June 6, 1944

I'm surprised that no one has yet mentioned the D-Day landing anniversary. Would have thought UDog would have been all over that.

I stumbled into a YouTube video the other day that was worth watching. Charles Durning, a long-time character actor in Hollywood, was recounting some of his D-Day experiences. The most unforgettable thing he said that the soldiers on the beach who realized they were mortally wounded were stacking themselves up as shields for their brother soldiers. Durning went on to win a Silver Star and three purple hearts.

I had a an older friend who died last year who was there. He went in at Utah Beach with the combat engineers (they go in first.) Another friend still living was flying overhead on bombing runs. When he goes I won't know any more WWII vets.

I don't think anybody mentioned Billy Joe McAlister on the third of June either.

Oh right. The radio station was all over that the other day. Classic.

Some people make jokes about everything. My dad was there. He turned 95 in January. I never heard him tell any jokes about it.

I didn't hear it on the local "country classic" station. I was disappointed. Danged automated radio anyway.

I wish every American could go to Normandy beach and see with their own eyes what the brave men actually did that day. It is a place that MOVES YOU it seems like the men's sprits are still there. IF you can keep dry eye there you have no heart.

Brother was a tail gunner on a B24. Wasn't many of his bunch came back. Group started with 15 planes and only 3 left on "D" day.

JD this sayes it all.
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Thanks for the post.

Havent heard anything on tv news stations today. Guess doesn't mean anything to younger bunch.

I read a story from a group of soldiers that went to find there buddys that were killed when they were shot down. The towns in Germany and Belguim take care of the graves and put flowers on they weekly. That is a lot more than is done here. Where I was stationed at in Germany there was a cemetary that were all americans that was shot done during the war. The town there was flatened during the war

I always remember D-Day. It's also the Wife/Boss and my wedding anniversary. 23 years today. Best thing I ever did.

Also remember December 7th too....

Bill

No it dont mean anything to them at all. If it did they wouldnt act as stupid as they do today.

My grandfather drove a landing craft there, a "duck" was it called? Unfortunately I never got to hear as many of his stories as I wanted as he died on my 12th birthday when he took me fishing. Somehow he survived driving that landing craft. I'm a younger man, and I think it's BS that younger people don't think about D-Day, most just don't care. I wish I would have heard more stories about it from him. I love nothing more than WW2 movies/documentaries, I search them out online, and I love to read books and articles about them. Always read the ones some of the guys here post. I was just thinking the other day that I haven't known any WW2 vets in a long time, so I looked it up. The figures I found said that of the 16 million US soldiers that served in WW2, only 885,000 or so are still alive, and we are losing almost 500 each day. It was stated that in 5 years there will only be around 85,000 left. This really weighs on me as once they are gone, so are their personal stories. Last WW2 vet I talked to told me a very interesting story about fighting in the Black Forest, which I believe he said he was in Germany. I also like WW1 stuff, but that stuff is even tougher to find. God Bless all the soldiers and remember those today that were there at D-Day.

Ross

We are going there next month. I have wanted to see this for my self for many years. Salute for all veterans.

Today's kids are taught "tolerance & acceptance" of anything/anyone/any lifestyle, etc. You are not, above all, be judgmental. Therefore everything is acceptable. Any behavior, immoral, deviate, whatever.
So if those teachings had been in effect before 1939, Hitler could have been left alone to accomplish his goals.

Agree. My daughter is a teacher and she sticks that quotation in my face repeatedly. Now she isn't speaking to me because I don't see
her see her side of the story. But that's ok. I don't have to put up with her mouth!

Dont know about todays youth. Spent some chest swelling, damp eye time at our local cemetery with the comrads of a local boy who gave the ultimate sacrafice for them during a fire fight in Vietnam. Commanded an armored personal carrier. I dont know, but I guess the Commander was the one who manned the gun position on top. He had another APC disabled and pinned down, so he had his driver move into position between them and the VC. Held VC off while the boys got their unit mobil again. Meantime taking a hit on his unit wounding his driver. He then pulled his driver out and carried him to the other APC and THEN RETURNED to his gun and continued to DEFEND HIS POSITION until every one else could retreat.
Yesturday was the first time all survivors of the group were together again and laid a wreath on Sgt. Dan Peterson's grave. A REAL HERO.

I'm of the younger bunch (if you consider 30 to still be young) and I might be an exception, but it means a lot to me. Busy day yesterday but I stopped to have a drink at the local watering hole and toasted the greatest generation and those who arrived on the beaches of Normandy 71 years ago beginning the liberation of Europe. I often stop and think of what those guys had to endure, in all wars really. Someone mentioned visiting the beaches and that is something I would like to do someday.