80th Anniversary of D-Day June 6th

[VintageBetter]

I'll be flying my flag tomorrow in commemoration.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/05/europe/gallery/d-day-normandy-invasion/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/20...erans-80-year-anniversary-bell-pkg-digvid.cnn
https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/05/us/waverly-woodson-d-day-distinguished-service-cross-reaj/index.html

Where were you on D-Day? I was still living with the storks.

My dad was not anywhere near France that day. He was in the South Pacific somewhere. I had an uncle I never met, his sister's husband, who died in the Philippines in the Bataan Death March. All my mother ever said of him was that he was a very good man. I met his son, my cousin, only once in my life and he was also a very good man in spite of being disabled.

Why is it that the older I get the more meaningful some of these anniversaries get to me? I don't know why that is.

 

[Flarbalard]

I wasn't around for that. One of the few things my Dad would talk about the war because there would be some mention of the anniversary. He was in the first wave of landings at Omaha Beach.

 

[Tom52]

June 6 always brings me thoughts of the sacrifices made by allied troops during WWII.

My Mom's half brother was a paratrooper that dropped into France as part of the June 6 invasion. He was killed the first day. My Dad was on the first troop ship that docked in
Cherbourg after it was liberated. He was a combat infantryman who fought across France, Belgium, and into Germany. He was awarded two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.

I am grateful that I was able to accompany Dad as a part of a WWII honor tour to Washington DC to visit the WWII memorial a couple of years before he passed. He was a great husband and Dad. I still miss him every day.

 

[Rakaia]

I'm fairly sure that my father was part of the D Day landings, he was in the British Army, Royal Ulster Rifles, from 1939 - 1952.

 

[Teacher Terry]

My dad’s unit stormed the beach during d day but my dad was in the hospital. That saved his life as his unit was wiped out. I wouldn’t be here if he had been there.

 

[RadishRose]

My Mom's half brother was a paratrooper that dropped into France as part of the June 6 invasion.

My father was the same ; his glider was shot down over France and he was wounded. Somehow, he got to safety and eventually flown back home to a VA hospital.

Sorry your uncle didn't make it.

 

[Buckeye]

I have my flag out. Here's why:

Books often give a figure of 2,500 Allied dead for D-Day. However, research by the US National D-Day Memorial Foundation has uncovered a more accurate figure of 4,415 Allied personnel killed on D-Day. These include 2,501 from the USA, 1,449 British dead, 391 Canadians and 73 from other Allied countries.

 

[hollydolly]

D-Day veterans gather at the British Normandy Memorial this morning on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings

King Charles shakes the hand of a veteran as they speak following the service at the British Normandy Memorial today

 

[hollydolly]

Reenactors stand alongside an amphibious vehicle on the sands of Gold Beach ahead of the D-Day anniversary commemorations

Royal Marines of 47 Commando and civilians at Asnelles move in the water in kayaks off the coast of northern France this morning

 

[Paco Dennis]

 

[hollydolly]

A reenactor holds a lantern during a ceremony at Utah Beach to commemorate US soldiers who died while storming the coast

The sun rises over the headstones at the Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach on the 80th anniversary of D-Day

A British soldier photographs graves at the Bayeux War Cemetery in the early hours of this morning on the 80th anniversary of D-Day

 

[hollydolly]

The grave of an unidentified soldier is illuminated alongside others at the Bayeux War Cemetery in northern France this morning

 

[hollydolly]

Neither my father nor grandfather served in the war. My grandfather was already too old when it started, and my father who was born in '26 was too young , but he would have been exempt anyway because he had a hearing problem..

My mum was only 5 when war began...

 

[Pepper]

My dad was 4F. He tried to enlist different times in different places but his heart murmur was always detected. I was glad he was 4F, though I'm going against his wishes for himself. His cousin was drafted in his forties. At the beginning of the war in Europe, some of dad's friends enlisted in the Canadian military. They were roaring to go to fight Hitler. Captured friends of my father's were sent to concentration camps for the obvious reason.

 

[rgp]

My father was already in France with Patton's 3rd, during the invasion. I worked with two guys that were part of the invasion, I worked with one that was on the Bataan Death march, and yet another that was trapped on Peleliu, out of rifle ammunition [pistol only] little water, and no food. He was surrounded by Japs for 36 hours , before they moved on, and he could creep back to his unit.

Just thankful we had men like we did , when we needed them the most !!

And so sorry for those lost , and those that came home broken.

 

[Pepper]

And so sorry for those lost , and those that came home broken.

I remember my dad referring to a close friend as "shell shocked."

