Posted on 06/05/2007 8:57:58 AM 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.
After you have finished reviewing this site, return to this page and click the links below to find out more about D-Day.
A friend of mine recently showed be some WWII memorabilia his uncle brought back from the Battle of the Bulge. Amazing stuff.
The moving of the country to the Left by self-centered Baby Boomers will COST Americans for several generations, until they get the financial mess sorted out.
The moral perversion caused by self-centered Baby Boomers has resulted in a great deal of harm to our culture.
If you don’t see this or understand this, you should be over at DU.
Bumping this thread for this historic day.
Here are some of the men we should thank for our freedom — http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://members.aol.com/medalcol/images/cornwell.jpg&imgrefurl=http://members.aol.com/__121b_9KvKt082k%2Bejff3A9avVmUEh8w9X/1%2BoB06kr1zcItWgKt6ar7PTJ2UDuDVuj67J&h=400&w=418&sz=27&hl=en&start=15&sig2=totTlOyz2Jr2j5Z7bofZWg&tbnid=SMxp3ClJjfaGrM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=125&ei=ac5mRoLICYLggQPO4zw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dclinton%2Bnormandy%2Bbeach%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
I am in Spain, and I love touring northern France and western Germany (Rheinland) following the advance of the Americans, English and Canadians. From Omaha Beach and Ste. Mere-eglise to Arnhem and Remagen.
I am trying to arrange to finally get to Normandy this fall.
I was very happy to see a lot of people from all around Europe (also a lot of Americans, of course), at Coleville-sur-Mer cementery when I visited it. It’s the greatest monument to human (American)courage and enterprise spirit my eyes have ever seen. An entire division of heroes in perfect formation forever, guarding the most glorious place of Europe in the last centuries.
I needed several days beginning in Caen and ending at Arromanches, where the Third Army broke the front and began pushing across France. Arguably the best summer holiday tour I’ve ever had, and it’s just two days away driving from my home in Spain!
Remembering the tour, I correct, it was Avranches, the beatiful city on top of the hill, and the Third army was activated just after the break was achieved.
How do I book the tour?
I don’t know, doug. I guided that tour for my friends. We simply drove there, and then from east, Caen, to west, Ste. Mere-Eglise and then Avranches, in our own cars. It is not a short distance and can take long if you stop at every site of interest.
The French have quite a lot of tourist information and I am sure there are tours not only to the invasion beaches, Ste. Mère-Eglise or the American cementery at Coleville, but also to Mount St. Michel.
I loved your post Doug! Where do you think I got my Ping List? You did an absolutely marvelous job. Thank You! Every year my respect for our Military grows and grows.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) D-Day Message
Order of the Day: 6 June 1944
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have
striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The
hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.
In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on
other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war
machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of
Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well
equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of
1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats,
in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their
strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home
Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions
of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.
The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to
Victory!
I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in
battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!
Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great
and noble undertaking.
SIGNED: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Thanks. Bring your link here.
I salute his memory.
And my favorite line of all from BoB, “How do I feel about being rescued by Patton? I’d feel real peachy about it, except for one thing. We didn’t need to be f’ing rescued by Patton, you got that.”
WAR HAS NEVER SOLVED ANYTHING EXCEPT GAINING INDEPENDENCE FROM GREAT BRITAIN, ENDING SLAVERY, DEFEATING GERMAN MILITARISM, ERRADICATING NAZISM AND JAPANASES AGRESSION, AND SAVING SOUTH KOREA FROM COMMUNISM.
If you could shoot digital snaps and email to me, it would be easy to post. (Freepmailed you my email address.)
Actually it was Joe Toye that said that, although I could see Wild Bill saying the same thing.
To my uncle Bill(still living)Warner(and all) who was there, on the beach: Thanks.
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