same paper, and even doodled on it. The more I studied this man, the more I grew to admire him. He was never given his due as president until long after he passed.
It is interesting to see his view on events as they happened and I would love to hear his take on our current situation.
As far as the Library, Museum and archives, they are beautifully maintained, but sadly I think they are under-utilized, as the era fades in our collective memory.
For those just passing through, it will give you a glimpse into the life and times of an exceptional individual.
At least he did not have Ted Kennedy rooting for the other side!
It is a collection of speeches and letters just like this...and included this one. It makes interesting reading.
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Obama had a “failure “ message in case the raid on Bin Laden went south.
It said “ It’s all Leon Panetta’s fault”.
The men who stormed the beaches of Normandy changed the course of history and ensured the liberty of untold millions of people.
They are our heritage, and we must continue the battle for freedom in our day.