Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

D-Day: Three presidents, one of the great battles of history, and the heart and task of a nation
Liberty Unyielding ^ | June 6, 2014 | J.E. Dyer

Posted on 06/06/2014 6:49:32 PM PDT by LibertyGirl14

A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece about the fading sentimental connection of today’s generations with World War II, the defining event of the 20th century. There is some oddity in living through the transition: in seeing the soldiers whom FDR called “our sons” become our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, and then the ghosts of history commemorated on tombstones.

One of the most important transitions is the fading of the grand narrative by which we defined and guided our nation for so many decades. The hindsight of history has its rewards. But it has its drawbacks as well, as immediacy and personal connection disappear behind us...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: dwightdeisenhower; military; normandy; worldwarii
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 121-133 next last
To: caww

61 posted on 06/06/2014 9:41:47 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: caww

62 posted on 06/06/2014 9:44:16 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: caww; Homer_J_Simpson

extra extra.... how the papers covered the invasion

http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/newspaper-front-pages-covering-the-d-day-invasion-70-year


63 posted on 06/06/2014 9:45:31 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: caww

I noticed some of the first headlines about the invasion including a bit of propaganda

“Allied losses less than expected”

Did we really expect to lose more than 85% in the first wave?


64 posted on 06/06/2014 9:50:53 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: caww

Some of the first reports said they had already reached 10 miles inland... When they were actually still stuck on the beach

Maybe some of the parachute guys made it 10 miles I guess...


65 posted on 06/06/2014 9:53:41 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: caww

The yellow sands where the invasion happened:... Omaha Beach, in Normandy, France, where Allied troops first came ashore on June 6, 1944


66 posted on 06/06/2014 9:53:54 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

Oh wow!.... that was interesting to see and read...4000 ships they said....Guess that’s your answer to how many....


67 posted on 06/06/2014 9:58:50 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: caww

About 1,000 of those were LST’s


68 posted on 06/06/2014 10:00:11 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 67 | View Replies]

To: caww

Thank you for posting the photos and info.

We need such heroes now.

And I think there are some like them, they just are not yet in evidence.


69 posted on 06/06/2014 10:01:20 PM PDT by little jeremiah (Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point. CSLewis)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

Looks like the reporters then goof up just as they do now...ha!....

My dad died from War wounds when I was just four so my mother had some Army books with pictures of the war I use to wade through growing up. It was not til later years I became interested again when from time to time I’d see a photo that reminded me of those I knew as a child.

This led then to the past years, since Iraq and being a lurker then on Free Republic, that I really got interested in History, Wars, Maps and why it is things are today what they are.

It’s so fascinating investigating and learning more and more about these happenings.

I do believe they knew the losses would be great......there were of course problems with communications as well....but the drive continued. I imagine if our soldiers today were allowed to be soldiers we’d see the end to much of the conflicts in the world today....go in and clean house...done deal.


70 posted on 06/06/2014 10:08:31 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

I really can’t get my head around that many ships etc at sea....coming from so many directions etc. Just the navigation of these had to have been mind-boggling! Let alone cordinating the airplanes and where to go once on land!


71 posted on 06/06/2014 10:10:54 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: caww

bump

get in, do the job and get out


72 posted on 06/06/2014 10:14:42 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: caww

On a smaller scale it was the same with the Inchon landing during the Korean war.


73 posted on 06/06/2014 10:15:34 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: GeronL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Marknet_Garde


74 posted on 06/06/2014 10:16:26 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 65 | View Replies]

To: GeronL
Check this out!......D-Day embarkation remains at Lepe, the beach hardening mats (giant chocolate blocks) being washed by the waves. These covered the beach to prevent tanks sinking into the sand during loading (Photo taken 2012)


75 posted on 06/06/2014 10:25:10 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: caww

still there after all this time. wow


76 posted on 06/06/2014 10:27:52 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: GeronL
From the Germans view out a bunker....that really feels creepy!


77 posted on 06/06/2014 10:28:05 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: caww

“German strongpoint’s were “knocked out by either by superbly directed vigorous gunfire from destroyers steaming as close as 800 yards offshore”

That’s a largely forgotten part of the battle. Around 9:00 am destroyer captains off of Omaha beach realized that something was going very wrong with the landing. Their decision to bring their ships right up to the beach in order to pick off strongpoints may well have decided the battle:

Destroyers at Normandy: Naval Gunfire Support at Omaha Beach

http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/destroyersatnormandy.htm


78 posted on 06/06/2014 10:29:13 PM PDT by Pelham (If you do not deport it is amnesty by default.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: caww

That looks really close to the water


79 posted on 06/06/2014 10:29:25 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: caww
What the Germans were firing from and with at our guys...


80 posted on 06/06/2014 10:30:10 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 121-133 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson