Eighty one years ago on this day.

[Duncanpup]

D -day was going down. I cannot imagine the fear that these fine men felt or their thoughts riding to the beach feeling the sea spray hitting them. Perhaps they were thinking this is it I’m Fucked as they shook with fear dry heaving or puking from the adrenaline overload alone in thought.

And when they hit the beach and the ramps came down German MG-42 crews going to work rounds ripping into the bodies of our people I’d been pissing my pants out of fear gotta move move fast to get off this landing craft self preservation kicks in.

And if you made it onto the beach find cover shit I’d be thinking I’m ok sergeant I’ll just lay behind this tank obstacle for the rest of my days send me a card when you liberate Berlin.

And those men riding in the bellies of C-47 making ready to drop out of the night sky to liberate France enemy flak ripping through the skins of the aircraft no place to take cover only to sit there.
Perhaps thinking if i get it from the flak i hope it is quick and painless.

Maybe feeling relieved when the jump master starts the commands outboard Personell stand up and in hearing those commands they were probably thinking finally I’m getting off this bird.

And not only on this day I’m thinking our men who fought on Tarawa Guadalcanal or North Africa. They saved the world no drama i just have immense respect for these guys who unfortunately found themselves having to become warriors.

I was fortunate enough to know some of these guys it was the late eighties early nineties i worked with these men in freight union they were close to retirement.

My one union steward for us road drivers survived Tarawa. And i remember reading a book years later about Tarawa an absolute Hell.

And i thought about this man my old road steward in that he was always up for knocking a few breakfast beers down after a night run.

He never talked of his time island hopping i never asked yet now looking back and remembering he had to have had PTSD.

In that he would lose his shit and go off never with me only management real quick from nice guy to extremely angry.
A good man to have in your corner as union driver though.

[SheltieLover]

1. I cannot even imagine, Dunc.

All respect to those who have served.

[underpants]

2. The man who officiated our wedding was there, as a Chaplain

He was unarmed.

[k_buddy762]

16. I would argue

that he possessed the Armor of God, and he was protected for a higher purpose. God bless men like him.

[True Blue American]

3. My late Husband

Was wounded on Omaha Beach, second wave, went on to help liberate the camps.
First man stepped on a mine, second, wounded badly, my husband was third in line, 18 years old.
Life time Democrat. He would not be happy today.

I met him later, but his life was shortened from the chemicals.

[wolfie001]

7. A true modest Hero!

RIP 🙏

[Ilsa]

14. Please keep telling his story. Someday the

assholes will try to rewrite it to fit their agenda.

[True Blue American]

4. BTW

They were given Medals of Valor 30 years later. The Chaplain that was with them all the way led us through their journey.
Some were still alive. Saw tears rolling down theis cheeks as the Chaplain relived the journey.

About half of their children accepted for them.

Small world,huh guys!.
They drank to forget.
My Husband just would not discuss it.

[sl8]

5. Well said. Thanks. nt

[irisblue]

6. The US 5th Army, under Lt Gen Mark Clark, liberated Rome on 6 June 1944.

That bit of history gets overshadowed by the Normandy Landings.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/5/newsid_3547000/3547329.stm#:~:text=Rome%20is%20the%20first%20of,offensive%2C%20Lieutenant%20General%20Mark%20Clark.

snip-"Rome is the first of the three Axis powers' capitals to be taken and its recapture will be seen as a significant victory for the Allies and the American commanding officer who led the final offensive, Lieutenant General Mark Clark."

The Allied Armies invaded Sicily in July 1943, invaded the Italian main land in September 43 and slowly fought their way up towards Rome.


Wiki-https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_campaign_(World_War_II)

[CanonRay]

27. My father in law was one of these.

Bronze Star, Purple Heart.

[irisblue]

28. Honor and respect to him.

[yellowdogintexas]

51. My uncle (my mother's brother) drove a tank in that assault. He got his first Purple Heart there

Later he was with Patton's Army when they liberated the Ardennes in the Battle of the Bulge.

