Will D-Day Be Forgotten?

Jun. 5, 2011 | Steve Orr

[nickcarraway]

Will D-Day Be Forgotten?

[Islander7]

It would appear so.

[sayuncledave]

May I make a suggestion, for most everyone into history? The link I’m including in this is to the Archive.org complete D-Day broadcast, from start of day until end. If you want some glimpse, you may want to listen to at least part. This is from the CBS broadcast, but the NBC one is there, too, if you’re interested. Speaking just for myself, I think this should be something every kid in America learns about and listens to. Please, listen to history in the making, as it was made. Among other things, it’s really neat to hear the announcers move from, “this may be another german propaganda device” to “hey, is this really happening?”

http://www.archive.org/details/Complete_Broadcast_Day_D-Day

[billorites]

My 14 y.o. just started reading the Stephen Ambrose book. It was a freebie at the dump swap shop.

Of course Google usually commemorates these things too...

[abb]

Not by me, nor the FReeper community, I suspect.

[momtothree]

Not by true, patriotic Americans. I have taught my children to walk up to vets and thank them personally. If we see a military baseball cap or something on their tag that states they are a WWII vet etc... we thank them. The strangest responses come from the Vietnam Vets. We have only been able to see a handful and each one was stunned that we thanked them. They will just look at us for a second with a strange stare and then smile. The fact that someone (especially a kid) thanking them for their service and they act strange is a sad commentary on this country IMHO.

[Portcall24]

The end of And The Band Played Walting Matildaby Eric Bogle

...They collected the wounded, the crippled, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind and the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And when the ship pulled into Circular Quay
I looked at the place where me legs used to be
And thank Christ there was no one there waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity

And the Band played Waltzing Matilda
When they carried us down the gangway
Oh nobody cheered, they just stood there and stared
Then they turned all their faces away

Now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
I see my old comrades, how proudly they march
Renewing their dreams of past glories
I see the old men all tired, stiff and worn
Those weary old heroes of a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask myself the same question

And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
And the old men still answer the call
But year after year, their numbers get fewer
Someday, no one will march there at all

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong
So who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?

[Roccus]

Thank you.

[Peter W. Kessler]

I was about to post the same link when I saw you had already done so.

Thank you.

This is some of the most dramatic audio ever recorded.

It is a treasure.

[rbg81]

I don’t think D-Day will ever be “forgotten”. There are a lot of references to it in popular culture, including movies and video games. That being said, its not a national holiday and (while an Earth-shaking event) WWII is slowly fading into the past. We don’t really commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg today and I suspect (at some point) D-Day will be much like that.

[rbg81]

I don’t think D-Day will ever be “forgotten”. There is a lot of hommage paid to it in popular culture, including movies (”Saving Private Ryan”) and many video games. That being said, its not a national holiday and (while a history-changing event) WWII is slowly fading into the past. We don’t really commemorate the Battle of Gettysburg today and I suspect (at some point) D-Day will be much like that.

[SMARTY]

Not by me. My father served during the invasion.

Taps was played at his burial.

Everyone there who was my father’s age, all of us younger ones and even some cousins and other relatives who are younger than I am, certainly understood.

It was touching to see my father’s nephews and great nephews take him to his final rest and openly weep on that occasion.

My young cousins had not served and had no military experience, but their fathers had and the sound of Taps commands the most profound reverence.

For their service on D Day-the day that changed History, the remembrance of each veteran is tied to eternity. Yes, we remember.

[sayuncledave]

You are very welcome, and I completely agree. I’ve been a bit of an OTR hound the last four or five years, but this is one of my favorite things ever.

[SECURE AMERICA]

By the socialists/liberals in our Government? Already a footnote in history.
By the MSM. Maybe a small blurb maybe nothing.
By vast amounts of whiney spineless lazy fat assed Americans? Sure because they don’t get a day off work paid........
By veterans past present and future and patriotic Americans? NEVER..............

[oh8eleven]

These D-Day vets hold a ceremony every year and I think there are two issues here:

• Their first concern is about that ceremony continuing after they're gone.
  More than likely, no, it won't.
• Will the memory of D-Day fade from America's collective memory?
  No, no more than Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, Gettysburg, etc.

As long as America stays a free country, real Americans will always remember and honor its heroes.

[raybbr]

Thank you for the link. Amazing audio.

[mrmeyer]

Not by me or mine. My Grandfather was a combat engineer that went ashore on Omaha during the 1st amphibious assault. Though Pop died last March, I’ll remember the the influence he had on my life growing up, and what he and others did on 6/6/44 until the day I join him.

[NCC-1701]

My wife and I went to see the traveling replica of the Vietnam Wall and was standing behind a high school girl and her mother. Her mother was trying to explain some things about the Vietnam war. Her daughter said that they weren't taught about that, World War I and II, Korea, and the Gulf wars. I thought how sad that wasn't taught or if it was, it was probably glossed over enough as to make little or no impact. Perhaps that's what she meant. At any rate, it was sad to hear that. Major events such as those deserve time and study. There is much to be learned from each of those events. Such as today, the 67th anniversary of D-Day. On that day, Medals of honor could have been given out like Chicklets. There was examples of untold heroism displayed by the minute. Those who took part in that operation didn't want to be there but they realized that if they weren't there, the war would have drug on much longer than it did. Because of their sacrifices, the war in Europe came to a much quicker conclusion.

I was born eleven years after that happened. I had no part in that. I am, however, immensely grateful for what they did to rid the world of that era's lunatic. It is now our era. We have our own lunatics to get rid of. And kids like that girl needs to learn about all of that.

[sayuncledave]

You’re very welcome. To me, as a guy born later, it makes the day come alive. And I am only too happy to share.

[ErnBatavia]

Yep - Google's all over it.