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D-Day observed in the USA: June 6, 2018

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 8:26 pm
by PT7
SALUTE

Happening quite soon after Memorial Day, tomorrow we have another important date from our country's history.

Why do we Americans remember/ observe June 6th, D-Day each year?
The remembrance is to honor those men and women who fought and made sacrifices on June 6, 1944 in the battle located in Normandy, France during World War II.

From a couple different internet summaries of the 1944 invasion, I selected these brief statements to remind us of the tremendous sacrifices and great cost resulting from this day in our history.

Operation Overlord was the large Allied invasion against the Nazi-held Normandy coastline during World War II. It was launched with 160,000 troops, over 13,000 aircraft and 5,000 ships. By the end of the day, American and Allied soldiers had broken through the Nazi defenses and had a foothold in Normandy.

Unfortunately, it also came at a great price. During the attack, over 9,000 Allied soldiers and paratroopers were either wounded or killed that first day – sacrifices which allowed the other 100,000 soldiers used in the landings to complete the mission. This day is often called the beginning of the end of WWII by historians.

I also found one of numerous D-Day quotes by General Dwight D. Eisenhower about this day, which I had never read. It shed a new light for me on such sacrifice and loss.
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." Dwight D. Eisenhower
Take care, Everyone.
PT7

Re: D-Day observed in the USA: June 6, 2018

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 9:51 pm
by Sir Henry
America's greatest generation at their best.

Re: D-Day observed in the USA: June 6, 2018

Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 11:05 pm
by BigAl52
There is alot of kids in school right now that dont even have a clue about this because there not exposed to it in history class. I went to a restaurant in Denver with my wifes kids who are in there late 30's. The restaurant was called Okinawa and they serve sushi. I asked her kids if the knew anything about where Okinawa came from. They could not tell me. I agree SH greatest generation of this country.

Re: D-Day observed in the USA: June 6, 2018

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 8:01 am
by PT7
Painting of D-Day on Omaha Beach by Will Pleydon
omaha_beach__d_day.jpg
omaha_beach__d_day.jpg (137.14 KiB) Viewed 1960 times

Re: D-Day observed in the USA: June 6, 2018

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 5:52 pm
by RanchRoper
Freedom is not free. Good post. Thanks.

Re: D-Day observed in the USA: June 6, 2018

Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:17 pm
by clovishound
For you Star Trek fans, who may not know, James Doohan (AKA Scotty), was wounded during the D-Day invasion, and lost a finger. They carefully kept his missing finger from the cameras.