June 6th 1944

[BobD]

I always wonder, would I have been brave enough to jump off one of those boats and charge that beach.

I salute those that did.

Thank you.

 

[NDBoiler]

I always wonder, would I have been brave enough to jump off one of those boats and charge that beach.

I salute those that did.

Thank you.

REPS

 

[FrankMA]

I always wonder, would I have been brave enough to jump off one of those boats and charge that beach.

I salute those that did.

Thank you.

Yes, they were indeed the greatest and bravest generation.
Thank You!

 

[Grahambo]

Gives me chills every time I see a picture like that or hear stories about D-Day. The greatest generation. The bravest generation. The best generation. I would gladly give up technology today if I could have been apart of that generation.

 

[A Pac]

It's a wonder how anyone ever got off that beach alive. Thanks to those who tried.

 

[irishpat183]

Thank God there are brave enough people to do the jobs that I'm not brave enough to do.

You're sacrifice is never taken for granted in my house.

 

[Grahambo]

 

[RDU Irish]

My in-laws just visted Normandy last week. My wife's grandfather was the only one to return from his unit. He never talked about it. I was honored to be a pall bearer and wish I could have met him before he died. A great generation for sure.

 

[phork]

You know you read about this stuff in History class and you hear about it on Rememberance Day and Memorial Day, but you can just never fathom just what happened on that day. Saving Private Ryan in all its surround sound glory gave me a small inkling.

The greatest day in history won by the greatest men in history. My hats off to all those veterans (and current). You guys are the shining examples of what the definition of a man is.

As an aside, I was at my local passport office getting my passport renewed. As I was waiting my turn to get up to the counter, a elderly gentleman with his daughter sat down next to me. He was a WWII veteran, displaying his medals on his jacket. I shook his hand, thanked him for his service and swapped my place in line so that he could get his business done.
I don't think I have ever seen a greater smile and look of appreciation in my life. Him and his daughter both thanked me and of course my reply was to say "No, thank you."

 

[domerfreak]

My grandfather was a paratrooper in wwII and the many stories that I have heard him tell still scare the crap outta me to this day and im a grown man. Now nearly 90 years young there’s still a very empty stare at times and I just know that stare is about what he witnessed. I know he will never read this, but thank you gramps and thank you for all of the sacrifices you and all military members and their families make for the rest of us.

On a different note, I have also wondered if I would have had the testies to storm that beach or jump out of an airplane dodging antiaircraft fire. The short answer is hell NO. Gramps said if you blocked the way or slowed the process you would have been pushed out of the plane or thrown over the side of a boat.

 

[ACamp1900]

Sadly I would say less than half the country even knows what this date is or why it's important... among our youth (NCLB generations) I would say it's closer to less than 25 percent...

anyway,... certainly a huge date in human history for those that care to remember. Grandpa on my father's side was involved in the airborne side...

 

[TDHeysus]

You know you read about this stuff in History class and you hear about it on Rememberance Day and Memorial Day, but you can just never fathom just what happened on that day.....

The greatest day in history won by the greatest men in history. My hats off to all those veterans (and current). You guys are the shining examples of what the definition of a man is.

I completely agree that D-Day was the most important date in the 20th century, some say the lunar landing was the most important date, but for me its D-Day, without question. As you said, if ppl really knew the details of what happened, and what those men were up against, without question it trumps any moon landing, etc.

that generation is known as 'The Greatest Generation" and "the Generation that saved the world" and I truly believe in both of those statements. FACT: america could not respond today they way it did in the 1940's; the manufacturing industry has been shipped out of america...could the US fleet be rebuilt as fast as it was if another pearl harbor-like attack happened? no way.

fun fact: Alot of post pearl harbor ships were pre-fabricated in Fontana, CA at Kaiser Steel and sent via railroad to San Diego for assembly. Kaiser was chosen because it was far enough inland incase the Japanese attacked the West coast.

fun fact: Kaiser Steel was the first company to offer medical insurance to its employee. The program they started eventually lead to Kaiser Permanente

As an aside, I was at my local passport office getting my passport renewed. As I was waiting my turn to get up to the counter, a elderly gentleman with his daughter sat down next to me. He was a WWII veteran, displaying his medals on his jacket. I shook his hand, thanked him for his service and swapped my place in line so that he could get his business done.
I don't think I have ever seen a greater smile and look of appreciation in my life. Him and his daughter both thanked me and of course my reply was to say "No, thank you."

awesome!

