D. Day

[robfinds]

I would like to remember,and thank, all your young country men. 70 years ago thousands waded off landing craft, carying 70/80 pounds of kit, into 5ft of freezing water. Straight into German machine gun fire, thousands never made the beach. The history of Europe would have been much different, if thousands more had not pushed forward against all odds.

Many Thanks
Robert.

 

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[Silver Searcher]

SS

 

[robfinds]

SS

dad was there Colin.

 

[JunkShopFiddler]

I saw a documentary a few years ago about the Allied cemetery in Normandy. When a french child begins school they are assigned an Allied Soldier's grave to keep and look after for the remainder of their school years, and when they graduate they turn the responsibilities for that grave over to another beginning student. Couldn't find out if this is still being done or not...Much better than US kids are taught in our schools.

 

[robfinds]

I saw a documentary a few years ago about the Allied cemetery in Normandy. When a french child begins school they are assigned an Allied Soldier's grave to keep and look after for the remainder of their school years, and when they graduate they turn the responsibilities for that grave over to another beginning student. Couldn't find out if this is still being done or not...Much better than US kids are taught in our schools.

When our veterans go over to France, they are treated much better then they are here.

 

[JunkShopFiddler]

I would like to remember,and thank, all your young country men. 70 years ago thousands waded off landing craft, carying 70/80 pounds of kit, into 5ft of freezing water. Straight into German machine gun fire, thousands never made the beach. The history of Europe would have been much different, if thousands more had not pushed forward against all odds.

Many Thanks
Robert.

Thanks for remembering! My Father was in the US Signal Corp and therefore went ashore at Normandy three days after the invasion day. He would always try to talk about it, but by the time his outfit arrived on the scene the bodies of the dead servicemen were being collected and laid out and he would always get choked up at that point in the story and couldn't continue. And thanks to your brave countrymen as well. And a special call out to the men who flew the Spitfires and Hurricanes that knocked out a lot of the Luftwaffe before the D-Day landings, saving a lot of allied lives...cheers

 

[CMDiamonddawg]

Tribute to neighbor , Big Jim , mortar gunner , First Division " Big Red One " , 26 Regt. , first wave to storm Omaha Beach ,

two Purple Hearts , and a Bronze Star .

 

[Pointman]

While I was in the service, I had the privileged of walking a Normandy Airborne Soldier to an airshow. I really cherished the act of doing it. Makes me realize that they won't be around much longer. I also will never forget the original U.S. Airborne Soldiers meeting and pinning our wings on our chests while I went through jump school. That was back in 1991. I miss, miss, miss being able to step into history like that and I always wonder how many of them are still around. I'm glad I was able to stand in their shadow for a moment in my life.

 

[unclemac]

"what was it like the first time you killed a man"..... my uncle accidently asked my mother that question when he returned from Okinawa.....

 

[treblehunter]

I saw a documentary a few years ago about the Allied cemetery in Normandy. When a french child begins school they are assigned an Allied Soldier's grave to keep and look after for the remainder of their school years, and when they graduate they turn the responsibilities for that grave over to another beginning student. Couldn't find out if this is still being done or not...Much better than US kids are taught in our schools.

I just got home from my fathers house, we watched "Saving Private Ryan" I told my dad that at the age of twelve they should show every kid in America that movie. I believe there are a very large percentage of people in the US that don't have a clue about D Day and why we as Americans were there to help? I have no immediate family that served but have enough sense to know why I have the freedoms that most other country's in the world can only dream of. I taught my only son to respect our servicemen and thank them for putting there lives on the line for all of us US citizens.

 

[unclemac]

when I was a kid it was just assumed by all us boys that we would join the army when we grew up...our fathers had, our grandfathers, our great granddads...etc. But I think it is something similar to how a poor kid that makes it rich doesn't want his kid to grow up like he did...even though being hard up is what MADE him who he was and taught him to work hard and not give up. I don't think the fathers who saw a lot of action wanted that for us.

 

[Tnmountains]

D-Day
My Dad flew 2 low level bombing missions over the beaches at Normandy. Got rammed by another plane and completed the runs. He said Doolittle gave the speech by radio before they flew. 8th air Corp 44th heavy bomb Group. 33 missions from Shipdham,England and home. Dad dreamed that war every night. "The Greatest Generation"

D-Day
My neighbor drove the landing barges on Iwo Jima. I often sit and listen to his stories.Very proud to call him a friend.It is important that we never forget the sacrifices our Vets have made.
Thank you.

 

[Threshold]

This is a great thread with some great stories! Saving Private Ryan is my favorite movie and these men helped so many future people all over the world. God bless the US and all of its soldiers that fight for our freedom and lives!

 

[huntsman53]

My second cousin, Tom was in WWII and was highly decorated and fought in 3 major campaigns and landings during his service. He went ashore on one the beaches in the D-Day Normandy Invasion, then later in Italy, then even later in North Africa and this information as well as his' medals and commendations are recorded in his mother's Bible. I found the Bible in my mother's Cedar Chest which I received after her passing and although I knew that Tom served in WWII, I never knew where he served and how many medals that he received until I opened that Bible. The war ate Tom up as he kept everything that he saw and done during the war inside and drank himself to death.

