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FReeper Canteen ~ D-Day, June 6, 1944 ~ 06 June 2016
Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !!
| StarCMC and The Canteen Crew
Posted on 06/05/2016 5:01:26 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska
~ D-DAY, June 6, 1944 ~
NORMANDY INVASION May 1944 had been chosen at the conference in Washington in May 1943 as the time for the invasion. Difficulties in assembling landing craft forced a postponement until June, but June 5 was fixed as the unalterable date by Eisenhower on May 17. As the day approached and troops began to embark for the crossing, bad weather set in, threatening dangerous landing conditions. After tense debate, Eisenhower and his subordinates decided on a 24-hour delay, requiring the recall of some ships already at sea. Eventually, on the morning of June 5, Eisenhower, assured by chief meteorologist James Martin Stagg of a break in the weather, announced, O.K. We'll go. Within hours an armada of 3,000 landing craft, 2,500 other ships, and 500 naval vesselsescorts and bombardment shipsbegan to leave English ports. That night 822 aircraft, carrying parachutists or towing gliders, roared overhead to the Normandy landing zones. They were a fraction of the air armada of 13,000 aircraft that would support D-Day.
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Canteen Mission Statement
Showing support and boosting the morale of our military and our allies' military and family members of the above. Honoring those who have served before.
January 1944 meeting of Operation Overlord Commanders, General Eisenhower, Walter B. Smith, Omar Bradley, Arthur Tedder, Bernard Montgomery, Trafford Leigh-Mallory and Bertram Ramsay. The Eisenhower Presidential Library
GENERAL EISENHOWERS MESSAGE SENT JUST PRIOR TO THE INVASION
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a 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, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory! Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. -- Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower
D-DAY AIRBORNE AND BEACH ASSAULT
The Normandy beaches were chosen by planners because they lay within range of air cover, and were less heavily defended than the obvious objective of the Pas de Calais, the shortest distance between Great Britain and the Continent. Airborne drops at both ends of the beachheads were to protect the flanks, as well as open up roadways to the interior. Six divisions were to land on the first day; three U.S., two British and one Canadian. Two more British and one U.S. division were to follow up after the assault division had cleared the way through the beach defenses. Click for the rest of the story
LINKS
Leaders and Generals
Veterans Oral Histories Combat Video Interactive Charts & Maps War Documents Learning Activities
CHANCE MEETING BRINGS CAVALRY SERGEANT FACE-TO-FACE WITH D-DAY VETERAN
Sgt. 1st Class Steve Selvage of the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment gets an autograph from 91-year-old D-Day survivor Ralph Manley in Sainte Mere Eglise, France, June 1. The two met while Selvage was in town to participate in events commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Normandy invasion. Click for the rest of the story
AIRBORNE MUSEUM HOUSES ONE-OF-A-KIND ARTIFACTS THAT HONOR HISTORIC JUMP DURING D-DAY INVASION SAINTE MERE EGLISE, France - This town loves paratroopers - in particular, American paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne and the 101st Airborne Divisions.
It was those two divisions that liberated Sainte Mere Eglise June 7, 1944, making it the first town in France to be liberated during World War II.
To show their appreciation for the veterans, an Airborne Museum opened here in 1964. A non-profit organization, all proceeds go back into the museum to pay for upkeep, new exhibits or extensions. The money is also used to provide decorations and celebrations for the anniversary of D-Day, travel for veterans, and exhibitions outside France. A large donation was also made to The National World War II museum in New Orleans, La.
The rest of the story
SOLDIERS PREP TO SUPPORT D-DAY CEREMONIES FOR 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF INVASION
> Senior staff members of Task Force Normandy 65 pose in front of a German gun post at Pointe du Hoc, France. Task Force Normandy 65 is in France providing support and ceremonial command and control for the 65th anniversary of D-Day, June 6. Pointe du Hoc is the site of the 2nd Ranger Battalion's assault on a German stronghold during D-Day. Photo credit Sgt. Fay Conroy, 21st Theater Sustainment Command Public Affairs
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NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL
The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France is located on the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 and the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II. The cemetery site, at the north end of its ½ mile access road, covers 172.5 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations. On the Walls of the Missing in a semicircular garden on the east side of the memorial are inscribed 1,557 names. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.
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Please remember that The Canteen is here to support and entertain our troops and veterans and their families, and is family friendly.
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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: 19440606; anniversary; canteen; dday; heroes; longestday; miliaryhistory; military; troopsupport; worldwareleven; wwii
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To: SandRat
I met a guy who was with UDT. He said his team swam into the beaches at night and placed explosives around the big steel blockades then swam back. If I recall, he had a mask and fins, a swimsuit and a .45.
He later boarded a landing craft and was shot on his way to the beach.
21
posted on
06/05/2016 5:37:33 PM PDT
by
cyclotic
(Guns don't kill people. Abortion clinics kill people)
To: ConorMacNessa
Good evening, Mac...*HUGS*...hope you’ve had a great day.
