We are now up to 70 years past and the number of veterans grows fewer with each passing year... the rest of this post goes back to posts I wrote back a few years ago...

Here is a thread I put up one year ago today which includes fotos from the 63rd anniversary in 2007. These types of scenes will be going on today but on a larger scale. I just missed going this year and I am just sick about it. But, salute to these veterans.

A British D Day veteran friend of mine two weeks ago told me that so long as there is one D Day veteran left, that France 'will always be ours.'


My post from June 6 2008 follows:


A year ago, I had driven all night from Werchter, tried to avoid but somehow ended up in Paris anyway and got lost for a while, finally made it out and down to the invasion beaches de la liberacion de 6 Juin 1944.

Made it in time to see a French military ceremony at Omaha Beach. Laying of wreaths at the monument to the American boys of the 29th Division who died there, speeches, re-enactors from different nations, veterans, a very special day in my life.

Extremely blustery, gray day, very much like the 6th of June 1944 I was told that evening by an American veteran who had landed on Omaha that day.

To be on that sacred soil on that day is something I will never forget.






















irony - my rental car looking down the draw to Omaha Beach




A house in Port en Bessin commemorating the day




and the proud owner of the house, now 86, who was in it on the day of the Liberacion -- the roof of the house was blown off by naval shelling and the family got out and went to a nearby town for a while, then returned, but the house was not entirely rebuilt until 1947



British veterans, 2 of the 3 from D-Day







American paratrooper re-enactors from The Netherlands (or Sweden, trying to recall)












Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-09 08:58 by timbernardis.

thanks Tim- nice photos.

Alas, even those vets are passing on. My dad (who was in the Polish army) died last year aged 82, & it was only in the last 10 years of his life that he started to talk about the war.

My dad talks about it with every opportunity. I think WWII was the most exciting thing that ever happened to him. Here's the cocky bastard when he was 18:





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-06-06 21:25 by ChrisM.

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ChrisM
My dad talks about it with every opportunity. I think WWII was the most exciting thing that ever happened to him. Here's the cocky bastard when he was 18:

I see from the patch that he was a member of the 101st Airborne, the Screaming Eagles. Did he make the jump into Normandy, Holland, or elsewhere?

And, more important for anyone with vets in their families, HAVE U RECORDED THEM?? If not, please do so.

I recorded two British vets last year on video, one of whom was in the first wave on Gold Beach.


p


p



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-06-06 21:52 by timbernardis.

the americans finest moment .the liberation of europe from the tyranny imposed on all of europe by the nazis . operation overlord which gave freedom to all of europe .let us all honor the tremondous courage of all those that fought and gave there lives so that future generations could live in peace .

Helluva effort!!!
TIm,thats hardly Swedes, since "we" were neutral.

Peace and freedom, let us hope it lasts forever!

Great pics esp. the 86 yr old lady and ChrisM's Dad.
Thanks for this thread, timbernardis.

Excellent OT thread. Reminds me of how many Canadians died on those beaches.

Sad time but always good to be remember

thanks

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Cool pics, Thanks. My Grandfather went ashore with the 29th Infantry that morning. It was his 28th birthday. Happy birthday Grampa, rest in peace.

Believe it or not they are dying at the rate of a thousand a day. My grandfather who was in the Navy died last summer and my uncle who stormed ashore is still kicking. Up until the day he died gramps could tell you all about the events 60 years ago but couldn't remember what his last meal was...go figure.

Excellent set of pics and thoughts. Thanks for sharing.

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Baboon Bro
Helluva effort!!!
TIm,thats hardly Swedes, since "we" were neutral.

Oh but the re-enactors could well be from almost any country, regardless of the position of their country during the war. Many folks are just interested in the war or the Normandy invasion, or are history buffs.

In fact, I met one group last year dressed as American soldiers who had a few authentic vehicles. The driver of the jeep was a German (I can post that foto too).

p

Funny thing is that your rental car has got a German license plate

Anyway, for my generation (German, born 1968) this day in history is
the day of the beginning of the liberation of Germany, too. The German
people (at leat most of them) were not able / didn´t want to free
themselves. So thanks to all those who helped them out and gave or
risked their lives!

And btw: D-DAY will also always be the day, when Rock And Roll (in the end)
entered mainland Europe.

memento mori.

