I can't believe no one has mentioned this special day

We were discussing that this morning at the office.
 
Because it's only 8:40 AM on the west coast and I'm just getting to the forum?

And tomorrow will be the 63rd anniversary of the day my MIL came ashore on Omaha Beach. She was an Army nurse.
 
Some probably don't think it's appropriate to celebrate a terroristic invasion of a sovereign nation into which we weren't even invited. Sure, some of the insurgents wanted us there, but the official government of the land was hostile toward us. Heck, our armed forces only created more hatred toward the US just by being there. Let's not even speak of the thousands that died - for what? Germany never had WMDs after all.
 
I knew it was coming for the last few days and considered making a post on it but wasn't sure how much response there would be.

But, given the sacrifice on that day it does deserve honor beyond our capability.

Neal Boortz has been discussing it. He played the prayer by FDR as broadcast on radio on that morning. When he posed the question if anyone was listening who heard the original broadcast, he got a call from a man who was twelve at the time. Today was the first time he had heard the prayer since.

Another man calling was six. When he asked his mom why she was crying, she told him his brother was part of the invasion. His brother did come home. He had been shot but he did come home.

A third caller in that segment was twenty at the time and part of the paratroopers going in. He stated there were so many aircraft, it was a difficult maneuver for the pilots to avoid other aircraft and remain on target. He still dropped but was fifteen miles off his target.

Edit: At age seventy, he returned for the fiftieth anniversary jump and did so again for the sixtieth anniversary at age eighty.

Here is that prayer:

Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day without rest - until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters and brothers of brave men overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a countenance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen.

Pres. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, June 6, 1944
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JohnR said:
Some probably don't think it's appropriate to celebrate a terroristic invasion of a sovereign nation into which we weren't even invited. Sure, some of the insurgents wanted us there, but the official government of the land was hostile toward us. Heck, our armed forces only created more hatred toward the US just by being there. Let's not even speak of the thousands that died - for what? Germany never had WMDs after all.
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Who would those be?
 
JohnR said:
Some probably don't think it's appropriate to celebrate a terroristic invasion of a sovereign nation into which we weren't even invited. Sure, some of the insurgents wanted us there, but the official government of the land was hostile toward us. Heck, our armed forces only created more hatred toward the US just by being there. Let's not even speak of the thousands that died - for what? Germany never had WMDs after all.
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OK, let's not try to compare D-Day to Iraq. Seriously.

I was actually in Normandy (Bayeux) for the 60th a few years ago. As I recall the press there was quite nervous Bush was going to make that comparison. (I was staying at a B&B barely one mile away from all the speeches at the cemetery - we went for a walk but it was heavily guarded and were turned back...)
 
woodstock said:
It's the anniversary of D-Day!

63 years ago today...
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I was really surprised it didn't come up in any of the aviation history footnotes today. You'd think more than a few notable aviations "firsts" would have occurred that day. I can't imagine any other day where more aircraft (especially gliders) would have been in the air all at once.
 
ausrere said:
I was really surprised it didn't come up in any of the aviation history footnotes today. You'd think more than a few notable aviations "firsts" would have occurred that day. I can't imagine any other day where more aircraft (especially gliders) would have been in the air all at once.
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'Gliders' that is a good one! I knew several guys that flew those 'glider' on D-Day. They describe them as bricks with wings.
 
Don't get me started. I mentioned it a few times this morning. Half the people didn't care and the other half didn't have a clue what D-Day was. Maybe I'm getting old....
 
yea if you are ever in Lubbock stop at the Silent Wings museum. the CG-4 is definitely a sight to behold. Our own Bob Dentice (C170BM) flew them in California, said they handled like a brick but they managed to soar them in some ridge out there, IIRC.
 
smigaldi said:
'Gliders' that is a good one! I knew several guys that flew those 'glider' on D-Day. They describe them as bricks with wings.
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Wellll. Good point. But since at least a few did get on the ground in one piece with cargo and passengers in tact, I suppose they did glide well enough at least. :D
 
ausrere said:
Wellll. Good point. But since at least a few did get on the ground in one piece with cargo and passengers in tact, I suppose they did glide well enough at least. :D
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True enough.

I heard the guys in them were really annoyed that they did not get extra pay like the paratroopers did even though they to were classified as airborne infantry in the battle plans. The glider born troops also suffered terrible losses on that day like everyone else. My 7th grade social studies teacher was a member of the 502PIR, 101st Airborne and was there on D-Day all the way to the end. Wish I would have paid more attention to his stories. But since dad also had great war stories it was no unique to hear about such things. As I look back now I realize how special those guys are and were.
 