Mostly sunny today.
22
posted on
06/05/2016 5:38:19 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
23
posted on
06/05/2016 5:38:45 PM PDT
by
smokingfrog
( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
To: Kathy in Alaska; laurenmarlowe; BIGLOOK; alfa6; EsmeraldaA; SandRat; mylife; TMSuchman; AbnSarge; ..
Welcome To All Who Enter This Canteen, To Our Serving Military, To Our Veterans, To All Military Families, To Our FRiends and To Our Allies!
Missing Man Setting
"The Empty Chair"
By Captain Carroll "Lex" Lefon, USN (RET), on December 21st, 2004
"In the wardroom onboard the aircraft carrier from which I recently debarked was a small, round table, with single chair. No one ever sat there, and the reasons, both for the table being there, and for the fact that the chair was always empty, will tell the reader a little bit about who we are as a culture. The wardroom, of course, is where the officers will dine; morning, noon and evening. It is not only a place to eat it is also a kind of oasis from the sometimes dreary, often difficult exigencies of the service. A place of social discourse, of momentary relief from the burdens of the day. The only things explicitly forbidden by inviolable tradition in the wardroom are the wearing of a cover or sword by an officer not actually on watch, or conversation which touches upon politics or religion. But aboard ships which observe the custom, another implicit taboo concerns the empty chair: No matter how crowded the room, no matter who is waiting to be seated, that chair is never moved, never taken.
The table is by the main entrance to the wardroom. You will see it when you enter, and you will see it when you leave. It draws your eyes because it is meant to. And because it draws your eyes it draws your thoughts. And though it will be there every day for as long as you are at sea, you will look at it every time and your eyes will momentarily grow distant as you think for a moment. As you quietly give thanks.
AS YOU REMEMBER.
The small, round table is covered with a gold linen tablecloth. A single place setting rests there, of fine bone china. A wineglass stands upon the table, inverted, empty. On the dinner plate is a pinch of salt. On the bread plate is a slice of lemon. Besides the plate lies a bible. There is a small vase with a single red rose upon the table. Around the vase is wound a yellow ribbon. There is the empty chair.
We will remember because over the course of our careers, we will have had the opportunity to enjoy many a formal evening of dinner and dancing in the fine company of those with whom we have the honor to serve, and their lovely ladies. And as the night wears on, our faces will in time become flushed with pleasure of each others company, with the exertions on the dance floor, with the effects of our libations. But while the feast is still at its best, order will be called to the room we will be asked to raise our glasses to the empty table, and we will be asked to remember:
The table is round to show our everlasting concern for those who are missing. The single setting reminds us that every one of them went to their fates alone, that every life was unique.
The tablecloth is gold symbolizing the purity of their motives when they answered the call to duty.
The single red rose, displayed in a vase, reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and their loved ones who kept the faith.
The yellow ribbon around the vase symbolizes our continued determination to remember them.
The slice of lemon reminds us of the bitterness of their fate. The salt symbolizes the tears shed by those who loved them. The bible represents the faith that sustained them. The glass is inverted they cannot share in the toast. The chair is empty they are not here. They are missing.
And we will remember, and we will raise our glasses to those who went before us, and who gave all that they had for us. And a part of the flush in our faces will pale as we remember that nothing worth having ever came without a cost. We will remember that many of our brothers and sisters have paid that cost in blood. We will remember that the reckoning is not over.
We many of us will settle with our families into our holiday season, our Christmas season for those who celebrate it, content in our fortune and prosperity. We will meet old friends with smiles and laughter. We will meet our members of our family with hugs. We will eat well, and exchange gifts and raise our glasses to the year passed in gratitude, and to the year to come with hope. We will sleep the sleep of the protected, secure in our homes, secure in our homeland.
But for many families, there will be an empty chair at the table this year. A place that is not filled.
WE SHOULD REMEMBER."
Many Thanks To Alfa6 For Finding Capt. Lefon's Chronicle Of "The Empty Chair."
"Träumerei" Robert Schumann (Click)
Never Forget The Brave Men And Women Who Gave Their Lives To Secure Our Freedom!!
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24
posted on
06/05/2016 5:45:36 PM PDT
by
ConorMacNessa
(HM/2 USN - 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle!)
To: Kathy in Alaska
We had a day that was partly sunny but humid. The rains came through in force just before dinner time. Still humid, but finally cooling off.
"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense." |
25
posted on
06/05/2016 5:49:20 PM PDT
by
ConorMacNessa
(HM/2 USN - 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle!)
To: Kathy in Alaska
My twins 25th birthday is tomorrow. Boy, did that go by fast.
26
posted on
06/05/2016 5:51:02 PM PDT
by
Excellence
(Marine mom since April 11, 2014)
To: Kathy in Alaska
~ Good Evening ~
~ Welcome To My World ~
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27
posted on
06/05/2016 5:52:35 PM PDT
by
SkyDancer
("They Say That Nobody's Perfect But Yet Here I Am")
To: longfellow
Welcome to the Canteen, Longfellow.
