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.
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Gee, the French didn’t protest or try to stop us.
....only to have their sons give it all away with “amnesty”.
Yes we do...
Folks don’t realize how many jumped off the boat ramps, and sank to the bottom, drowning. The human cost was staggering.
It is said that a total of only 200 men, working in small groups, led the breakout from the beach that day. Their heroism, and the heroism of all who took part in the invasion, will be spoken of for centuries.
God rest them, their loved ones, and their memory.
How did the Nazis know about the landing? They were there waiting weren’t they?
We are charged with saving it from the Islamofascists. Probably half our nation does not realize what we are fighting. It is business as usual, and they hate the war-mongering neo-conservatives, whom they call the real fascists. We have quite a battle that includes the enemy within.
If al Qaeda has half a brain, they won't make any attacks on the US mainland until after the 2008 elections. They risk having their Dem allies lose if they remind America of 9/11.
My Pop landed on Utah Beach on D-Day [4th ID].
I am considering watching Saving Private Ryan with my twins tomorrow to give them an appreciation of what their great grandparents went through to defend the freedom that we enjoy today. They will be 12 on Thursday, I would appreciate opinions if that is a good age to show that movie to them. I decided against it last year, but I feel that they are mature enough to handle it now.
Rommel flooded the fields behind the beaches. We had some airborne troops drown in two feet of water. My Pop also saw the paratroopers killed when they came down over St. Mere Eglese, whose bodies were hanging in the trees and on buildings.
How the WWII generation, the epitome of self-sacrifice gave rise to the most Self-ist generation is beyond me. But this country and the world will pay the price of self-centered Baby Boomers for generations to come.
We are eternally grateful. Do you have any momentos or photos to share?
Yes, we Baby Boomers have wasted much of that for which they sacrificed.
I would go with "The Longest Day" myself, with 12 year olds. It would give them a better historical perception.
Yep, my son was about 8 when we watched it together. He always liked army movies and I thought it would be a good wake-up call for him while still young. I'll never forget his comment, made from the heart and in total innocence. "This makes me want to cry."
Yes it does, son. Yes it does.
Rommel [and Hitler, surprisingly enough] suspected Normandy could be the landing site [the General Staff stuck with the Pas de Calais], so they had it fortified to a degree. The big surprise, for the Allies, was the German 352nd [or was it the 235th?] ID which was behind the Omaha Beach sector. They didn’t know it was there, and unlike a lot of German coastal units, it was veteran, well trained and led, and quite capable.
Fortunately for the Allies, 4th ID landed a mile from where they were supposed to, and avoided a head on with a pretty good German division.
Yes, their losses were very high, from gliders being shot up and crashing, to men dropping into trees and rooftops where Germans machine gunned them.
Hard to imagine the amount of courage it took to jump into that hell.
National Archives and Records Administration, Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Abilene, Kansas
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