August 10th - Date to remember

[Walt's Daughter]

Well thank goodness I have my buddies, for sometimes I do not know where my head is!

 

I received the following email from Richard Fietz last night and wanted to post it here. Yup it's the anniversary of the invasion of southern, France. As I call it, the one that NO ONE CARES ABOUT. I'm sure the boys that landed that day, and the navy that accompanied them did not share those views. Nor the people of southern France who were very grateful that we were there.

 

Here's Dick's note:

Dear Marion,

 

Just a reminder: Today is the 63rd anniversary of the landing in Southern France of the troops who really won the battle for Europe. Without the port of Marseille, the entire effort in the north of France would have failed.

 

Dick Fietz

 

I wrote back to him and said how grateful I was for the reminder, and told him how ironic it was because I always received the reminder from Al Kincer, but alas, Al is very ill, so no note.

 

Told him it was a very good point. No one EVER talks about the southern landing. It's as if it never occurred or was of little importance.

 

Went on to say that I think the same way as you. You had to have men at both fronts to stem the Nazi tide. Our boys pushed their way north, while the others pushed their way south and east. We had to have both in order for it to succeed.

 

So here's to ALL the men involved in the invasion and to ALL they accomplished from that day forward. Think of every battle and encounter that the the 7th Arrmy and VI Corps were involved in from August 15th through the end of the war! Nothing small or unimportant about it. Without it, 1944 and 1945 would have been very different years, and one very likely consequence of it NOT occurring, would have been the extension of the war far beyond May of 1945. Think about it!

 

Once again, thanks Dick for sending that email. It was a very good way to start my day. Here's to you buddy!