6th June - Operation Overlord

[stonehead887]

Today marked the 75th anniversary of the biggest allied invasion ever. I find myself returning from a holiday in Holland and in a few hours will be passing by the very spot of the first landings.

It is an odd and poignant feeling to be here. I cannot imagine the hell that was endured, on both sides, for they were all young men.

To any serving DWCers, past present and future, we salute you...

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[HapaHapa]

[59yukon01]

They were the greatest generation! When I hear the "Make America Great Again" statement I always think of those times and the sacrifices they went thru to make America what it is.

One reason it pisses me off when people get so offended and butt hurt by that.

[sierra11b]

I did a month long European theatre tour while serving with the 82nd airborne 325 airborne infantry regiment, which was actually the glider regiment back then, during the spring of ‘00. The battalion commander (Harvard graduate) of a fallschirmjäger group was our tour guide. It was amazing.

We wore our uniforms a couple times during special points of interest and got invited into the home of an older man (then boy) in Nijmegen who wept when he saw us. He showed us clothes his mother had made out of leftover parachutes.

[snootydog]

[Chocodove]

Words can not communicate the respect.

[Steve O.]

They were the greatest generation! When I hear the "Make America Great Again" statement I always think of those times and the sacrifices they went thru to make America what it is.

One reason it pisses me off when people get so offended and butt hurt by that.

This. Couldn't agree more.

[aikiman44]

There’s an HBO doc tonight on the WWII bomber crews.

[AtomicTom]

Yes we salute you, and can never ever thank you enough !!!

[demer03]

Both my grandfathers. One was in Europe and the other was in China/Burma.

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[matt.wu]

Thanks to all those who saved our ass!

They were the greatest generation! When I hear the "Make America Great Again" statement I always think of those times and the sacrifices they went thru to make America what it is.

One reason it pisses me off when people get so offended and butt hurt by that.

I would imagine many people find the phrase stupid because they believe America has never stopped being great.

That's probably a big part of it, but I think the primary reason is that it paints an overly rosy picture of the past at the expense of a lot of egregious (often systemic) injustice.

There is a lot of America built on the backs of those who didn't get to reap the rewards of the resulting "greatness". So if you only think about the sacrifices that those in the military made, I can see how you think the statement is not offensive. But if you think about reality (whether actual law or cultural norm) of many groups of people at that time (minorities, women, non-Christian religious groups, homosexuals, mentally ill, poor, immigrants, etc...), then the US of 75 years ago was far, far more horrible than the US of today.

I don't necessarily find the statement overtly offensive, because I understand the sentiment that some are recalling. But you HAVE to acknowledge legitimacy in others' offense because of the ignorance of a blanket statement like "MAGA". It's part of the problem with being satisfied with slogans and tweets as the entirety of a stance.

Regardless of all that tangential discussion, I'm absolutely thankful for the sacrifices made by those we are remembering today (from all nations). That sort of principled courage is nearly unimaginable.

[JBZ]

Thanks to all those who saved our ass!

They were the greatest generation! When I hear the "Make America Great Again" statement I always think of those times and the sacrifices they went thru to make America what it is.

One reason it pisses me off when people get so offended and butt hurt by that.

I would imagine many people find the phrase stupid because they believe America has never stopped being great.

That's probably a big part of it, but I think the primary reason is that it paints an overly rosy picture of the past at the expense of a lot of egregious (often systemic) injustice.

There is a lot of America built on the backs of those who didn't get to reap the rewards of the resulting "greatness". So if you only think about the sacrifices that those in the military made, I can see how you think the statement is not offensive. But if you think about reality (whether actual law or cultural norm) of many groups of people at that time (minorities, women, non-Christian religious groups, homosexuals, mentally ill, poor, immigrants, etc...), then the US of 75 years ago was far, far more horrible than the US of today.

I don't necessarily find the statement overtly offensive, because I understand the sentiment that some are recalling. But you HAVE to acknowledge legitimacy in others' offense because of the ignorance of a blanket statement like "MAGA". It's part of the problem with being satisfied with slogans and tweets as the entirety of a stance.