28
posted on
06/05/2016 5:55:43 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: dfwgator; Kathy in Alaska; Homer_J_Simpson
Gator; today’s thread and your post in particular make me miss homer’s daily WW2 posts.
29
posted on
06/05/2016 5:58:50 PM PDT
by
henkster
(Don't listen to what people say, watch what they do.)
To: ConorMacNessa
In first....Mac grabs the gold!!
30
posted on
06/05/2016 5:58:58 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: EXCH54FE
And in second....EX snags the silver!!
31
posted on
06/05/2016 6:04:33 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska; laurenmarlowe; BIGLOOK; alfa6; EsmeraldaA; SandRat; mylife; TMSuchman; AbnSarge; ..
GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS AND OUR BELOVED NATION!
TATTOO (Click)
Must retire for the evening -
"Where shall I hide my forehead and my eyes? For now I see the true old times are dead, When every morning brought a noble chance, And every chance brought out a noble knight."
The Bugler, his grim visage replete with an evil sneer, already mounts the parapet.
Soldiers of the Greatest Generation Stand The Watch Tonight!
Standing With Them: Ike And The Screaming Eagles!
Gen. Eisenhower Addressing Troops Of The 101st Airborne Division 5 June 1944
TAPS U.S. Marine Band (Click)
"Do poor Tom some charity, whom the foul fiend vexes!" (King Lear, Act III, Scene iv)
All Gave Some Some Gave All!!! (Click)
Good night, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America!
Godspeed our Troops around the Globe especially those in harms way by virtue of their service and sacrifice we continue to live in Freedom!
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32
posted on
06/05/2016 6:07:03 PM PDT
by
ConorMacNessa
(HM/2 USN - 3/5 Marines RVN 1969 - St. Michael the Archangel defend us in battle!)
To: longfellow
And rounding out the top three....longfellow bags the bronze!!
33
posted on
06/05/2016 6:08:50 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska
Freep mail me to be on or off the Daily Bread ping list
Broken to Be Made New
June 6, 2016
I know, Lord, that your laws are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Psalm 119:75
During World War II my dad served with the US Army in the South Pacific. During that time Dad rejected any idea of religion, saying, I dont need a crutch. Yet the day came when his attitude toward spiritual things would change forever. Mom had gone into labor with their third child, and my brother and I went to bed with the excitement of soon seeing our new brother or sister. When I got out of bed the next morning, I excitedly asked Dad, Is it a boy or a girl? He replied, It was a little girl but she was born dead. We began to weep together at our loss.
For the first time, Dad took his broken heart to Jesus in prayer. At that moment he felt an overwhelming sense of peace and comfort from God, though his daughter would always be irreplaceable. Soon he began to take an interest in the Bible and continued to pray to the One who was healing his broken heart. His faith grew through the years. He became a strong follower of Jesusserving Him as a Bible-study teacher and a leader in his church.
Jesus is not a crutch for the weak. He is the source of new spiritual life! When were broken, He can make us new and whole (Ps. 119:75).
What is on your heart that you need to talk with God about? Bring Him your brokenness and ask Him to make you whole.
Brokenness can lead to wholeness.
A commonly understood characteristic of Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is that it celebrates the goodness and usefulness of Gods commandments. Referring to these laws by various names, the author suggests that Gods commands are the very core of how life is meant to be lived. The thought is simple yet intriguingGods laws help us to live in the way that we were created and intended to live. They are not restrictive; they are freeing. That helps us understand why the psalmist had such a high regard of Gods laws.
34
posted on
06/05/2016 6:12:31 PM PDT
by
The Mayor
(Honesty means never having to look over your shoulder.)
To: ConorMacNessa
*sigh* Great, heartfelt, speech by President Ronald Reagan.
35
posted on
06/05/2016 6:17:54 PM PDT
by
Kathy in Alaska
( (~RIP Brian...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~))
To: Kathy in Alaska
Thanks for the tribute and celebration of our Greatest Generation, Kathy!
D-Day, The Day of Days.
36
posted on
06/05/2016 6:32:59 PM PDT
by
PROCON
To: Kathy in Alaska
Hi, thank-you for honoring those who serve and history!
37
posted on
06/05/2016 6:35:33 PM PDT
by
Biggirl
("One Lord, one faith, one baptism" - Ephesians 4:5)
To: Kathy in Alaska
This was probably the bestselling record in the nation on June 6, 1944
I Love You--Bing Crosby
To: Kathy in Alaska; LUV W; HiJinx; AZamericonnie; Jet Jaguar; Soaring Feather; SandRat; ...
Greetings to all at the Canteen!
To all our military men and women, past and present,
39
posted on
06/05/2016 6:50:22 PM PDT
by
radu
(May God watch over our troops and keep them safe)
To: Fiji Hill
40
posted on
06/05/2016 6:56:34 PM PDT
by
Repeal The 17th
(I was conceived in liberty, how about you?)
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