Normandy, the day of days, rememeber it

[ArmyJerry]

Normandy today






Two relatives graves, killed dark morning of the6th, hours apart in St Mere Elise, one killed after landing inside town one outside town attacking it. The guys are buried by the times they were killed they are buried only a few rows apart. If you ever go over to France, skip Paris and go to the Normandy coast.




I've been there, also been to South Hampton UK where most of these guys who landed boarded their vessels to make the crossing. My friend Ashley Jenkins from South Hampton took my to this brick garden wall along this road close to the loading docks in a neighborhood, the guys had to wait along this wall for a day or two to let weather clear to begin boarding.Well GI's being GI's, getting bored with the hurry up and wait, all their gear guns and ammo standing there for a day or two pulled their bayonets and carved their names and states in this red brick wall. I walked the wall, the residents have kept it whole as it was that rainy morning, thousands and thousands of names and home states carved in that wall. I couldn't help but wonder how many of those dudes were killed hours later on the sandy beaches running into machine gun fire. That same summer I flew to Frankfurt and rented a Harley, I rode all of West Europe, from Germany to Italy and then over to Normandy. When I looked at the landing beaches in Normandy I got pissed, the beach is actually close to a mile long run up to the berms and bunkers they had to knock out. I got pissed and still am pissed these guys were sent into the slaughter like they were. WTF was Eisenhower thinking. I am an old soldier and understand sometimes you have to shed a lot of blood to win, but hell man, they should have thought this through a bit better, pick a less defended or shorter beach. Iwillsay this in closing, if you ever go to visit France you really have to go to the Normandy coast line to see what France is really like,you will be surprised how much respect the French have and show for America and Americans.Paris is not representative of France.

 

[Maggot]

I have often wonder the same thing. What the fuck was Ike thinking.

I grew up near the little town of Bedford Virginia. They put all the guys from Bedford in one landing boat. It got hit by an artillery shell while landing. Bedford had the highest casualty rate of any place for the landing. Google " Home- National D Day Memorial" and if your ever in the area stop bye.

National D-Day Memorial - YouTube

Interestingly enough each Christmas Bedford also has a famous Christmas light display at the Elks home there.

 

[DocUSMCRetired]

70th Anniversary at that. But God Bless the courage those guys showed, and the power our nation showed when it can stand united. A lot of brave men didn't come home that day, but they certainly showed us what strength and courage is.

 

[FS1]

D Day is very much a example of the courage men can show. We owe them our freedom. The largest amphibious invasion of all time gets most of the press no doubt. But let us not forget by the time of D-Day just as many or more Marines had died in the Pacific invasions.

When ever I hear D-Day, my mind always goes to the Pacific too.

 

[Phil1]

D Day is very much a example of the courage men can show. We owe them our freedom. The largest amphibious invasion of all time gets most of the press no doubt. But let us not forget by the time of D-Day just as many or more Marines had died in the Pacific invasions.

When ever I hear D-Day, my mind always goes to the Pacific too.

and the air war Europe, the battles of the N. Atlantic, Africa, Russian front, Kursk, etc.

British dead in WW1 Battle of the Somme, in one day 19,200.

Battle of Okinawa over 14,000 KIA.

Total Allied KIA D. Day invasion, 4,400.

At least D.Day accomplished something.

 

[TOP PREDATOR]

i found this to be eye opening, can't possibly imagine what those beaches where like

The Fallen 9000

true heroes back then, today, and tomorrow

 

[EddieNFL]

Saw an news clip earlier: "British WWII vet missing from nursing home found at D-Day events in France." What a generation!

 

[Mustafa]

As horrible as the conditions on the Normandy coast were for a landing, they were the best of the bad options. They attacked at low tide because of all the "hedgehogs" and anti-landing craft obstacles that would have sunk/blown up the landing craft full of soldiers. They chose the day because the weather was bad enough that the Germans didn't think they would come. They spent a lot of time, energy, and thought into tricking the Germans into thinking the REAL attack would come at a different location. Check out some of the pictures of the fields above the beaches to see the massive craters from naval bombardment. The list goes on, but the long and short of it is, the allied commanders did everything they could to make the landings possible. As pointed out by FS1 and Phil1, the Pacific landings were often much bloodier because the same kinds of preparations weren't possible. WWII was full of "best bad decisions" and the men that made those decisions successful are forever deserving of our thanks.

 

[ArmyJerry]

I don't buy that they did all they could, I been in the fields above, the bombing wasn't that effective. Just a FYI to the Marines, the Army was there with you guys on most of the landings in the Pacific, and I hate to be controversial but the Army has more Amphib operations under its belt than the Marines, mainly due to the small size of the USMC historically.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

What chokes me the MOST about the D-Day landings, is all of the lives lost (Infantry and Tankers) because of the Naval Captain that kicked out all of the "floating Shermans" about 4 miles TOO FAR out to sea. They all sunk, ergo all the Tankers drowned, and even worse,,,, there was approximately 27 Sherman Tanks laying at the bottom of the sea, as opposed to covering the soldiers on the beach AND taking out obstacles/concertina wire/using their guns, and everything.

All told, simply because that ONE Naval Captain didn't want to come any closer to the beach, so he booted 'em all out WAY TOO SOON.

I learned of this years ago,,, and it's been burning in the back of my consciousness ever since. 1 Grandfather, and 3 Great-Uncles were on that beach. Grandfather was wounded on that beach.

 

[Sharpsman]

The REAL CF came about because due to weather conditions and timing.....the Army/Air Force couldn't drop their bombs on the beaches because of very low cloud cover plus the fact that either the landing was started too early by the landing force or the bombers were too late arriving and for fear of killing our landing force the aircraft were ordered instead to move inland and drop their ordnance! Without any doubts, if everything had gone according to plan...our troops would have had bomb craters to help them survive and many of the gun emplacements would have been destroyed. As it was....it was a 'turkey shoot' for the Krauts!!