If I'm not mistaken, there are only three Americans left who served in the War to End All Wars. Soon WWI will no longer be a memory--it will be relegated to being "mere" history. How soon after that before the last veteran of WWII is gone--before WWII is "merely" history?

So much they lived through; so little we know about them...

Jim
 
smigaldi said:
What?
I cannot see anything in there that is supporting your statement. Can you please clarify?
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I don't know what you don't know, so I can't help you. I know you're educated enough to know the Free French were our ally, and desired assistance in their liberation, and that they fought the Vichy government as an insurgency. This really isn't difficult to understand.
 
jshawley said:
If I'm not mistaken, there are only three Americans left who served in the War to End All Wars. Soon WWI will no longer be a memory--it will be relegated to being "mere" history. How soon after that before the last veteran of WWII is gone--before WWII is "merely" history?

So much they lived through; so little we know about them...

Jim
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As Gerhardt said... too many people already don't know what D-Day refers to. We cannot forget the past. We cannot let those memories fade. Every time I walk past the war memorial in downtown Greenwood, I always take a moment to stop and read a few names, and silently thank them for their service.
 
JohnR said:
I don't know what you don't know, so I can't help you. I know you're educated enough to know the Free French were our ally, and desired assistance in their liberation, and that they fought the Vichy government as an insurgency. This really isn't difficult to understand.
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Please start a new thread in SZ if you want to go down that road. Can we please keep this here and informative? :(
 
wbarnhill said:
Please start a new thread in SZ if you want to go down that road. Can we please keep this here and informative? :(
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If you're responding to my first post, you're being repetitive. The post you quoted is 100% about June 6, 1944, and since we've all observed that too many people don't know what D-day was about, I don't see what the big deal is about describing the situation in France on that day.
 
JohnR said:
Some probably don't think it's appropriate to celebrate a terroristic invasion of a sovereign nation into which we weren't even invited.
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We surely didn't pre-empt here, did we?

Sure, some of the insurgents wanted us there, but the official government of the land was hostile toward us.
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Germany?

Heck, our armed forces only created more hatred toward the US just by being there. Let's not even speak of the thousands that died - for what? Germany never had WMDs after all.
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Only because they scared all the scientists and other intellectuals away. Or for that matter sent them to concentration camps. How many on the Manhattan Project would have been working for Germany otherwise? (not a rhetorical question, I don't know)
 
jshawley said:
If I'm not mistaken, there are only three Americans left who served in the War to End All Wars. Soon WWI will no longer be a memory--it will be relegated to being "mere" history. How soon after that before the last veteran of WWII is gone--before WWII is "merely" history?

So much they lived through; so little we know about them...

Jim
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That is what I understand as well. I saw one of the last three weekend before last in DC. He was the second WW1 vet I had seen. The first was a VFW member in my district. He and I would often joke around as he was the oldest vet and I was the youngest. We got our picture in the paper too.
 
woodstock said:
Only because they scared all the scientists and other intellectuals away. Or for that matter sent them to concentration camps. How many on the Manhattan Project would have been working for Germany otherwise? (not a rhetorical question, I don't know)
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That is exactly correct. I wrote a paper about that in college. One of the metrics I looked at was Nobel prizes in physics. The scientists that were forced out of Germany in the 1930's accounted for well over 95% of the Nobel proves awarded from the end of WW2 into the 1980's.

Had Germany not had their de-Jewification of education and enacted the ayran education standards they likely would have gotten the bomb before us.
 
JohnR said:
I don't know what you don't know, so I can't help you. I know you're educated enough to know the Free French were our ally, and desired assistance in their liberation, and that they fought the Vichy government as an insurgency. This really isn't difficult to understand.
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I was giving you the benefit of doubt that you were not actually trying to belittle people by comparing their beliefs about Iraq as to being anti-Allies on the invasion of France. But I think you have shown what your true intentions were. You evasiveness is indication enough for me to make my up my mind on what you were really trying to accomplish.
 
smigaldi said:
That is exactly correct. I wrote a paper about that in college. One of the metrics I looked at was Nobel prizes in physics. The scientists that were forced out of Germany in the 1930's accounted for well over 95% of the Nobel proves awarded from the end of WW2 into the 1980's.