My dad tried many times to enlist during WWII but they would not take him even though he told them that he could whip everyone of them with one hand and out shoot everyone of them, which I do not doubt. Dad fell off a Freight Train in 1928 when he was 18 years old, was in a coma for 6 days and given up for dead. However, dad survived but his' right arm and hand were crippled the rest of his life. Since they would not let him enlist in the Military, he went to work for the Rohm and Haas Company making Glass and Plexiglas that was used in many of the tanks, aircraft, jeeps, trucks, submarines and ships used by the U.S. and the Allies during WWII. Not being able to enlist and fight in the war, seriously affected my dad and he was as alcoholic most of his life but quit drinking when he was 82 years old.

I joined the U.S. Army in November of 1972 right after receiving my Draft Notice. I asked to go to Vietnam but they would not send me as I am the only son of my mother and father and the only son to carry on our name. I have regrets that I was unable to serve in Vietnam where many of my friends and some cousins died but I never let it affect me like it did my dad.

A big shout out and salute to all of those who served and survived and those that served and died fighting on the side of good during that great war!


Frank

 

[unclemac]

you are right about that huntsman...I know a feller died a year or two back....at the age of 94 I think it was....he was a merchant seaman connected to local waters and wasn't allowed to enlist, to the day he died he still felt the need explain and excuse himself for that. never truly accepted it,,,,

 

[Fingerlakes119]

My deceased dad was there also. I had the honor of watching him get a metal for being there from the French government about 15 years ago a full military award ceremony was held. Boy was I proud of him, and my young sons were also able to go and see him and hundreds like him get this medal. I am thankful for all our current and past military personnel.

 

[robfinds]

you are right about that huntsman...I know a feller died a year or two back....at the age of 94 I think it was....he was a merchant seaman connected to local waters and wasn't allowed to enlist, to the day he died he still felt the need explain and excuse himself for that. never truly accepted it,,,,

Hello unclemac, being in the merchant navy, was one of the most dangerous thing's you could do during WW2. In the early years of the war, massive amounts of merchant shipping was sunk by uboat wolf packs. Many convoys between America and Britain were attacked, and thousands of merchant sea men lost their lives. The merchant navy had no uniform, so believe it or not, when on leave in Britain many were insulted in the streets. To see young men not in uniform, many thought that they were dodging the war. The government produced this silver badge for the officers and men of the merchant navy to wear, to stop this happening. It's one of my finds, that's I think is more special than most.
Robert.

 

[unclemac]

yep, very true but in this case he stayed in local waters on the Puget Sound. And (not faulting you AT ALL) it is the kind of thing you just said that he heard his whole life...and you could tell by his eyes that to hear that was to cut him with a knife. He knew (he thought he knew) he coulda/shoulda/woulda done more but he had a "safe" job that was "vital" to national security. It doesn't matter if it was true or not, he shamed himself with it till the day he died.

 

[Pointman]

I spent 20 years active and the national guard, but I never went to war. I was called to active duty during the conflict and when I was called to orders to deploy my wife got sick and I had a very premature baby to take care of. This kept me from leaving. Even though I spent a year away from home and didn't get a chance to come home and visit, just not deploying has left a void like I never truly served. When I go to the VA hospital to deal with injuries I sustained a long time ago, I am still asked each time if I deployed because you get certain priorities for appointments, etc. This has bothered me a bunch and I don't truly feel complete, even though I served active duty and had crazy experiences and served in great units, I don't feel like I really served.

I joined the military because of service and nothing else. It has bothered me that I find that most people are in the military to see what they can gain from it. I am all about the benefits, but when I mean "gain" I mean that they do not keep in the mind the mission and taking care of Soldiers and becoming good followers or good leaders. Some of this is because of the newest generation becoming adults and I think that at some levels it will become worse. I retired an E-7 with promotion to E-8 if I would have stayed in longer, but I decided to leave. I felt like it started to become less about others and service and more about me, so I felt I needed to leave. I tell all my Soldiers to read the NCO creed that talks about the mission and well fair of the lower enlisted and of working to gain the confidence of the superiors. I not only tell them to read it, but ask themselves daily where they are adhering to it and where they aren't. Gut-check essentially.

 

[huntsman53]

Hello unclemac, being in the merchant navy, was one of the most dangerous thing's you could do during WW2. In the early years of the war, massive amounts of merchant shipping was sunk by uboat wolf packs. Many convoys between America and Britain were attacked, and thousands of merchant sea men lost their lives. The merchant navy had no uniform, so believe it or not, when on leave in Britain many were insulted in the streets. To see young men not in uniform, many thought that they were dodging the war. The government produced this silver badge for the officers and men of the merchant navy to wear, to stop this happening. It's one of my finds, that's I think is more special than most.
Robert.

Robert,

Thanks for posting this information! Many folks do not know how many Merchant Seamen served, died and/or the sacrifices they made in support of the U.S. and the Allies during WWII and even WWI. They provided a vital service to National Security and the war effort. It is sad that the governments did not realize earlier the need for way for identifying these brave men to the general populations! While a Memorial was completed and dedicated in Washington, D.C. in October of 1934 to the U.S. Navy and Merchant Marine Sailors who died at sea during WWI, it is sad that it took until 1987 (I believe) for a Memorial to be completed and dedicated in San Pedro, California to honor all Merchant Marine Saliors from all of the wars.

Congrats on finding the Badge as I am sure that it is and will remain, one of your' most prized possessions!


Frank