D-Day

[/pine]

Ah - yes, Band of Brothers. I have the entire mini-series on DVD. A most interesting eight hour scenario. Malarkey - one of the main characters.

After that program aired I'm surprised more people do not visit the Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa...it is only about a two hour drive south of Cherokee in the Great Smokey Mountains...

Currahee Military Museum

Currahee Mountain - Wikipedia

 

[Aquamoose]

At only 49, I still am tremendously fascinated and in awe of “The Greatest Generation” that ever lived through the Great Depression and endured through the war on many fronts, both at home and on the frontlines.

The effect of the war still resonates with me practically everyday in the form of freedom to live as Americans and I’m extremely proud to be one and will continue to honor those by being a good patriot.

 

[bigtiller]

At only 49, I still am tremendously fascinated and in awe of “The Greatest Generation” that ever lived through the Great Depression and endured through the war on many fronts, both at home and on the frontlines.

The effect of the war still resonates with me practically everyday in the form of freedom to live as Americans and I’m extremely proud to be one and will continue to honor those by being a good patriot.

Well spoken..... they did what they had to do to exist, something that in todays world doesn't happen often. It seams with any hardship the first thing people do now is go to a crowdfunding site and beg for someone else to make them whole.

I have to agree with Tom Brokaw, they are the Greatest Generation.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Watching WW2 in colour, s1,E9 Overlord on Netflix

 

[David Wayne]

I bought my house from the folks that were my neighbor for all of my life. I think he was in Africa in artillary. While remodeling one of the bedrooms some years later I found a shelf that had been paneled over. It had a box that had German, and French, phrase books, and
field artillary military fundamentals. On the bottom was a folded cloth, as I unfolded it the hair on my neck stood up. It was a 3x5
********. I went to two of his brothers one Navy WW2, one Korea to get the story of where he got it from, they had no idea it existed
and said when he came home he never spoke of the war. I wish I had found it while he was still alive so I could get the history behind it.

 

[Lgim]

My Dad died in 1969 when I was just a young boy so I don't remember ever talking to him about the war. However my Mom said he served in the Canadian Army and had crossed to France on D Day.

I never really thought about it until a couple years ago, I was surfing the web and about ready to call it a night. I came across a story that was written by a gentleman in his later years recalling his service in WW2, the man had just passed away and his son had posted the story online so the rest of his family could see it. Anyhow I started reading it and "hey" this is the same division and unit that my Dad was in. I continued on and and when he got to D Day he listed the men he was with. Seems him and my Dad and two others were in the same truck, they loaded on the landing craft on the evening of the 5th and were expected to land on Juno at 3:00 pm on the 6th. As it turned out there was no room on the beach so they were ordered back and spent the rest of the day and night under the guns of one of the Navy ships that was shelling the mainland. It was early the next morning before they were allowed to land.

Needless to say it was several hrs later before I went to bed. Without a doubt the best thing I have found on the internet.

I am truly amazed at what these people saw and did simply because it had to be done. different times for sure.

 

[Sigarms]

10 uncles who served in WW2, one KIA in Belgium.

All of my uncles were born in the United States, and thier parents came to the US AFTER 1900 (all immigrants).

My mom's mom was a single mother around the age of 40 with 12 kids. My dad was one of 11.

My mom's mother second husband had his first wife die of a infected tooth that was pulled. No insurance, no outrage, just bad luck and no one really cared. My mom's mom first husband died of black lung working in the mines.

The only grandmother I knew was on my moms side. She was probably as tough as any of her sons who went to war. Most religious woman I personally knew.

 

[teejk]

In the run-up to the 75th anniversary tomorrow, a few cable channels have been running hours and hours of historical film. It's disrupting my sleep schedule because I can't turn it off. We visited Normandy about 20 years ago (was living in the UK at the time). My in-laws came over for Christmas and we got on a ferry between Christmas and New Year. We were the only tourists there. Besides the "beach" (cliff?) we also visited the huge museum in Caen where we could have spent days. That trip still ranks #1 on my long list of trips. A good friend of mine's father was attached to Patton's army (demolition expert) and came up through the Italian campaign and into the battle of the bulge and later stayed on through the reconstruction. He rarely talked about the war which I understand was common in both the European and Asia/Pacific soldiers...mental blockage. After he passed, my friend showed me a shoe box of those old B/W snapshot photos which included a lot of pictures of the Buchenwald concentration camp that he helped liberate. Shocking.

