D-Day

[Supe]

Strange that no one seemed to notice that today was the 67th anniversary of D-Day. Maybe the posters are too young or just don't care, but I care. Were it not for all those Yanks, Brits and Canadians landing at Normandy on this day in 1944 all our lives might be very different.

My Uncle Eddie was there, flying out of Leicestershire to land as part of the 82nd Airborne. He was wounded, but recovered in time to be a part of Operation Market-Garden. He at least came home but far too many who participated in the Normandy landings didn't and what we owe them is incalcuable . . . but for a start it might be a few moments of recognition and thanks.

Don.

[Zodiac]

Lest we forget.

Strange that no one seemed to notice that today was the 67th anniversary of D-Day. Maybe the posters are too young or just don't care, but I care. Were it not for all those Yanks, Brits and Canadians landing at Normandy on this day in 1944 all our lives might be very different.

My Uncle Eddie was there, flying out of Leicestershire to land as part of the 82nd Airborne. He was wounded, but recovered in time to be a part of Operation Market-Garden. He at least came home but far too many who participated in the Normandy landings didn't and what we owe them is incalcuable . . . but for a start it might be a few moments of recognition and thanks.

Don.

Hi Don,

I noticed that it was of course, the anniversary of "D-Day" and I would hope that many others did too!!! In fact I was signing, in triplicate, some legal documents when I asked the young man, who had brought in the forms for my signature, the date. "6th of June" he said. "D-Day" I said, to myself, not really expecting either a reply or so much as a recognition from him. "Today was D-Day?" he asked, "Yes" I replied, somewhat impressed, "6/6/44." I then found myself having great difficulty in dating the the documents 6/6/11 as all I could think of was 6/6/44!!!

Best wishes,
Zodiac.

[The Grave Maurice]

I remembered it was D-Day, Don. I was thinking about my Dad. Sixty-seven years ago, he was on a corvette headed, thankfully, back toward Halifax. Had he been on the other side of the pond, I might not have been born. There were many brave men and women in that war. Thanks to them all.

[Errata]

I always remember D-Day. And the attack on Pearl Harbor, Saint Crispin's Day, Guy Fawkes Day, The day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated...

If it was ever mentioned in a big speech, a song or a rhyme I remember it. Because my memory is stupid and abnormal.

My dad's birthday? nothing. Year I was Bat Mizvahed? nope.

The day an army of a country I am not a member of won a battle (not even a war) against another country I am also not a member of? October 25, 1415.

It's like a lame parlor trick.

Not that D-Day is lame. I just wish I also remembered things necessary in my daily life. Like my own telephone number. Or when I am supposed to get the stitches out of my back. That would be super useful.

[Supe]

Errata,

A cautionary tale. When i was a bright-eyed young high school student I entered my ancient history class with a zeal to memorize important dates much as you have. Thus, I eagerly committed to memory the Battle of Khadesh, 1287 BC. Alas, that seemed to use up all the space my brain had apportioned to "historic dates" and even 1066, 1492 or 1776 are but fuzzily recalled at best.

Still, I could feel a real satisfaction that I knew, indeed, the year of the Battle of Khadesh. Imagine, then, the utter dismay I felt when in college I read a newspaper article that proclaimed "...the battle of Khadesh, now dated by historians in 1292 BC." My one historic date rendered null and void by new research!

Zodiac and Grave Maurice,

Thanks for remembering.

Don.

[Adam Went]

I think it isn't that people don't remember, Don, but rather that as the years drift by and those who were there in 1944 become fewer and fewer, the real celebrations are marked by big milestones, such as the 60th anniversary as it was in 2004, with German and Allied veterans meeting, many for the first time - a proper reconciliation. No doubt it will be the same again for the 70th in 2014. Anybody who knows about what happened would have given some moments of thought and silence to all those brave men.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Phil H]

I too remembered and mentioned the fact to colleagues yesterday.

D-Day is of amazing importance, historically. Indeed, I was re-reading some books on the subject during the lead up, and re-watched "The Longest Day" film.

