70th anniversary of D-Day

[deeder]

Maybe old fashioned but I have always a special thought for all the braves that came here to give back to us the freedom a certain 6 of June.
I still have my grand-father’s house in Normandy I rent each year to an American’s family for some kind of pilgrimage, the Colton’s from Cincinnati are here for two weeks and they are very cool too.

[John_P_WI]

Yes, much respect and gratitude should be given to our father's and grandfather's generation which is quickly becoming lost and forgotten.

Thank you for your post Deeder.

[martin manning]

A la tienne!

[vibratoking]

I have a lot of respect for the greatest generation. They were toughened by the depression and had a significant cause to live and die for. That generation was truly forged by the times in which they lived. Interesting that many of them hardly ever spoke of those times - including my father. Yes, cheers to them all.

[M Fowler]

I have a lot respect for our WWII veterans and do what I can to educate people on the sacrifice they gave along with the freedom we enjoy.

deeder your doing a great service for the visitor's.

[deeder]

It is the least I can do for the memory and I'm very proud of it dear cousins.

[DenDanger]

Theirs was the greatest generation!
Much respect to them and their memory

Denny

[Teleguy61]

PBS has had a tremendous series of shows leading up to Memorial Day and D-Day anniversary.
They make the point repeatedly that 600 WWII vets are dying each day.
We must remember them, and listen to their stories, and never forget.
"Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it."

[Leo_Gnardo]

Major credits also to the Resistance, in France, Belgium, Holland and other places. Thousands of small operations most of which went unrecorded. Source of valuable information. Saved many airmen, soldiers and sailors.

Heard a broadcast from BBC earlier today, they left out mention of Canadian forces on D-day. I won't. Canada's fighters were vital to the effort, without a doubt.

Thank you deeder! And thanks to your friends who also remember.

[John_P_WI]

600 WWII vets are dying each day.
We must remember them, and listen to their stories, and never forget.
"

I lost an uncle last year and one this April, both veterans and had both served in the Pacific theater. Another passed several years ago and was a submariner. My father is 88, there are not too many left. As it was mentioned previously, they were (are) a stoic group and said little of the involvement - mostly said "War is Hell"... After a few glasses of Scotch, maybe just maybe, the uncle I lost last year would talk about being a Navy gunner under attack to a swarm of Kamikazes. Yes, the Hell that we and younger generations cannot imagine nor the volume of death.

Again, thank you to the greatest generation, Allies, and our freedom - may it not be squandered.

[deeder]

Hopefully today we are Brothers in Amps!

[briane]

Had a grandfather over fighting in the area for us back then.

One night he opened up to me and I got a lot of crazy stories - hiding in swamps and under outhouses for days on end- head smashing and other nasty stuff......

pretty sure Im the only one he ever told the stories to.

[Structo]

Yes when you figure the average age for a GI was around 20.

Young men and women wanted to serve their country.

I can't imagine the sacrifice they made when enlisting or drafted.

They gave their all and saved the world.

Not all went well on D-Day but they persevered and triumphed over the Axis evil.

[LeftyStrat]

My grandfather died serving in the Navy during WWII. I envy those who get to listen to their grandfather's stories. Treasure them while you can.

[David Root]

My father tested plastic explosives for the Royal Navy in the English Channel during the day and tossed firebombs off old ladies beds in the evening air raids on Portsmouth.

Before the war he lived and worked in Brussels from 1933 to 1938. In the fall of '38 he returned to England because he knew war was coming and as a British citizen he didn't want to be interned by the Nazis (or worse).

I still have his passport and the engraved sterling silver cedar lined cigarette box and big ol' Ronson lighter his colleagues gave him before he returned to England.

He didn't talk a lot about it, but I do recall he thought the sun shone out Churchill's arse (sic) 24 hours a day. I think he was pretty much right about that.