 

[albielc@irishnation.com]

My son is a history major, and now is going for his teaching certificate. I implored him to do so, and asked him to be a teller to all the kids he may teach, to tell them daily what that generation did for them and all of this country.

 

[Irish Houstonian]

Don't forget a lot of these troops kept on marching straight until the Battle of the Bulge. Was a lot more than a beach blanket bingo.

 

[greyhammer90]

My Papaw who just passed about two months ago was part of the invasion. He was a tank commander in Patton's legendary 2nd Armored "Hell on Wheels" division. He went from the beginning all the way to Berlin and commanded his tank, named "Take Us Home" through most every major battle in the European front.

He was and is my hero.

 

[TDHeysus]

interesting thing about june 6th....i dont put anything into this, but i do find it somewhat interesting because im a 'numbers' kinda guy. The D-Day invasion, which alot of soldiers were killed on both sides, alot of carnage, and human suffering happened that day. The invasion began at day break, which could have been 5-6am in the morning. At 6am that morning, it was the 6th month, 6th day, 6th hour. Eisenhower wanted to invade 2 days prior but bad weather postponed the invasion till the 6th.

its strange how those numbers came together, and what happened when those numbers aligned.

 

[no.1IrishFan]

I feel really bad, I honestly forgot about today. I can't even imagine what that day must have been like, true heroes.

 

[phork]

interesting thing about june 6th....i dont put anything into this, but i do find it somewhat interesting because im a 'numbers' kinda guy. The D-Day invasion, which alot of soldiers were killed on both sides, alot of carnage, and human suffering happened that day. The invasion began at day break, which could have been 5-6am in the morning. At 6am that morning, it was the 6th month, 6th day, 6th hour. Eisenhower wanted to invade 2 days prior but bad weather postponed the invasion till the 6th.

its strange how those numbers came together, and what happened when those numbers aligned.

So what are you saying, Eisenhower is the devil?

 

[Irish Houstonian]

So what are you saying, Eisenhower is the devil?

Ronald Wilson Reagan has him beat: he's got 6 letters is each of his 3 names and lived at a 666 St. Cloud Road in Bel Air.

 

[yankeeND]

There is nothing I could ever say or do to show the love and gratitude I have for the men who have fought and died before me. To understand the sacrifice these men have made is only to have lived it.

 

[TDHeysus]

So what are you saying, Eisenhower is the devil?

precisely....all kidding aside, I think Ike was a great man as well.

Ike was the Supreme Allied Commander and during the few days leading up to the invasion, it was all in his hands. It was up to him, and only him, to call the shots on the invasion (when to go, where to go, etc, etc). He commanded the most powerful Allied Army in the history of the planet (up till that point).

Fun fact: During this time, he was the most powerful man in the world but was NOT a head of state of any country. So for those few days, he was more powerful than any leader of any country in the world. He then went on to penetrate the Atlantic Wall (fortified by Erwin Rommel), and established a second front that Germany simply could not sustain. Berlin fell 10months later, Japan surrendered 3 1/2 months after Berlin.

 

[yankeeND]

By the way Bobd, that is an amazing picture!

 

[phork]

If only Hitler had listened to his field commanders and fortified the beaches like they requested. He was too busy partying in Paris to care..

 

[BGIF]

Tommy McGuigan, 82nd Airborne Pathfinder

 

[ND NYC]

Louis Zamperini (from the book Unbroken) is on Jay Leno tonight.

talk about an "inspiration from the greatest generation".