Ralph is in the middle of that picture.
They saved the world.
BTT. You had to be really brave and just a little nuts to ride a glider into that hell.
Thank you, Ralph. I’m sorry to see what this country has become in spite of your sacrifices.
Well done! The greatest generation for sure.
BUMP
BUMP
D Day has new meaning to me. I have always been in awe of the audacity and courage to land in the mouth of Gerry.
On my daily walk, I often run into a neighbor, Dan the Man (we call him). He is 93 and from 10th Ave and 28th in Manhattan originally. Today when we chatted, he asked, “Do you know what I was doing 69 years ago today, kid?” (I am 62).
Dan landed on D+1
And I have been weepy all day thinking of what a great man he is and all those who went with him on that most audacious landing.
They gave so much and we’ve seen it pissed away especially these last few years.
I am embarrassed and have apologized to Dan for us doing so.
“69 years ago today my father in law was landing in Normandy France in a glider....”
69 years ago my uncle was slowly starving in a Japanese POW camp after enduring the death march. Doing his duty meant sharing his rice with his badly injured friend who ultimetly died.
Another uncle was in Italy doing his duty as a translator in his former homeland.
My grandfather’s duty was to build railroads in North Africa and Iran. He served in both WWI and WWII.
God bless all those who did their duty.
My thanks to Bud Thomas and all those of The Greatest Generation who sacrificed for all of us.
For some reason, the glider troops did not receive the same extra pay that paratroopers received.
My late uncle, the well-known watercolor artist Dong Kingman, served in the US Army during World War II as a cartographer working for the Office of Strategic Services—he helped draw many of the maps used by D-Day invasion forces on Utah and Omaha beaches. Your father-in-law may have used one of those maps.
Thank you to Ralph and all those heroes.
I heard Rush talking about spending Memorial Day at Normandy. I’ve been to Anzio, Italy and seen the crosses (and a few stars of David) as far as the eye could see in all directions. My first child was a toddler when I went there. It took motherhood to really wake me up to it.
All those crosses were someone else’s little baby, who mostly never got got to grow up, marry, and have children. How I wept.
And the world hates us?? Name another bleeping country who dies for its brothers elsewhere!!!!!! Come on, name it. I’m waiting!
Going forward, war should be avoided at all costs, especially when barely 20 years after the invasion we were on good terms with the enemy.
What a waste of blood and treasure.
This was the last real war that the US has sent men to die in, everything since then has been progressively muddled by ridiculous rules of engagement and an unwillingness to do what it takes to achieve total victory.
The USA is blessed that we have oceans on both sides that make landing an invasion force sufficient to cause any worry impossible.
The enemy we face today is within the halls of power in DC and is allied with moslem and communist interests in the middle east, China, and Russia.
A sound strategy would be to recall all troops from foreign lands, ramp up space, drone, and nuclear forces, make the list of foreign targets public, and let it be known that if a nuke goes off in the USA, 100 will be returned against any country even peripherally connected.
At some point in the next 50 years, the moslem hoard will attempt to annihilate the USA with nuclear weapons.
The only option is to beat them and the domestic enemy within to the punch.
Dad was a 22 year old LT (j.g.) in charge of an LCT on Utah Beach.