D Day

[tbradsim1]

82nd Airborne jumping with the Old timers 50 yr Anniversary . Son was in the jump. :clap: Not only men were there, the Nurses also, God bless Women.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

That's awesome! Since it is the Anniversary of D-Day:

 

[mso489]

In the movies, we all identify with the guys and women who made it ashore and kept moving. In the back of everyone's mind are the ones who charged ashore and suddenly realized that their lives were over. Wife, kids, girlfriends, or none -- that was it. Some lingered in hope and/or agony, before they departed. If only they could know that their sacrifice succeeded, that their mission was fulfilled. "They gave their tomorrows for our today."

 

[jpmcwjr]

A great memorial.
My Dad was there. He loved to point out that I was born on "L-day" (Loading). For my Mom, it was unloading day.

 

[irishearl]

Can't even imagine what those storming the beach on D-Day went through. Had 2 great uncles serve in WWII, 1 in Europe, 1 in the Pacific. The second one didn't survive it. The second 1 actually schooled with Eisenhower and Bradley and served alongside Patton under Pershing chasing about the Texas-Mexico border.

 

[kcghost]

https://imgur.com/FMXwyzs
The Dutchpipesmoker at Colleville-sur-Mer honoring the American and Canadian dead.

 

[elpfeife]

Thanks for posting that Ghost. I haven't been to Normandy, but I was at the US cemetery in Luxembourg many years ago. Most of those interred fell during the Battle of the Bulge. It a very sobering and awe inspiring as well.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

They were a different breed in those days. Sadly most of us haven't half the grit those men, and women, had. I have nothing but respect for that generation.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

My Dad was there and 2 of the 3 other major battles of WWII. He was a 101st Airborne Paratrooper. He was also a jump instructor with over 200 jumps during his time in the military. Some of the stories were pretty mind boggling.

 

[mikethompson]

I had the good fortune to go to France in 06. We spent some time around Normandy and saw the landing beaches. Its so beautiful there, hard to imagine such violence there.
There are still bunkers and tank barricades spread around the beach.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

+ 1 for Anthony R 74, You nailed it.

 

[seacaptain]

That's a really neat photo of the nurses coming ashore on the troop carrier. I've never seen a photo like that.

 

[mso489]

The planning that went into D-Day is incredible. Eisenhower was a glutton for endless excruciating detail. Elaborate decoy operations were carried out to keep the Nazi troops off balance. Not zippy writing, but Eisenhower's "Crusade In Europe" gives an authentic feel for the vast dimensions of planning involved.

 

[bnichols23]

And don't forget Exercise/Operation Tiger where nearly 800 troops were killed in rehearsal for D-Day the preceding April. Full info on it didn't come out publicly for a good while, for obvious reasons.
>>"Sadly most of us haven't half the grit those men, and women" -- We might/might not. Those guys/gals were just like us. When you're in that kind of situation, you do what you have to. Whatever stuff you're made of comes out then; it's always been that way, whether D-Day, Gallipoli, Gettysburg, or where-/whenever.