Had Germany not had their de-Jewification of education and enacted the ayran education standards they likely would have gotten the bomb before us.
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and your research and non-dissertational results thereof were discussed over Ethiopean food!
 
smigaldi said:
I was giving you the benefit of doubt that you were not actually trying to belittle people by comparing their beliefs about Iraq as to being anti-Allies on the invasion of France. But I think you have shown what your true intentions were. You evasiveness is indication enough for me to make my up my mind on what you were really trying to accomplish.
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The only thing I'm evading is making this a Spin Zone topic, after Chuck's well-placed warning.
 
smigaldi said:
That is what I understand as well. I saw one of the last three weekend before last in DC. He was the second WW1 vet I had seen. The first was a VFW member in my district. He and I would often joke around as he was the oldest vet and I was the youngest. We got our picture in the paper too.
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I knew a WWI vet quite well. Actually, two. My grandfathers. One drove ambulances in France and the other was in the merchant marine. Both are gone, passed away in 1986.
 
I was going through some papers after my father died, and found two letters,
one mentioned his cousin as MIA 6-6-44. the other listed his change of status to KIA after the end of the war They grew up together, picked cotton as kids, the cousin went into the Army before my dad and ended up in the ETO. my Dad joined as soon as he turned 18 and went to the Pacific.
 
Thanks for reminding us Beth. The topic is too special to me to listen to folks get off on all the stray topics they seem to on this and other boards.

My Dad served in the Army; didn't participate in D-Day but was on active duty at the time and wanted to go. My Father-in-Law was an air defense artillery guy that followed the landing forces on their trek through Europe.

They're probably the reason I served in the manner I did. Some of these vets still come to some of our reunions in Las Vegas, but their ranks are getting thinner. They have my up most respect and admiration for their service.

Best,

Dave
 
I'm a very proud former member of the 82nd Airborne Division and I've changed my avatar to honor those members both past and present. Way back when, I met with some former jumpers at an 82nd Airborne Division convention who wore the All American patch during World War II and participated in the liberation of Europe with the jump at Normandy. I probably had close to fifty parachute jumps at the time but none that would earn me a star on the risers which would signify a combat jump. I got talking to one veteran who wore his jump wings with three stars on his coat. I remember him asking me how many jumps I had and I think I told him "around fifty". I clearly remember asking him how many he had. "Eight!", he said, "five at jump school, one at Normandy, one at Salerno and one at Nijmegen." We had a really good laugh and I wound up buying a lot of beer that night. The debt we owe to these folks can't ever be repaid. Thank you!
 
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Pause for a moment and think what an ominous and desperate situation Omaha Beach must have been on that day.

And behind the lines on the night before for the 82nd and 101st airborne, which were cut nearly to ribbons.

We went anyway. Had to.
 
JohnR said:
<snip>
Let's not even speak of the thousands that died - for what? Germany never had WMDs after all.
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Excuse me??
Just what were the V-1,s and V-2's if not WMD's
Let alone items of mass destruction, like "The Bismark".
And have you forgotten about the Panzers?

Reference: from your own quoted source, i.e. "Wikipedia":

(emphasis, mine)

Historic use of the term WMD
Origin

The first reported usage of the term was by Rev. Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, part of his **1937** Christmas sermon broadcast on national radio. In an address titled "Christian Responsibility," Lang said:
"Who can think at this present time without a sickening of the heart of the appalling slaughter, the suffering, the manifold misery brought by war to Spain and to China? Who can think without horror of what another widespread war would mean, waged as it would be with all the new weapons of mass destruction?"[1] At that time, there were no nuclear weapons;

***

The US military refers to WMD as:
Weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction and/or of being used in such a manner as to destroy large numbers of people. Weapons of mass destruction can be high explosives or nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological weapons, but exclude the means of transporting or propelling the weapon where such means is a separable and divisible part of the weapon.[12] The significance of the words "separable and divisible part of the weapon", is that missiles such as the Pershing II and the SCUD are considered weapons of mass destruction, while aircraft capable of carrying bombloads are not.

***
Ed Note: Um...I think that that, would include the above mentioned weapons
***

While in US civil defense, the category is now Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE), which defines WMD as:
(1) Any explosive, incendiary, poison gas, bomb, grenade, or rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces [113 g], missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce [7 g],

Gee there's that "explosive" word again...

If you're going to try to relate entirely different events....
at least get your facts straight...

Please don't just throw around ill fitting "catch phrases ", as it detracts from your credibility

Chache
 
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