I remember the 50th anniversary celebration was awesome here in France. Lots of emotions for everybody.
The Caen memorial is something to visit.

Fight the ennemy of freedom. Rather dead than slave !

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TooTough
Funny thing is that your rental car has got a German license plate

Yes, that's why I said in the caption underneath the foto "irony - my rental car looking down the draw to Omaha Beach"

I rented it at the airport in Brussels when I flew in, the same day as the Werchter show and not only did it go to Normandy, but to Nijmegen - Stones, then Bastogne in Belgium, a key battle late in the war (Battle of the Bulge),

then on to Germany where I went to Muenchen (where the Nazi party got started), Frankfurt for the Stones, Nurnberg where I saw the Party Rally Grounds and saw the Fuehrerpodium, and also Branuau Austria where he was born.

I have always had quite the fascination for WWII and the Third Reich.

I am planning on attending the 65th anniversary of Normandie in 09, maybe the last one at which some significant numbers of veterans will be in attendance.


p

Pegasus Bridge, and the amazing exploits of John Howard and his glider troops,
is the usual focal point, of the British commemorations.

You should check it out Tim, an amazing place to visit.
Highly recommended.

Interesting stories and facts about the 101st Airborne Division can be found here:
[www.101airborneww2.com]

Thanks for those pics...we should never forget....trouble is people do forget

VERY COOL!!!!!!!

God Bless all those who fought for freedom in WWII

Rooster wrote:

Thanks for those pics...we should never forget....trouble is people do forget


Exactly -- just yesterday, on the anniversary, this professional at a custom printers place, maybe 35 years old, when I mentioned the anniversary of D Day, didnt say anything at first, then when I kept on, he said "that was in World War I wasnt it?"


Adrian-L wrote:
Pegasus Bridge, and the amazing exploits of John Howard and his glider troops,
is the usual focal point, of the British commemorations.

You should check it out Tim, an amazing place to visit.
Highly recommended.


Yes, I was there last year, but it was rather quick as it was raining and I had to catch a train but my guide took me by there. As I recall, the original bridge has been replaced by an exact duplicate but the original sits very close by.

But yes, I have done some reading and that was some bit of gliding that was done, they landed like right next to the river/canal or whatever and bridge whereas so many American gliders couldnt see anything and crashed. And if memory serves, Howard survived the day, but was killed that evening (of June 6) or soon thereafter.

But there is another place well commemorated by the Brit veterans, is it Arromache? I do know that the Brits had to take a bluff above Port en Bessin where I was staying and they commemorate that every year, some still making the climb up the hill.

And during a day off during the O2 shows, I took the train down to Portsmouth to meet some Brit vets who I had met in 06 in Normandie quite by accident (these were the two I videotaped/interviewed). One landed on Gold Beach first wave and was hit almost immediately but feels this is why he is alive today.

The other was a coxswain on an American landing craft on Omaha beach, made three runs in to land American boys, and on the third, his landing craft was hit, they all jumped overboard (those who were alive) and he made his way thru the water to a "Belgian Gate", one of the large metal obstacles that the Germans placed on the beach, hid behind it, and was able to survive.

This little old guy has a fabulous sense of humour and just relates well to people, a great guy. Went into the Merchant Marine and sailed around the globe for years, lived in NYC for some years, a very interesting life.

p

Major John Howard lived to a ripe old age, passing away in 1999.

[en.wikipedia.org])

ok, well then it was another person associated with the taking of that bridge who didnt live long after its taking, would have to look it up.

p

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Exactly -- just yesterday, on the anniversary, this professional at a custom printers place, maybe 35 years old, when I mentioned the anniversary of D Day, didnt say anything at first, then when I kept on, he said "that was in World War I wasnt it?"

That's very sad. makes me wonder how many people have never heared of D-Day or a have wrong idea about it.
It's probably a good thing to have movies like "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" just to get folks interested in this scenario.
some might get to know that it's not pure fiction.
Those Vets aren't gonna live to tell forever.

here are some Veterans audio interviews archived:
[www.britannica.com]

Ok, this is the best OT thread ever.

Thanks for starting it Tim, great to see the photo's and read some stories.

What an incredible time in the 20th Century... Such hardship for so many but then so many victories that cost so many lives...

Brilliant reminder of all that can go wrong, and right, with us lot they call humans.

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