Raise your glasses: D-Day, 1944

[Gunboat1]

A toast to the thousands of brave young men who, on this day 79 years ago, jumped in, glided in and waded in to the heavily-defended coast of Normandy to begin retaking Europe from Nazi Germany.   175,000 soldiers risked all for freedom, and thousands of them fell in the effort.  Never forget their sacrifices.

 

And not a single one of them was unclear on or concerned about pronouns, and no Diversity, Equity and Inclusion staffs were needed in the process.

[gwalchmai]

Thanks! 

[pipedreams]

According to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, just 167,000 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II were still alive in 2022. World War II veterans are dying at the rate of 180 per day, according to the museum.

[deputy tom]

God bless them all. tom.

[Walt Longmire]

The bravest of men.

[Batesmotel]

The most disturbing thing I ever read about the invasion was an account from a captured German who was being held on the tops of a bluff overlooking the beach.

In the days following the invasion he was noticed by an American soldier just staring at the beach as the supplies came in. All day. Every day. Cargo ships unloaded thousands of tons of goods and vehicles every hour. Cars, Jeeps, trucks, tanks, ambulances, motorcycles. Every conceivable vehicle, all carrying the supplies of war.

He was finally asked what he was looking at. He just asked “Where are the horses?” Every army in Europe relied on horses. The breading and care of horses was a major drain on resources.

The German realized the rumors of American industrial production were true and that they had been lied to by their leaders. The entire war was a lie. 

[tous]

My father was a Radarman (PO1) on an LSM(R) off the coast on D-day. 

Here's to you , lads. 

Well done.

 

 

[Eric]

[Eric]

[pipedreams]

A D-Day Survivor Story

https://biggeekdad.com/2019/05/a-d-day-survivor-story/

[railfancwb]

7 hours ago, Batesmotel said:

The most disturbing thing I ever read about the invasion was an account from a captured German who was being held on the tops of a bluff overlooking the beach.

In the days following the invasion he was noticed by an American soldier just staring at the beach as the supplies came in. All day. Every day. Cargo ships unloaded thousands of tons of goods and vehicles every hour. Cars, Jeeps, trucks, tanks, ambulances, motorcycles. Every conceivable vehicle, all carrying the supplies of war.

He was finally asked what he was looking at. He just asked “Where are the horses?” Every army in Europe relied on horses. The breading and care of horses was a major drain on resources.

The German realized the rumors of American industrial production were true and that they had been lied to by their leaders. The entire war was a lie. 

Unfortunately the United States could not do this today. Too much manufacturing capacity shipped overseas. 

[gamboolman]

I have posted on other forums over the years of ms gamboolgals father, Mr. Beam who was in the 101st.  

 Mr. Beam was in the 501 PIR, HQ 3, 3^rd Battalion.  He was with the original unit from Tacoa, GA all the way thru the war and was in all of the battles.  He was never wounded.  The picture of Camp Tacoa shown below is from 1942. 

I would spend hours visiting with him about growing up as one of 7 children to a Widow of a Sharecropper in East Texas.  They were Grapes of Wrath poor.

 Flying in to jump at Normandy, Mr. Beam said the sky was lit up by German gunfire and all he wanted was out of the plane.  He was 20 year old when he jumped out of the plane.

 Mr. Beam said that he had utmost respect for the German Soldiers and that they were excellent soldiers and would kill you in the blink of the eye.

 He would not talk of the killing.  About the  closest he came was to say that he could not explain what happened to him as he could not explain or believe it himself and yet it happened to him.

 He did say that he had a pencil shot out of his hand, and that he had all his webbing gear shot off of him.

He also said that the Slave Labor the Germans used for making munitions saved many lives as dud rounds landed  by him on several occasions.

He said that at Market Garden there was lots of Brit bodies floating in the river from upstream where they got shot up by the Germans real bad.

 At Bastogne when the weather cleared on Christmas Day (I believe?), he said the American planes was turning the German Tanks over with bombs.

 He said it was bad  in  the Hurtgen Forest.

 Mr. Beam said  the use of Slave Labor by  the Germans saved him and others many times – as he  had Dud shells land by  him and not  go  off.

 He spoke of wearing sheets and going out for Prisoners at night in the snow.  He talked of the long Bayonet / Trench  Knife they had strapped to their Calf.

 Mr. Beam and about 2 dozen Veterans were taken back to Europe in latter  2007 to visit the battlefields by a rich guy from Austrailia.  Mr. Beam and other Vets is/was on TV news  giving talks in village in France.  They made a special documentary of the old Veterans. 

 When Mr. Beam came home, he told us that he had wondered for 60 year if the War and  the pain of it all had been worth it.  He said that after visiting France/Germany and seeing the people and how grateful they were to the Americans – that yes it was worth it.

 Mr. and Mrs. Beam started taking our son to 101st Reunions when our son, Jeffrey, was about 6 years old and they went to them for the next 7 to 8 years or so.  And  the old soldiers would treat Jeff like a king and would talk to him for hours.  What an experience for our son to meet those men.

 Sadly, we lost Mr. Beam  not long later in 2008. 

I miss him sorely as he was more of a father to me than my own father.

Mr. Beam is pictured in the lower right in the photos of members of the 101st.   

The one of him alone is from Nuremberg where he was on  Eisenhower's  Honor Guard and also he escorted many of the Nazi's to and from the Trials and some of them to the Gallows.

Thanks and sincere appreciation to all the Veterans of  all the Wars