6 June 1944

[SeaCat]

That's right, today is one of those days that changed history. 65 years ago the Allies invaded Fortress Europe.

Cat

 

[voluptuary_manque]

The Longest Day in History.

Last summer we visited Normandy. It matters not whether you look at Omaha from the Allied perspective down by the water's edge or the Nazi's perspective up on the top. Those who stormed ashore were heroes . . . and must have been mad! Today, three generations later, residents still seek out those who landed and thank them personally. It is a moving experience to watch.

 

[Belegon]

Unlike some of the silliness that we have had in recent years, there was no doubt in the minds of those kids that what they were doing was the right thing. They were, of course, correct... as the liberation of the concentration camps would prove.

But many good young men (on both sides...the average German soldier was doing his duty, not trying to push a master race theory down the worlds throat) died to honor their convictions.

It is right and honorable that we remember to praise them and to continue to thank those who have survived.

 

[R. Richard]

There were a lot of heros and a lot of dead. It's well to stop and remember a day that changed history.

 

[DesertPirate]

I have walked through that Cemetary as seen is "Saving Private Ryan", yes it choked me up. I went to the cliffs and looked down at low tide (same as the landings). How anyone made it across that beach is a miracle! This was in the fall of 76. I want to go back and honour those brave men again. They more than earned it!

 

[loganforester]

I have walked through that Cemetary as seen is "Saving Private Ryan", yes it choked me up. I went to the cliffs and looked down at low tide (same as the landings). How anyone made it across that beach is a miracle! This was in the fall of 76. I want to go back and honour those brave men again. They more than earned it!

I went in high school on a trip to france. There were 25 students, 4 teachers and some locals with us. By the time we'd toured through the white crosses and the remnants of the fortifications there wasn't a dry eye amongst us as we looked down at the beaches. Regardless of what people say about the youth these days, there is no doubt we all got the message. It's a very humbling place to be.

I wrote a poem about that place earlier this year.


Valentines Day at Omaha Beach

distant memories are within our reach,
je me souviens cet anniversaire
it's Valentine's day at Omaha beach

bomb blasts shattered the surrounding air
and highlight the soldiers sacrifices
je me souviens cet anniversaire

their families paid the ultimate price
love's lost laborers never to return
and highlight the soldier's sacrifices

many years have passed, but our hope still burns
for those taken so young at heavy cost
love's lost laborers never will return

to lives they had and so easily lost
dark shrouded figures flit among white crosses
searching for those taken at heavy cost

only a handful know how great our loss is
as distant memories come within reach
dark shrouded figures flit among white crosses
on Valentine's day at Omaha beach.

 

[Boota]

I just finished watching Saving Private Ryan with my youngest boy. He was glued to it and I stopped it a few times for him to ask some questions. After the movie was over I told him some of my grandfather's stories about D-Day. He was in the 101st Airborne and jumped in the night before. He was one of the lucky ones that landed outside of the city of St. Mere Eglise. Most of the guys he jumped in with landed within the city and were killed.

 

[oggbashan]

I was in Normandy last month.

I visited the American cemetery above Omaha Beach. Looking down or looking up it seems incredible that anyone made it to the top alive.

I went to Point Du Hoc. I wouldn't like to climb those cliffs even if no one was firing at me, and I'm an experienced cliff climber.

I went to Utah. They landed in the wrong place which was less defended. Even so, many men died on the beaches.

So much of Normandy has small memorials to individual units and soldiers. They are all in great condition and well maintained by the locals who will never forget.

Yesterday the US and British forces were remembered with high profile events. The Canadians, who were responsible for much of the D-Day landings were less commemorated - except by the locals. So many small communities have renamed streets after the Canadians, provided museums and memorials to the Canadians, and are twinned with Canadian communities.

On the 40th anniversary of the Dieppe landings I was in Dover to meet the Canadian veterans of that event and D-Day. They were remarkably modest old men but had been ferocious fighters in their day. I won't forget the Canadian contribution to the Allied successes on D-Day - neither will Normandy.

