Time to remember some real heroes who gave all they had for us.
70 years ago already....I certainly hope another "D-Day" is not needed for another 70 years.
May all those who perished rest in peace.
You are right, thousands of men gave their all and some of those that came home were never the same. These were real heroes, not baseball players, not movie stars not some rock and roll musician, but men who risked everything to keep the freedom for us all. I just hope that people through the generations, past, present and future, don't take this freedom lightly.
I posted something D-Day related on my forum this morning. It's too big to post here so I'm providing a link to it below. I originally posted it in a members only board but have since reposted it in a board viewable by guests.
The Day of Days
I heard a stunning documentary of readings on Public Radio from journals of soldiers who landed on Omaha Beach. It's so easy to take freedom for granted but we need to remember what they went through on that day....and so many other days in our history.
As you can tell by my other post, I strongly object to using the term, "hero" when referring to anyone other than those that risk everything for the sake of others. Calling sports figures heroes because they hit home runs or make touchdowns and are paid gigantic sums to do so is an insult to those that stormed those beaches 70 years ago. A movie star is not a hero just because they caught the bad guy at the end. Remember, they too demand high salaries for their efforts, and it's the stuntmen that take all the physical risks. Those guys 70 years ago weren't in it for the money, but for the real payback, freedom from oppression. As I remember, they were paid somewhere between $50-100 if they were lucky and their families back home had to make due. There was no wi-fi on the battlefield where they could talk to their loved ones through Skype, they all wrote letters when they could, and as I remember, all correspondence was censored as well. The TV showed a guy that had parachuted into Normandy 70 years ago and did it again yesterday. He truly deserves to be called a hero...
Real heros wear dog tags.
There's a story going around that a 98 year old English veteran ended up missing from his retirement home. He was found at the 70th Anniversary Festivities of D-Day wearing his medals.
"In Flanders field where the poppies grow,
Stand the crosses, row on row."
The German message "Die Invasion hat begonnen!" was broadcast early on June 6th yet the commander of Army Group B which was responsible for the defense of the French coast against the Allied invasion was no where near his HQ.
Erwin Rommel went home to visit his wife and family on her birthday.
A stroke of luck for the Allies?
We can only speculate.
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The invasion wasn't going well with missed drop zones, stronger defenses then expected,the carpet bombing missed their target because they delayed a few seconds in dropping their bombs due to cloud cover-it was feared the bombs may hit the ships instead of the beach and German fortifications along the beach.
In the landing crafts men was bailing water that had splashed over the sides from the waves,sea sickness also took a toll,the ever increasing artillery shells from the German guns,the direct hits on the landing crafts, and then the beach of death..
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Der Führer muss nicht geweckt warden..
Imagine hearing that when you request the panzer reserves to be moved forward. Only Hitler could authorized their release. and he took a sleeping pill with orders not to be disturbed.
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Another stroke of luck for the Allies?
Again we can only speculate.
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Strong men fought against the odds and barely won the day on June 6,1944.
Let us never forget their mettle against a determine foe.
Let us never forget those that gave all in the name of freedom.