Photos For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

[BasraBoy]

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.


Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

 

[sr15match]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Traveling along that part of France is truely breath taking. It's something you never forget.

 

[malaga2]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Excellent posting....

 

[Graham]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

It was not so long ago. There is still debris to be found on the beaches and in the water. The scale of the operation must have been truly massive... and the dates on the grave stones: so many of them in their late teens and early twenties.

Perhaps we should think about their sacrifice when we get tempted to complain about the inconveniences of modern living - like being annoyed at being put on hold, or not being able to afford the next rifle we want.

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

This was a trip made with my son last week in memory of his grandfather who died last year. He went in in the first wave on 6th June and fought through to the end of the war including the Battle of the Bulge. He had always wanted to take his grandson back to Normandy but sadly was too ill to do this last year.

In memoriam Fusilier R.W.G Smith 1926-2008

 

[Graham]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Europe understand war, and sacrifice, like no other family of nations. Unfortunately, this is because it also knows over nine hundred years of deep-rooted hatreds. Humans change slowly. Societies change even slower. The jury is still out on whether the cost in lives is out of proportion to the change for the better.

My friend's uncle was raised on a farm here in Michigan. War broke out and at age 17 he joined-up one day with his buddies, on a dare. He ended up flying P-51's over Berlin escorting bombing runs. He said that on one mission he heard a loud bang, looked down, and saw a hole where a shell had come clean through both sides of his aircraft - and thankfully not exploded. He did fifteen more missions, got three 'kills' in air-to-air combat, then returned to the farm. He raised pheasants to the end of his days, which was, also, last year.

Today we want everything, and we want it now as a matter of right. In contrast, it still amazes me that our gradfathers' generation could go off to war, be forced to fight it until it was over, then return to the farm without so much as a murmur of complaint. Maybe through their suffering they discovered something about the value of life, and of peace, that many of us have not yet learned.

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Whether it is the sacrifice of our fathers' generation or that being made today by young people in Iraq and Afghanistan, all veterans and serving members of all our forces demand our utmost respect and thanks for their sacrifice and example to others.

 

[Graham]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Absolutely. And it's important that we never forget, so I thank you for this thread.

Generations move in cycles. Because of the sacrifice of people like your grandfather my generation was fortunate enough to never be made to go to war.

Meanwhile, real real change in society takes place in both directions at the same time. Today there is among us a new generation of selfless heroes, willing to sacrifice themselves and their personal desires for the good of others. That generation exists side-by-side with those who choose to remain at the mall.

Both my grandfathers served in WWII. One, whose only skill was stoking boilers with coal, ended up a cook in the Canadian Army. Old cooks are like old country singers and old painters: their voice and their canvas improves with time. In the years following his death I have yet to taste a better beef stew.

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Thanks Graham.

Let's hope that the future of both our nations rests with those with the courage and selflessness to stand up and be counted regardless of the personal cost, rather than with those who stay at the mall and whose sole preoccupation is the lining of their own pockets at the expense of others.......

 

[Dave inVA]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'">BasraBoy
Thanks for the post. My father went in on Omaha Beach that 6th day of June. He also made it through to the end of the European theater and was on a ship headed to the Pacific when they dropped the bombs on Japan.
He never would talk about the war except when he and some that were there got really drunk.
For those of us who have served but were fortunate enough to have never been in combat it is hard to comprehend the horrors of war.
I finally came to some level of understanding when I saw Saving Private Ryan.

That movie in it's UNCUT version should be required viewing at least twice by EVERY High School kid in this county to remind them what the cost of their freedom REALLY is.
Freedom certainly is </span>not free!!!</span>!
Thanks Again
Dave </span>

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

The picture of the crosses is the American Cemetery at Omaha, the other is the British Cemetery at Bayeux. The first picture is the Longues-sur-Mer Battery mid way between both.

To walk along both Omaha and Sword beaches in the early morning was a humbling experience.

Like many who were there and survived, RWG was haunted by the memories for the rest of his life and found it difficult to talk to even his nearest kin of what he had witnessed. A modest and unassuming man, we have only come to learn more of his deeds after his passing.

 

[7mmRM]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Excellent post, Sir!

 

[Arch]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Resonates....

 

[MountainRogue]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

That is a generation of men that will never be duplicated.

 

[Bradley]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

This thread gave me chills!

God bless America and all of our fighting men and women!

Thank you for sharing!

 

[SOC308]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Those guys are true Heroes. I wept when i was there, seeing that in person will make any man weak in the knees and humble him. Its horrid to imagine the true hell these men (most were just 18-20 yr old) went through and the sacrifice they made to liberate the others.

 

[sr15match]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

It reminds me of my grandfather. He was in the 101st and jumped that faithful day. Surviving that, continuing on in the war to jump again in Holland only to get hit by flack. He made it thru and like many, never said anything or talked about his time in Europe until just a few years ago. He spoke mostly to my son (his great grandson) as he would ask politely and listen intently showing great interest. It made my grandmother nervous as she didn't want past issues to resurface. My grandfather was years putting things behind him and getting on with life after the war.

My grandfather just celebrated his 90th birthday on the 31st of May. It gives me goose bumps to even think about the sacrifice.

 

[thumper49802]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

the greatest generation...

 

[jps2]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

We, the Europeans have to thanks the people of USA and Commonwealth of Nations for their assistance against a criminal ideology, TWICE times.

Never forget,
Never give up.

------------------------------
Regards
JpS

 

[eddief]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

Currahee!!!!!!!!!!!

In honor of my grandfather who was in the original 82nd then to the 101st airborne 506th PIR combat medic, and to all of our WWII vetrans that served!!

 

[338LM]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

JpS,
America also owes a lot of thanks to the French and Spanish Navies, so that we could gain our independence during the American Revolutionary War. France was not in any kind of financial position at the time to help us, but they still decided to give us aid, Naval support, and some ground support.
In honor to all who fought and sacrificed, all the way back to America's birth.

 

[LNO1]

Re: For the Fallen - Normandy 2009

I totally agree and yet challenge myself and 2 boys to do our best trying.