 

[VintageBetter]

Neither my father nor grandfather served in the war. My grandfather was already too old when it started, and my father who was born in '26 was too young , but he would have been exempt anyway because he had a hearing problem..

My mum was only 5 when war began...

Was your mom in London or out in the country? I know so many Londoners sent their kids to live in the country when the bombings began.

 

[VintageBetter]

My father was already in France with Patton's 3rd, during the invasion. I worked with two guys that part of the invasion, I worked with one that was on the Bataan Death march, and yet another that was trapped on Peleliu, out of rifle ammunition [pistol only] little water, and no food. He was surrounded by Japs for 36 hours , before they moved on, and he could creep back to his unit.

Just thankful we had men like we did , when we needed them the most !!

And so sorry for those lost , and those that came home broken.

I saw the most illuminating and horrible documentary on PBS the other day about the Battle of Peleliu.

It was horrible what the soldiers endured there!

But this is why most Americans are not fans of fascism. In a fascist state, the Dear Leader tells people, "You must do this or I will harm you, your parents and your children" and so the soldiers do it. They do what the dictator says usually because they have been brainwashed by the Dear Leader's propaganda, and also because they think they will share in the spoils of war with him when the war is done.

 

[jimintoronto]

Here in Canada, the Remembrance services at JUNO Beach today were carried live on CTV. JUNO was the Canadian landing beach on June the 6th of 1944. Our Prime Minister , Prince William and the French Prime Minister were the three main speakers. Price William went out of his way to stop and speak with the 13 Canadian WW2 veterans who attended the services. The oldest is 104 years old.

Most people today don't know that there were a large number of Canadians fighting the Nazis in Italy, a year and half before the June 1944 invasion of France, They called themselves " The D Day Dodgers" because the press didn't cover their invasion in July of 1943 very much, and they continued to slug it out with the Nazis until January of 1945. Then they were moved to North West Europe, to continue to fight through Belgium, Holland and eventually into Germany. By the end of the war in Europe, those guys had a total of 22 months of fighting, while the D Day guys only had 11 months of action.

During WW2 over one million Canadian men and 75,000 women served in our 3 military branches, with about 900,00 of them serving out side of Canada. Approximately 45,000 were killed, and 127,000 were wounded. Canadians are buried in 31 Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial grounds in 19 countries. JimB.

 

[Mobilman44]

HollyDolly,
THANK YOU for those wonderful pictures!
My Uncle Frank (aka "Peach") made it 6 days after the landing and then he caught a bullet in his arm, blowing away half the bicep. That was the end of his combat and he eventually made it home. He NEVER talked of his experiences.
At about the same time, my Dad was a tank commander and in combat in New Guinea and then the Philippines.

I was born 5/44 while he was gone, and I can't imagine what all my Mom and Grandparents went thru with two loved ones in harms way.

 

[Teacher Terry]

My dad told my mom he would be back home in a year when he was drafted and got home 4 years later. He was in Europe most of the time except for a short stint in Iceland. All the male relatives were drafted and none were harmed including my uncle who worked behind enemy lines putting up communication systems. None of their friends were harmed either. That’s so unusual.

My grandpa was in WW one and was only 5 feet tall and in combat. I used to say he was so short no one could see him). Next April I am going to France with a friend and we booked the extra 3 days to Normandy at the end of the tour.

 

[His Dudeness]

I find the coverage of the historical event despicable. Last year, there was barely a mention of it and the White House didn't issue a statement until 8pm Eastern. This year, since its a round year (80th), everyone want to pay attention to it as if they are so very patriotic. As a Vet, I'm offended by the disingenuous coverage. 79th anniversary, nobody cares. 80th, suddenly its very important.

 

[hollydolly]

Was your mom in London or out in the country? I know so many Londoners sent their kids to live in the country when the bombings began.

My mum was Scottish and as little children they were sent from the city where she lived in an orphanage, out to farms in the country for the duration of the war ! Not sure how far into the war this happened but I know she was sent to live on a farm.. she was 11 when war finished

 

[hollydolly]

I find the coverage of the historical event despicable. Last year, there was barely a mention of it and the White House didn't issue a statement until 8pm Eastern. This year, since its a round year (80th), everyone want to pay attention to it as if they are so very patriotic. As a Vet, I'm offended by the disingenuous coverage. 79th anniversary, nobody cares. 80th, suddenly its very important.

however, it's never been forgotten in the UK

 

[hollydolly]

Bagpipers from France- Germany & the UK march in Normandy today

Parachutes in the skies over Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day

Veteran Don Turrell signs a commemorative book for a D-Day enthusiast