Just think how different the C20th would have been had -Day failed. It is possible that the Soviets would have defeated Nazi Germany then gone on to over-run the WHOLE of continental Europe. And failure is not just idle speculation - senior commanders, including Eisenhower and Brooke were keenly aware of the risks, and "Ike" actually wrote out a press-release for such an eventuality.

I don't think that a failure on D-Day would have allowed Hitler's regime to survive (it might have taken longer but the Russians would have proved unstoppable, I think), but the liberation of at least some of the death camps might have been delayed.

How the century would then have developed is anyone's guess? Would the US have been inclined to invade a Soviet Europe eventually? Would britain have been absorbed into an American sphere (even the 51st state!, which was always a considered jocular possibility in my youth. Certainly no European Union - at least for a long time or in it's current form - but maybe a EUSSR under Russian sway?

The heroism shown by troops, resistance fighters and others on 6 June 1944 was amazing and worthy of recollection. In large measure they ensured freedom for Europe (part in the short term, all in the longer). The Germans also fought heroically - with the ensuing carnage in the "bocage" among the most dreadful fighting of the war, at least in the West.

Thanks for starting this thread. It's important to remember.

Phil

[RonIpstone]

6 June 1944, a date which should be remembered for evermore.

[c.d.]

I live in Washington, D.C. and I see a lot of vets all the time. They are here for some event or just as tourists. It is sad that they are now all elderly gentlemen at this point. I have made it a practice to go up to them and thank them for their service to the country. They always respond with a lot of class and you can see that they really appreciate being remembered.

c.d.

[ChrisGeorge]

I live in Washington, D.C. and I see a lot of vets all the time. They are here for some event or just as tourists. It is sad that they are now all elderly gentlemen at this point. I have made it a practice to go up to them and thank them for their service to the country. They always respond with a lot of class and you can see that they really appreciate being remembered.

c.d.

Good work, c.d. I work in Washington, D.C. but live in Baltimore. It's good that the World War II Memorial on the Mall has become a place of pilgrimage for these men and women who sacrificed in the service of their country. As you probably know, a number of volunteers are working to bring the vets to Washington.

Chris

[Red Zeppelin]

As long as we rememeber the young GERMAN dead too.

One could argue that the ordinary 'Jerry' fought as hard and as tough as anyone during the battle for Normandy...........but sadly few want to rememeber the ordinary 'Fritz'.

So, spare a thought for them too. Please?

[chrisjd]

Red Z

[Phil H]

Red Zed

I thought my post had done just that as I deliberately wrote:

The Germans also fought heroically ...

Phil

[ChrisGeorge]

From Paul Reed @sommecourt - Ken Smith, #Normandy veteran, visiting the grave of his old school friend at Bayeux War Cemetery today.

A Facebook contact of mine, Micheal Canavan of Northern Ireland, commented on this photograph, "I have visited Bayeux, it's sad how big the site is. All the Regiments are in lines and sections. It's a tribute to those who died the high standard the graves are kept after all these years. It is very humbling walking around reading the young ages of most of the men interned there."

[Mayerling]

As long as we rememeber the young GERMAN dead too.

One could argue that the ordinary 'Jerry' fought as hard and as tough as anyone during the battle for Normandy...........but sadly few want to rememeber the ordinary 'Fritz'.

So, spare a thought for them too. Please?

If it is anything Red Z, everytime I think of the war I am aware of how hard and well the ordinary Wehrmacht fighter fought to the end. I can never say that I regret the defeat of Nazism and Fascism in Italy and France, but certain things (like what the German population did go through in 1945 when invaded from the East, at the hands of angry Soviet troops, and incidents like the Dresden bombing - no matter how retaliatory they seem) make me certainly pause a bit. I also like to recall a few German names that strike me as being heroic to the outcome as our own dead: Erich Rommel, Claus von Stauffenberg and his associates, Sophie Scholls and her brother, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and many similar types. I am glad for the final victory, but it truly was a costly one all around.

Jeff