Og

 

[Katyusha]

I just finished watching Saving Private Ryan with my youngest boy. He was glued to it and I stopped it a few times for him to ask some questions. After the movie was over I told him some of my grandfather's stories about D-Day. He was in the 101st Airborne and jumped in the night before. He was one of the lucky ones that landed outside of the city of St. Mere Eglise. Most of the guys he jumped in with landed within the city and were killed.

The Longest Day is one of my favorite films and (for anybody here who hasn't seen it) they focus heavily on St. Mere Eglise, and all the mis-drops that happened with the airborne units the night before. One of the things that always got me about the mis-drops is that when the troops were finding each other and realizing that they had no idea where anybody from their own units were, they banded together and did what they were supposed to do anyway.

I've been to the WWII cemetery in Luxembourg twice and I always had a hard time keeping the tears from falling while wandering through the place.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

St. Mere Eglise today is a living monument to the 101st. A mannikin of the trooper who got caught on the steeple hangs there yet, they have a bigger museum devoted to the 101st than is at their regimental home, it's amazing.

I also loved The Longest Day. It reads more like a newreel than a feature film. So gritty and realistic.

"Those ten thousand ships the Allies don't have? Well, they're shooting at me!"


"Normandy . . . wry chuckle . . . Normandy!"

 

[Miss_Amber]

I knew a wonderful man who was in the Royal Navy, by chance he ended up running the landing craft at Omaha beach, running Americans in. HEesaid his first boat load were massacred in the water, all of them. The second boat load had to be forced off the sergeant with his machine gun. A dreadful thing. The American engineers who should have gone in lost most of their men and tools as they didn't have the right equipment for the moment. Also a long list of mistakes with navigation etc on all 5 beaches. How it succeeded is beyond my understanding.

My wonderul little Matelot died 3 months ago, didn't make it back.

My great uncle received wounds at Arnhem and died at home a few weeks later, leaving behind an 18 year old wife and new born daughter.

Just too many lost for he greed and ego's of a few and the mistakes of the previous generation.

 

[trysail]

Historically, many of the U.S. Army's units had regional ties. That was the case for one of the two divisions which made up the first wave that landed at Omaha Beach.

The 29th Infantry Division was formed of men from Maryland and Virginia. I've always been amazed by the large numbers of men of my acquaintence ( generally the fathers of friends ) who survived Omaha Beach. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I was completely unaware of the fact until their deaths. Over the last thirty-odd years, as their obituaries appeared, it was noted that, "______ was a member of the 29th Infantry Division and took part in the D-Day landing at Omaha Beach."

http://www.29infantrydivision.org/




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/29th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)
From Wikipedia:
"The U.S. 29th Infantry Division is a United States infantry division that has existed since World War I as part of the Army National Guard.

Nicknamed "Blue and Gray", the division's motto is "29, Let's Go!" The shoulder patch is a half-blue, half-gray Chinese taijitu... The uniting of the blue and grey symbolizes the fact that the division was composed of units from states that had fought on both sides of the American Civil War."

*****​

The Heritage of the 29th
"Although the division itself only dates to its establishment during World War I, the roots of the 29th run deep into American history, with two of the three of the regiments that have traditionally belonged to the division tracing their history into colonial history.

The 175th Infantry Regiment descends from the Baltimore Independent Cadets, a unit formed in 1774 and which formed the core of the regiment from the Maryland Line that saved the fledgling American army at the Battle of Long Island on 27 August 1776. Their repeated musket volleys and bayonet charges against several times their number of British regulars covered the retreat of the Continental Army and insured its survival. Washington reportedly remarked about them, "My God, what brave men must I lose today!" In later years, it was designated the 5th Maryland (not to be confused with a Revolutionary War unit of the same designation) and became famed for its fancy dress uniforms, leading to the nickname, "The Dandy Fifth."

