D Day
Jun 6th 2011, 8:17 pm
#16
Not dead yet
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: In a world of my own where I know everyone
Posts: 15,042
Re: D Day
I join in the prayers and gratitude.
One uncle did not get to Europe until November 1944 and joined the 3rd Army as a replacement. He always to told us youngsters that he was simply involved in some "minor mopping up." Otherwise, he never talked about it other than to note "I would rather have been somewhere else." If you care to, look up the timing, it was not "minor mopping up." He is in uniform in his wedding picture -- and has a CIB and Purple Heart.
My Dad's older brother was in the 8th Air Force in 1943 in the B-24. Most of his tour was was before the P-51 Mustang went into widespread service. [The P-51 was an example of the cross-fertilization of US and British technology, but I digress]. We know he was grounded twice for medical reasons and both times the plane did not return.
My father was, in his words, "damn lucky," my parents spent the first 18 months of their marriage at a light house at Tibbets Point, New York. Dad went to sea in Spring 1945. To this day, I have mixed feelings about the atomic bombings in Japan -- my father was an able bodied seaman on a target staging for Operation Olympic.
Out of curiosity, and because I do not want to be US-centric: How many participants here can name all five D-day beaches? The UK beaches were Sword and Gold, Canada was Juno and the US were Utah and Omaha. "Omaha Beach" has entered the historical lexicon of US History, right up there with Valley Forge and Gettysburg. I'm wondering how US Centric this is.
One uncle did not get to Europe until November 1944 and joined the 3rd Army as a replacement. He always to told us youngsters that he was simply involved in some "minor mopping up." Otherwise, he never talked about it other than to note "I would rather have been somewhere else." If you care to, look up the timing, it was not "minor mopping up." He is in uniform in his wedding picture -- and has a CIB and Purple Heart.
My Dad's older brother was in the 8th Air Force in 1943 in the B-24. Most of his tour was was before the P-51 Mustang went into widespread service. [The P-51 was an example of the cross-fertilization of US and British technology, but I digress]. We know he was grounded twice for medical reasons and both times the plane did not return.
My father was, in his words, "damn lucky," my parents spent the first 18 months of their marriage at a light house at Tibbets Point, New York. Dad went to sea in Spring 1945. To this day, I have mixed feelings about the atomic bombings in Japan -- my father was an able bodied seaman on a target staging for Operation Olympic.
Out of curiosity, and because I do not want to be US-centric: How many participants here can name all five D-day beaches? The UK beaches were Sword and Gold, Canada was Juno and the US were Utah and Omaha. "Omaha Beach" has entered the historical lexicon of US History, right up there with Valley Forge and Gettysburg. I'm wondering how US Centric this is.
Jun 6th 2011, 8:23 pm
#17
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,532
Re: D Day
And of course Belgian, Czech, Greek, Dutch, Norwegian and Polish .. to name just the major contributors from among the allied (non-British Empire or US) nations.
Jun 6th 2011, 8:29 pm
#18
Not dead yet
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: In a world of my own where I know everyone
Posts: 15,042
Re: D Day
I just got 122,000 to me it's irrelevant. The french now see us as mere bit players in their liberation and that makes me puke.
Jun 6th 2011, 8:31 pm
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Washington state
Posts: 120
Re: D Day
A gentleman in our village was a young soldier on Gold Beach during the Normandy invasion. Everyone was offering good wishes for his upcoming 90th birthday but he wasn't really bothered about that. His daughter was taking him to Normandy for a reunion with other surviving soldiers. Turning 90 meant very little compared to the chance to return to that battlefield. We were all so pleased for him that he was able to make the trip AND celebrate his 90th birthday. Thank you and God bless you Les!
Jun 6th 2011, 8:49 pm
#20
Daft.. not Stoopid
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2011
Location: Memphis TN
Posts: 514
Re: D Day
I think many a veteran has stories that were very hard to get out of them. My old man would say very little about WW2 except to say he was there from 39 - 45 . When we got a copy of his British army record we found out he must of been in the thick of things North Africa and Europe.
The only times you ever notice anything would be in odd places that younger people would not think of.
late 80's trip to Majorca.... Trying to get my father on a plane... only for the cabin crew to announce... welcome aboard your Air Europe flight to Palma Blah Blah.. Fokker aircraft... Wow!!
Hotel in Spain... people at next table speaking German... had to convince him that they were Swiss!! ...(hairs on the back of his neck went bolt upright!!!!) next morning him and mother at breakfast right at 6 am to make sure they got their table first!!
The only times you ever notice anything would be in odd places that younger people would not think of.
late 80's trip to Majorca.... Trying to get my father on a plane... only for the cabin crew to announce... welcome aboard your Air Europe flight to Palma Blah Blah.. Fokker aircraft... Wow!!
Hotel in Spain... people at next table speaking German... had to convince him that they were Swiss!! ...(hairs on the back of his neck went bolt upright!!!!) next morning him and mother at breakfast right at 6 am to make sure they got their table first!!
Jun 6th 2011, 8:54 pm
#21
Not dead yet
Joined: Apr 2004
Location: In a world of my own where I know everyone
Posts: 15,042
Re: D Day
I think many a veteran has stories that were very hard to get out of them. My old man would say very little about WW2 except to say he was there from 39 - 45 . When we got a copy of his British army record we found out he must of been in the thick of things North Africa and Europe.
The only times you ever notice anything would be in odd places that younger people would not think of.
late 80's trip to Majorca.... Trying to get my father on a plane... only for the cabin crew to announce... welcome aboard your Air Europe flight to Palma Blah Blah.. Fokker aircraft... Wow!!
Hotel in Spain... people at next table speaking German... had to convince him that they were Swiss!! ...(hairs on the back of his neck went bolt upright!!!!) next morning him and mother at breakfast right at 6 am to make sure they got their table first!!
The only times you ever notice anything would be in odd places that younger people would not think of.
late 80's trip to Majorca.... Trying to get my father on a plane... only for the cabin crew to announce... welcome aboard your Air Europe flight to Palma Blah Blah.. Fokker aircraft... Wow!!
Hotel in Spain... people at next table speaking German... had to convince him that they were Swiss!! ...(hairs on the back of his neck went bolt upright!!!!) next morning him and mother at breakfast right at 6 am to make sure they got their table first!!
Jun 6th 2011, 9:13 pm
#22
A lion in your lap
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Sparta NJ
Posts: 7,605
Re: D Day
On a related note: on the wall in my office I have a big map of Great Britain and Ireland that I got from National Geographic Magazine a few years ago. It’s pretty detailed and good for answering the “where are you from/my granny came from Barnsley/is that near London” type questions. A portion of the French coast is included in the bottom right corner, including Normandy. Along with a couple of prominent towns like Cherbourg and Caen the NG cartographers included the locations of Omaha Beach and Utah Beach. They didn’t bother to show the other three D-Day beaches and that irks me a little.