 

[MossRoad]

That's All Brother...

D-Day 75th Anniversary | C-47 Plane

 

[USAFpj]

That trip still ranks #1 on my long list of trips.

Teejk- I've been to Normandy twice, but a trip that I think would be great is to transport our 1943 Dodge over and drive it all over the region. It's a fairly common occurrence from what I saw. Maybe once the kids are all out of the house, the wife and I could do it..

But you're right- there just is not enough time in a day to see everything, and to do it in a patient manner.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My dad volunteered to go fight, right after HS.. And his grandmother came from Germany.

As i was watching some of the show WW2, my youngest son walks in. I said, you know Grandpa was only 20 when he went across there.

 

[ovrszd]

My dad volunteered to go fight, right after HS.. And his grandmother came from Germany.

As i was watching some of the show WW2, my youngest son walks in. I said, you know Grandpa was only 20 when he went across there.

I was an Infantry Squad Leader in Vietnam before I could vote or buy beer.....

Our society has no qualms about sending our youth into battle before we consider them mature in society.

 

[wngsprd]

Thank you all for sharing your stories...I am truly touched.

 

[Sigarms]

Our society has no qualms about sending our youth into battle before we consider them mature in society.

Our government has no qualms about sending our youth into battle before we consider them mature in society.

 

[Scrambler82]

In the same sense as the OP, I would like to mention my father, he spent his Army years in the 101st Air Borne Division and was in Bastone, when we (the USA) told the Germans "NUTS" to their request we surrender.

Without ALL of the US Forces, the world might be speaking German !

 

[thekkfan]

That's All Brother...

D-Day 75th Anniversary | C-47 Plane

Great read, thx for sharing!

 

[crashz]

I'd like to mention my grandfather Sergeant Hoag. My hero and I miss him everyday. He was in in Africa then Sicily and the only surviving member of his unit. He was shipped home barely alive and re-assembled at the VA hospital.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I'd like to mention my grandfather Sergeant Hoag. My hero and I miss him everyday. He was in in Africa then Sicily and the only surviving member of his unit. He was shipped home barely alive and re-assembled at the VA hospital.

Glad he made it.

 

[riptides]

My Mom fled westward during WWII with family as the Russians advanced through the central Europe. Their hope was to be liberated by the allies when they heard of the invasion.

My dad and his brother were spirited out of Siberian gulag under a deal made between Roosevelt the Catholic Church and Stalin (1939 isch). He thought he was an orphan until he found his father in the early 50's. My grandfather on my Dad's side fought under the Free Polish Army during WWII in the Italian Campaign. He earned some medals for being wounded during the Battle for Montico Cassino. Of my dad''s dad, 11 brothers and one sister, only two that we know of survived the war. Some were executed by the Russians for fighting with the allies during WWII on their return to Poland. Most died during the war, either by German or Russian hands. The one surviving brother ended up in Canada. My grandfather passed here, on Long Island. Of the two families, there were claims of prominence, stature and riches before the war. Afterwards, they were orphans (my Dad) and refugees (my Mom) in a rebuilding Europe.

My dad, joined the US Army when he was of age. There he rose through the ranks of Airbourne, Special Forces, MI and clandestine services. His history reads that of the US's greatest military engagements and clandestine operations. While deployed in Europe he met my Mom. They got married on June 6th.

Obviously my gratitude is for all those brave men and women who served, and special thanks to those who liberated Europe. And it started on June 6th.

 

[ArlyA]

The allied landings in Sicily and then Italy, were terrible battles with high, high losses. They are somewhat forgotten campaigns today but were very needed to learn what was necessary for the jump into Normandy. Your grandfather was lucky and glad you got him back.

I'd like to mention my grandfather Sergeant Hoag. My hero and I miss him everyday. He was in in Africa then Sicily and the only surviving member of his unit. He was shipped home barely alive and re-assembled at the VA hospital.