The 116th Infantry Regiment began as the 2nd Virginia Regiment, which in turn traced its origin back to Virginia colonial militia formed in 1760. As the Second Virginia, it was commanded during the Civil War by General Thomas Jackson. At the First Battle of Manassas (also referred to as First Battle of Bull Run), they were the regiment that held the line under intense fire while a fellow general yelled, "There stands Jackson like a stone wall!" The phrase became the nickname of both the general and his brigade.

The 115th Infantry Regiment was a lineal descendant of the 1st Maryland Regiment, but its lineage is only officially recognized back to 1888. Regimental tradition, however, holds that the unit is descended from Cresap's Rifles, a Revolutionary War unit raised in 1774 which marched over 500 miles to Boston in 20 days. This claim is not recognized by the U.S. Army. During the Civil War, the 1st Maryland remained loyal to the Union, while the 5th Maryland joined the Confederacy and was redesignated as the Confederate 1st Maryland. The two regiments fought a fraticidal battle at Front Royal, Virginia on 23 May 1862. When the U.S. Army reoganized in to the so-called "modular" brigade combat team structure, the 115th Infantry was consolidated (merged) into the 175th Infantry and no longer exists as a separate lineage or unit."

*****​

"... the elements of the 29th were quite parochial. The 175th (also known as the Dandy Fifth) was the only regiment that was raised and based as a regiment, with its Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore being its local base. The 4th Medical Company was co-located with it.

The remainder of the division consisted of companies and company sized units, each based in a different town or city in Maryland and Virginia.

The 115th was located throughout Maryland as follows:

Company A and Headquarters: Frederick

Company B: Hagerstown

Company C: Cambridge

Company D: Bel Air

Company E: Elkton

Company F: Hyattsville

Company G: Cumberland

Company H: Westminster

Company I: Salisbury

Company K: Centreville

Company L: Crisfield

Company M: Annapolis

110th Artillery: Pikesville

Similarly, the 116th Regiment was distributed throughout Virginia:

Company A: Bedford

Company B: Lynchburg

Company C: Harrisonburg

Company D and Headquarters: Roanoke

Company E: Chase City

Company F: South Boston

Company G: Farmville

Company H: Martinsville

Company I: Winchester

Company K: Charlottesville

Company L: Staunton

Company M: Emporia

111th Artillery: Norfolk"

*****​

"Teamed with the U.S. 1st Infantry Division, the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division was the first assault wave to hit Omaha Beach at Normandy at 6:13 AM on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The sea was rough, and a steady riptide pulled the waves of landing crafts eastward down the beach. Only one of the companies of the 116th Stonewallers landed at its planned place. Company A landed opposite the Vierville Draw that they were supposed to storm. When the landing ramps came down on the company's four surviving LCVPs, German MG42 machine guns cut down the Americans even before they could disembark. It has been estimated that two-thirds of Company A was killed by enemy fire or by drowning within the first half hour. Company F also landed at its assigned location, but was fortunate enough to land behind an accidental smoke screen caused by a grass fire. Other companies washed sidewise down the beach to land in disorganized confusion. They suffered lesser casualties than A or F, but found themselves straggling into battle. They flanked and blew up German positions. Their assault gnawed at the German defenses.

Somehow, the 116th maintained its tenuous hold.

The rest of the division landed on Omaha Beach on the same day in the face of still intense enemy fire but soon secured the bluff tops and went on to occupy Isigny on 9 June. The division cut across the Elle River and advanced slowly toward St. Lo, fighting bitterly in the Normandy bocage (hedge rows). The Americans were lodged in France...

...As other Americans surged ashore, the 29th spearheaded the breakout. After taking St. Lo on 18 July, the division joined in the battle for Vire, capturing that strongly held city on 7 August. Turning west, the 29th took part in the assault on Brest from 25 August to 18 September."

 

[Katyusha]

My great uncle received wounds at Arnhem and died at home a few weeks later, leaving behind an 18 year old wife and new born daughter.

He was part of Market Garden?

