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God bless all that fought, lived and passed.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...28311007-1.jpg
S.L.A. Marshall:
"Their story is lifted from my fading Normandy notebook, which covers the landing of every Omaha company."
Here is a good read, Now after true facts were put together. Read about Able and Baker Companies 116th Infantry, 29th Division. During the First Wave on Omaha Beach.
Timing and luck was a major factor.
Story Link: First Wave at Omaha Beach - The Atlantic
We stand on the shoulders of giants who each with their sacrifices large or small all those years ago provided us with the comforts and freedom most of us enjoy today. Were they better than us? I don't know but I believe they were tougher as a rule. Days like today I miss the ones I was fortunate enough to know. I only wish I had paid more attention and asked more questions.
I'm going to preface this statement with a couple things.Quote:
Originally Posted by HOOKED ON HISTORY
1. I know it sounds a bit silly.
2. I'm 6'4" and 250 pounds.
I look at Mark's Garand Pictures of the Day and I'm always amazed at how svelte the Garand looks in the hands of these men. It looks light, proportionate, and almost small!
On the other hand, when I handle my Garand, it's weighty, it seems giant, and it's definitely not small.
I guess I'm feeling the history because in the hands of those giants, often less than 20 years old, their Garands sure look smaller than mine.
I think there was a shift in the face of the battle in WWII the Allies knew who they were fighting they were either the Germans, Italians or the IJF in regards to our foes they faced the dilemma of 5th columnists & commando raids tying up resources.
The rules for engagement were different back then I mean what power in todays world would carpet bomb civilians! (Operation Point Blank.)
They had a task to do at pretty much any cost I shudder to think if the D-Day landings had not gone the way it did they deserve histories highest accolades for sticking to a most horrid task the sheer grit in knowing or seeing your buddies killed beside you when the ramp dropped and Hitlers Buzz Saws (MG42's) got to work.
No sir they like their Fathers & Grandfathers did what had to be done for the sake of Peace & Freedom for all.
"The integration of American and British bombing strategies was formalized in January 1943 at the Casablanca Conference in a directive that laid the basis for a ‘combined bomber offensive’ in preparation for the invasion of Europe and the opening of the second front. Put into effect in June 1943, Operation Pointblank, as the combined bomber offensive was eventually called, appeared critical to any successful invasion and ground campaign, since the limited Allied ground forces would require clear air superiority and would benefit from a weakened Wehrmacht."
I've been to Lexington, Concord, Monmouth Courthouse, Gettysburg, and a trip to Normandy is on my bucket list. We must never forget any of them.
Not to forget Korea, but jumped ahead to 1 day... June 6 1968 Vietnam
On this Day 50 years ago..
Virtual Vietnam Veterans Wall of Faces | The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
50 years ago today I was 7 days and a wake up from coming home from my first tour. Watching all the planes fly overhead was painfull.
I don't think there was a greatest generation. I personally feel each generation does it's duty when they go off to war. Whether it be the Dough Boys of WW1, my father's generation during WW2, Korea, mine in Vietnam, those in Desert Storm, or the men and women of today. Each puts their life on the line for our country. I salute them all.
It so happens today my salute goes to those of WW2 and their efforts on the beaches of France.
I have always been a bit leery of using the phrase because the giants shoulders we stand upon includes all those who have served.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimF4M1s
I do wonder if modern conveniences and the relative ease with which we live our lives makes us softer with the passing of time.
Which is obviously not to imply that it is universally true just generally.
Found this on another site. Interesting reading.
Attachment 93884
AZB
Powerful Assailants of Europe Get Firm Grip on Beachheads
Thousands of Airborne Troops Flank West Wall-4000 Naval Ships in Armada-LeHarve is Objective
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS, Allied Expeditionary Force (AP)-Allied forces landed in the Normandy area of Northwest France today and have thrust several miles inland against unexpectedly slight German opposition and with losses much smaller than had been anticipated.
The grand assault-scheduled for yesterday but postponed until today because of bad weather-found the highly vaunted German defenses much less formidable in every department than had been feared.
After reading this, my thoughts lead me to wonder:
Just How Many Casualties Had Been Expected ?
I found these numbers with a quick search that used The D-Day Museum as their source.
Very hard to imagine........ Worse was Expected.
Casualties on the British beaches were roughly 1000 on Gold Beach and the same number on Sword Beach. The remainder of the British losses were amongst the airborne troops: some 600 were killed or wounded, and 600 more were missing; 100 glider pilots also became casualties. The losses of 3rd Canadian Division at Juno Beach have been given as 340 killed, 574 wounded and 47 taken prisoner.
The breakdown of US casualties was 1465 dead, 3184 wounded, 1928 missing and 26 captured. Of the total US figure, 2499 casualties were from the US airborne troops (238 of them being deaths). The casualties at Utah Beach were relatively light: 197, including 60 missing. However, the US 1st and 29th Divisions together suffered around 2000 casualties at Omaha Beach.
The total German casualties on D-Day are not known, but are estimated as being between 4000 and 9000 men.
Naval losses for June 1944 included 24 warships and 35 merchantmen or auxiliaries sunk, and a further 120 vessels damaged.
Thx AZB for posting that
Feb, 2007 I was privileged to spend 2 days in Normandie and surrounding towns. Definitely was not enough time. I don't care what your political leanings are, when standing in the midst of all those graves at Colleville-sur-Mer, you can't help but be moved by the sacrifice of all the "young" people from several different countries.
The statistics vary, depending on your source, but using Cornelius Ryan's "The Longest Day", the US KIA's (1465) and MIA's (1928) for the 24 hrs of D-day; a total of 3393 Americans that lost their lives. Do the math: for 24 hours, 141 died every hour.
I have many items in my collection from various countries & wars, and I do enjoy having them, but they are just tools. The really important & valuable thing, is/ was the the people who used those to safeguard our liberty, and the unselfish price that they all paid for us.
106 in one day.I remember not thinking about getting killed much, it was pure luck anyway. We'd check the back of the Stars and stripes and look at the list of KIA and see if anyone we knew had died. There was another list "Died not as a result of hostile action ". These were the plane crashes, truck wrecks, suicides, disease, gunfights with ****ed off husbands. These guys were just as dead as the others. I just wanted out of there, I was drafted and that was the mindset for every draftee I saw, just do your time and get the hell out of that place. 6 June 68 I had been home and out of the Army for a year. 22 1/2 months with a 72 day early out. You think about what it was years later.
Dave,
Good for you, you missed 1968 and Tet. The year of the most deaths 16,899 or 29%.
I pushed my luck, my three tours had 59.5% of the deaths.
1968 (16,899 deaths) 29%, 1969 (11,780 deaths) 20%, 1970 (6,173 deaths) 10.5%.
I was very fortunate and made it home.
Guys didn't want to talk about not coming back to the world. But is was on the back of everyone's mind.
I go down to Coronado each year to honor those of my unit who gave all. And I'll admit to tearing up each time.
I admire you Jim. I never wanted to go into the Army in the first place but made a commitment to try and give it my best effort. I was the only draftee in my platoon and finished #2 in the company. I was offered SF and OCS turned them down on both but almost bit on the OCS. Luck would have it, I sat next to an Infantry Capt who had just returned from the Ia Drang and he told me "If you do this you will die" . I should have kissed him. Six months later I was in Vietnam anyway.
squad leader the whole time and got my promotions right on time. When I was leaving Capt Bell told me he'd make me a Sergeant if I reupped. I told him