81 Years Ago - The Greatest Sacrifice D-Day

[Irish#1]

81 years ago today the greatest military invasion ever began. Estimated 10,000 ally casualties with over 4,000 dead. Over 160,000 troops. Bless all who sacrificed.

 

[SeekNDestroy]

I can’t even imagine the courage it took to run right at the enemy like they did. Thank you to those brave men.

 

[AKRowdy]

Just visited Normandy a couple weeks ago. Always have had the upmost respect and gratitude to that generation. After being there on that beach/ in that cemetery realizing the sacrifices that went into keeping us a free world, today is much more emotional. Never been to a place like that in my life. Something I cannot put into words.

 

[Irish#1]

As much as we respect those brave men and read about their exploits, I don't think any of us can ever truly understand what they were thinking, felt and went through.

Found out after his death, my FIL was in one of the gliders on D-Day. Crashed behind the German lines.

 

[Henges24]

A buddy a mine’s grandfather was on the first wave of boats to hit the beach. Pretty astounding he was able to come back home.

 

[50milesSE ND]

When men were men!

 

[CanadalovesND]

My late Great-Grandfather fought at Juno at the ripe young age of 19. He was part of the Queens Own Rifles of Canada that landed at Bernienes on the morning of June 6.

He shared a bit of his tales as I got older and before he passed. Their section of the beach primarily was left undented from the pre-landing bombardment. He told me that he was the fifth man out of his landing craft, with the first two comrades getting hit immediately as the ramp went down, the other two in front maybe only made it a few feet out of the craft before they too were hit.

Kind of lucky and eery in a way, but he told me with such a dead stare that the only reason he didn’t get hit in that moment was due to him tripping over his dead friends in front of him. In his words, “I somehow made it off that beach and into the town without a scratch”

He was good man. Was later wounded in Holland and spent the final months of the war in a hospital in England. He returned home, raised a family, and a successful in the concrete industry in the Toronto area for most of his life.

Today I remember his sacrifice.

 

[gregm83]

watched saving private ryan on memorial day. My wife has never seen it. Might be the most upset I have been with her in a very long time. Told her 100% chance I would have shit myself seeing the carnage.

 

[rikkitikki08]

Never forget, both of my grandfathers fought in the European theater.

D-Day is single handedly the most impressive logistics invasion this country will ever see

 

[laughingirish92]

we fought that world war part because some scumbags in Germany hated jews and now unfortunately we have as much hate for jews as ever around the world that needs to end

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

Went to Normandy and took a Band of Brothers tour through there. The beauty and serenity of the place gave me a sense of an idea of what this place was. Left with an eery feeling. So many battles amongst the invasion itself really stood out to me. I was a paratrooper at the time and it really paid homage to the horrors of what those young guys felt at the time. Walking through the American cemetery there was a special tribute to many of the fallen heroes. Both my grandparents fought in WW2. One landed during DDay's initial invasion and the other flew C47s in the United States Army Air Corps. For me, it gave me a profound sense of understanding their sacrifices were for and how it came to be. Imagine how life would be different today had the Nazis succeeded!

 

[Bishop2b5]

I've mentioned it before, but a man I grew up around - he was a deacon at my parents' church and one of the two or three men I most admired and respected in my life - was one of the guys who jumped into Normandy during the night before the landings and was part of the group who climbed the cliffs to take out the gun batteries. Just a 20-year-old kid at the time.

 

[ACamp1900]

Both grandfathers were active in Europe, both army air core… neither said a word about anything and my maternal passed just a couple years ago. My dad’s dad died in the 80s. So I’ve heard we can request records but as far as what my family knows now in terms of what engagements either took part in,… 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

 

[laughingirish92]

maybe a tad off topic but anybody gonna watch or be at the military parade coming up to celebrate the military

 

[Huntr]

Both grandfathers were active in Europe, both army air core… neither said a word about anything and my maternal passed just a couple years ago. My dad’s dad died in the 80s. So I’ve heard we can request records but as far as what my family knows now in terms of what engagements either took part in,… 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Request Military Service Records

Veterans and their next of kin can get FREE copies of their DD 214, and other military service records including Official Military Personnel File (OMPF), Replacement Medals, and Medical and Health Records.

www.archives.gov

 

[Katzenboyer]

The Greatest Generation.

 

[Irish#1]

Both grandfathers were active in Europe, both army air core… neither said a word about anything and my maternal passed just a couple years ago. My dad’s dad died in the 80s. So I’ve heard we can request records but as far as what my family knows now in terms of what engagements either took part in,… 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Seems most didn’t want to talk about it. We learned so much after my FIL passed as we went through his belongings.

 

[SeekNDestroy]

Seems most didn’t want to talk about it. We learned so much after my FIL passed as we went through his belongings.

The parents and older siblings of the Silent Generation. My mom found out after her dad died that she had an aunt that died in childhood.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

They truly were the greatest generation. The free world exists due to their courage, bravery and sacrifice.

 

[Irish#1]

Came across this.