Regardless of all that tangential discussion, I'm absolutely thankful for the sacrifices made by those we are remembering today (from all nations). That sort of principled courage is nearly unimaginable.

A big +1 to all of this. Well said.

[sierra11b]

Thanks to all those who saved our ass!

They were the greatest generation! When I hear the "Make America Great Again" statement I always think of those times and the sacrifices they went thru to make America what it is.

One reason it pisses me off when people get so offended and butt hurt by that.

I would imagine many people find the phrase stupid because they believe America has never stopped being great.

There is a lot of America built on the backs of those who didn't get to reap the rewards of the resulting "greatness". So if you only think about the sacrifices that those in the military made, I can see how you think the statement is not offensive.

Yeah that's it... Whenever I decide to not wear my MAGA hat in California it's because I think Californians already know it's great and not because I fear of a mob like attack for having worn the hat. I think of MAGA as a cry for national pride. Nationalism might as well be a four letter word today which is a shame and might someday cost us dearly if we face serious opposition on a global scale.

Some of those WWII veterans were African Americans part of segregated all black units. I had the privilege of meeting men of the 555th triple nickel and all loved this country immensely. A lot of them continued their time to serve in integrated airborne units during the Korean war and later on their own free will.

Check out last surviving black D-day veteran Johnnie Jones Sr 98yo... Guy only knew an America that took his civil liberties for granted and he and his fellow soldiers did the job anyway because it needed doing. Most couldn’t even swim including him and they fought on that beach without fear of drowning or gun fire. The survivors knew they were headed back to an America that still didn’t view them as equal and yet he would have done it all over again. There’s not a snowballs chance in hell we’ll ever have an America like that again hence MAGA... but that’s just my interpretation of the term.

[aikiman44]

Thanks for the solid posts.

[jimyritz]

Words can not communicate the respect.

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This

[Steve O.]

There’s not a snowballs chance in hell we’ll ever have an America like that again hence MAGA... but that’s just my interpretation of the term.

Mine as well. It may sound overly sentimental, but if the men and women who fought WWII 75+ years ago didn't do what they had to, we'd be living in a much different world.

My Grandfather flew a B-25 Mitchell in the South Pacific, and his brother was a tail gunner on a B-17 in Europe. Neither spoke much about the war. That's just how they were.

[59yukon01]

^^^I can't keep but think the generation today would have to stop and post selfies while storming the beach.

[JDC222]

[Honeybadger]

Words can not communicate the respect.

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This

Amen to this.....My Grandfather landed on Utah Beach 75 years ago today as a 34 year old Sergeant with the 90th Infantry Division, the Tough Ombres. His transport vessel, the USS Susan B Anthony struck a mine and sunk on approach. Everyone on board made it off, but none of them were armed. They had to hit the beach and find a weapon from the amongst the fallen. I can’t even begin to imagine what he went through on that day. The bravery and sacrifice exhibited by him and all those men and boys leave me in awe and must never be forgotten.


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[River Rat]

They were the greatest generation. Here are a few photo's of my Dad.



He was 16 when he joined the US Navy was a ball turret gunner and flight engineer on avenger torpedo aircraft and served in WW2, Korea and Vietnam . In WW2 8% of the US enlisted in time of war. Today it's 1% of the us population serve even though are population is bigger. We were greater then than now since some one brought that up they had more patriotism then than now due to low enlistment in todays military. What amazed me was my dad was not the only one to lie about there age to enlist and the same thing happen in WW1. I got my first real job when I got off active duty hired by a WW2 vet. One of my JR. High School teacher was in the battle of the bulge growing up every buddy dads were WW2 vets sad they are passing away my Dad passed away some years ago todays generation could learn from these vets like I did. I remember when my brother enlisted in the Navy Vietnam was slowing down and all his friends and him just enlisted in the Navy my brother sort of followed my dad he was 17 with a parents consent you could join that young then plus no high school diploma needed now that's a different story. Me at 22 later in life. From those WW2 vets we learned to serve. They were the greatest generation and gave us the free world we have to day and as one WW2 vet said Freedom is not free.