 

[TE999]

D-Day would have been infinitely more bloody...and possibly a failure, had the Allies not concocted an elaborate plan to convince the Germans that the landings were to be elsewhere on the coast of France...phony divisions...fake radio traffic...balsa wood and inflatable planes, tanks, ships and guns at the staging areas...fake regimental patches...even putting General George S. Patton in 'command' of the force...the Germans bought it hook, line and sinker and sent their Panzer Divisions and infantry on a snipe hunt.

 

[Xelebes]

My grandfather was part of the landing in Sicily and took part in the Battle o Ortona as an officer. He was not involved in Dieppe or on Juno Bach on D-Day. But those who did fight, were brave men.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

D-Day would have been infinitely more bloody...and possibly a failure, had the Allies not concocted an elaborate plan to convince the Germans that the landings were to be elsewhere on the coast of France...phony divisions...fake radio traffic...balsa wood and inflatable planes, tanks, ships and guns at the staging areas...fake regimental patches...even putting General George S. Patton in 'command' of the force...the Germans bought it hook, line and sinker and sent their Panzer Divisions and infantry on a snipe hunt.

A great job by Psychological Operations, that.

 

[oggbashan]

A great job by Psychological Operations, that.

What was really amazing was that the German High Command continued to accept the bluff for several weeks after D-Day.

Og

 

[voluptuary_manque]

What was really amazing was that the German High Command continued to accept the bluff for several weeks after D-Day.

Og

I especially liked the fake paratroop landings with rubber dummies equipped with firecrackers to simulate small arms fire.

 

[Katyusha]

I especially liked the fake paratroop landings with rubber dummies equipped with firecrackers to simulate small arms fire.

Yeah me too.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

I just finished watching Saving Private Ryan with my youngest boy. He was glued to it and I stopped it a few times for him to ask some questions. After the movie was over I told him some of my grandfather's stories about D-Day. He was in the 101st Airborne and jumped in the night before. He was one of the lucky ones that landed outside of the city of St. Mere Eglise. Most of the guys he jumped in with landed within the city and were killed.

My great aunt Mable's son was one of those boys who landed in the city.

 

[TE999]

A great job by Psychological Operations, that.

I thot you'd appreciate that aspect, VM. As Ogg says, Berlin continued to buy into the deception for quite a while. The General Staff and the field officers didn't want to admit to Hitler they'd been spoofed...so it was 'they'll be here tomorrow, my Fuehrer'. Rommel knew otherwise early on, but he was persona non grata followed by dead.

 

[SeaCat]

Living in Europe in the early 1980's gave me a great opportunity to travel throughout Europe. I managed to visit all of the major battle sights in Europe as well as many of the smaller one.

In 1985 I took some time off from work and did some major traveling. On June 6 I started at the Normandy Beaches and followed the advances of several units from the beaches to the end of their opperations. It was to say the least eye opening.

I also made time to hike and ride through the Ardennes one December. That was truly a spooky experience.

Cat

 

[Boota]

A story my grandfather always told of something that happened to him is in The Longest Day. The guy who lands in the graveyard and hears a noise then shoots the whole place up? He told that story for a long time before the movie came out. My parents never saw the movie until after he had died and they kind of got a kick out of seeing it in there. Of course, that may just be a popular story told by a lot of people.

 

[DesertPirate]

My Dad thought he would get away with something and joined the Navy in June 42 so he would always have his rack (bed) and galley (kitchen) with him. He did, on his back with a radio. 8th Naval Beach battalion. Beachmasters for invasions. Didn't go to Normandy but he was at North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and Southern France. He was also in the radio room on the Amphib Command ship for Iwo Jima and Okinawa after the "8 Ball" was broken up and sent to the Pacific.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

There is a wonderful museum at Caen - The Museum of the Peace - that chronicles the savagery of the war and the invasion.

As you rightly praise the US and UK troops who launched the invasion, have some pity for the indomitable residentsof Northern France who accepted the demolition of their towns and cheered the conquering invaders whilst watching their houses being destroyed.

They, more than Private Ryan, need celebrating and admiring.