Here's to Moose and Vee, who are taking in the sites today in Normandy, the 64th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in northern France on June 6, 1944. We look forward to your stories, impressions, feelings and photographs. Here's to the opportunity for two of our forum members to meet for the first time in person.
Here's to everyone who took part in that infamous day 6 decades ago, and especially to those who gave their own lives so unselfishly, so all those who followed could live as free men and women today.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Vee, when I woke up this morning, I thought it appropriate to drink from the coffee cup you sent me. Here's a photo of it.
St Mere Eglise
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Thankfully there are certain days in the American calendar that honors those who fought in WWII. The unfortunate side effect of the D-Day invasion being one of the most prominent is that all other d-days seem to have been forgotten by people today. So today I would like to not only honor those who charged the MG-42's and 88's of the Norman bluffs but also those who landed, fought, and sometimes fell on all d-days during the war. It is our good fortune that we have several of those men as regular contributors here. So here's to Joe of the 3rd (Nous Resterons LÃ !) and Roque of the 34th (Attack, Attack, Attack!) who were there a whole 20 months before most of those landing on those awful Normandy beaches (with the major exceptions of the Big Red One, 82nd Airborne, and Rangers.) As for the other WWII veterans we have in the forum, please don't take offense if I do not mention your name here. I know we have SgtLeo, Chucktoo, alkincer, and of course PapaArt to name a few - I just don't know your story as well.
So here's to all who got their feet wet (or jumped out of a perfectly good airplane toward people shooting at them) in invasions across the globe from 41-45. And one more special toast to the Marines and sailors at Inchon - that other invasion in the Forgotten War.
Well stated Capt. As you will see reiterated throughout the pages of this forum, I and may others always try to emphasize that there were dozens and dozens of D-Days in WWII. It's almost a slap in the face for the other veterans who were in Europe in 42, 43 and earlier in 44! What about D-Day - North Africa?? What about D-Day - Sicily?? What about D-Day Guadalcanal??
Too many people have the impression that America ARRIVED in Europe for the first time in June 44? Wow, that irks the hell out of me! No disrespect to the gallant men who landed that day and in the successive days (all war is hell), but men like my father's unit, had already fought for almost two years prior to that!
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Oh come on! We know what it was really like at Anzio:
On a separate note - do you know what the Google Doodle is today? Noooo! Nothing about D-Day. It is about Diego Velázquez, a 17th century painter. Don't mean to take away anything from the accomplished painter, but I can think of plenty of other painters they don't do doodles for. They had to pick today to do that? Yeah it's his birthday, but his paintings would probably be in some Nazi vault if not for D-Day and other WWII offensives going on in the mid-40's.
Every June 6th my Dad would wait till we were all at the kitchen table for breakfast and intone: "D-Day the 6th of June". It was truly his prayer for those who'd been there.
Now I say it out loud every June 6th, but also on Sept 9th for Salerno, Jan 21 for Anzio, and Aug 15th for Southern France. As M1 said - there were dozens of "D Days" in WWII.
Many men lost there lives on those days, many men suffered.
Right now on The History Channel "Ten Days to D-Day" for those (like me) who are interested. It will be repeated in the afternoon. June 6th has always been a day to remember, but that doesn't take away from all the other D-Days of WWII, such as the places mentioned in above posts. I think because of the anticipation of the liberation of Europe and all the cooperation it involved this day will always receive more recognition than the others.
Dogdaddy
ps- I am deeply envious of Moose & Co. who are in Normandy today!
Here's an email from Capt John Fallon. It's like he read our minds on this post...
How interesting! I asked Google about D Day and all they can talk about is Normandy on June 6th. I then asked about D Day+ Africa+ 3rd Inf Div and they still came up with June 6th in Normandy My local paper says that today we celebrate the invasion of Europe so I guess you can forget about Italy, it is probably not in Europe.
36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.
Marion J Chard
Proud Daughter of Walter (Monday) Poniedzialek
540th Engineer Combat Regiment, 2833rd Bn, H&S Co, 4th Platoon
There's "No Bridge Too Far"
Here is a list of D-Days I put together for a paper I was working on. Let us not forget Dieppe on 19 August, 1942 (12 after the Guadalcanal landings) as well. It didn't get much worse than that.
One thing I just noticed - the Normandy landings weren't on the list because it was a comparison of the Overlord Landings and other landings in the Med and Pacific. Also, there may have been mistakes/omissions in the units in the consolidation process. Forgive me if your unit was left out! There just notes after all!
Just noticed another goof. Any serious student of WWII would know that Iwo Jima was part of the Bonin Islands and not the Ryukyu chain. I guess I hit Paste once too many.