My father was one of the ones trapped in the forest in that horrible cold winter and nearly lost his feet to severe frostbite. He received a Bronze Star

They came home to the same small town in Kentucky and had never met prior to the War. (my mom's family had moved there from Kansas during the War). As small as that town was, my parents did not meet until 1946

Daddy never talked about the War, but he always hated cold weather and snow. Actually, few of the WW II veterans that I knew did not talk about the war, unless it was non battle type things, especially some of the other soldiers. Without a doubt, Daddy had a massive PTSD which haunted him his whole life, and led to a severe depression which eventually ended his life.

Nowadays, doctors are better at recognizing signs of depression and give better treatment.

[CanonRay]

58. My father-in-law never talked about it either

until I took him to see Saving Private Ryan. Then he opened up.

[oasis]

34. Good to know. Thanks for posting.

[erronis]

37. A friend was an Italian teacher at the University of Kansas. He was in Sicily when the Allies landed.

His recollections were crystal clear once triggered by a taste.

When the soldiers passed through (Palermo I think), they were throwing out candies. This very young boy scooped up what he could and forgot about that particular episode.

One day after arriving in his new home town of Lawrence, KS, he went to a local soda fountain and decided to order a root beer. Once he had the first sip all of those memories from 20+ years ago flooded his mind. He said it was almost overwhelming - he could remember the soldier's faces.

[sl8]

44. The BBC article says June 5, the Wikipedia article says June 4.

Actually, the BBC's "On This Day .." article about June 5 is about celebrations taking place in Rome, which is consistent with other accounts that place the capture on June 4.

I've read that Clark's capture of Rome was the big news for a couple of days, and then D-Day completely overshadowed it.

Clark has come in for a lot of criticism, albeit certainly not unanimously, for that move.

[CTyankee]

8. My cousin 'chuted into France on D-Day, part of the invasion forces launched that day.

He was a kid from Texas, didn't know a word of French, and had a compass (NO GPS IN THOSE DAYS!), some French phrases and words, probably some rations of water and food) and, of course, a MAP.

The thought of what that day must have been like is scary enough...

[dedl67]

9. My Dad was in the first wave on Omaha Beach

I regret that I never accompanied my Dad on visits to Normandy after the War and that I didn't talk with him more about his experiences on that day. He did tell me that "Saving Private Ryan' was a pretty good representation of what he experienced on the landing.

When I think of the bravery of the110,000 brave men who landed in Normandy that day, I am depressed by how far we have fallen today.

[CTyankee]

12. But they didn't have the media we do today. They probably couldn't imagine what the horrors were that lay ahead.

[True Blue American]

29. Wright Patterson Air Force Base

Had a great program on DDay a few years ago with videos and all the facts. My Sons in-laws were all surprised his Fad was there and wounded. Asked him why he never talked about it. His answer? “ dad never talked about it.. those who bragged probably never saw it. Those who did wanted to forhpget.

He would never go to the VFW or even ,attend reunions. What is to brag about seeing a man,probably friend blown to pieced stepping on a land mine or shot in cold blood. I loved what Sharmer said to Trump. Shut him down fast.

[underpants]

25. A majority of the soldiers were fresh out of basic

Young
In shape
Knew to follow orders without thinking
Had no idea that THAT was not anything close to the norm

[70sEraVet]

10. Our Orange-AssHoliness believes that only weak Veterans have PTSD.

“When you talk about the mental health problems — when people come back from war and combat, and they see things that maybe a lot of the folks in this room have seen many times over, and you’re strong and you can handle it. But a lot of people can’t handle it,”

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-suggests-vets-ptsd-cant-handle
Then, HE can't pay respect to those buried in France because his hair would get wet.

I don't know how any Vet can support that malicious malingerer.

[Javaman]

11. my cousin Vinny.

Yes, I have a cousin Vinny.

he was in the first wave and was one of only 3 guys that survived in his company. all the others were either wounded or killed.

he sat on the shingle for 3 days under constant fire.

he is gone now, but I think of him on this day.

he was from Brooklyn, NY. He went on become a plumber and raise a family in the Bronx.

Thanks, Vinny.

[Duncanpup]

17. Jesus Christ

[Ilsa]

13. I went to bed after midnight, EDT thinking

about how at this moment 81 years ago, they were up, maybe on their way. The generals fearing an extraordinary loss of life from the invasion, even as many as half their paratroopers. This is a sacrifice for which we must always be grateful and remember.

[Martin Eden]

15. Bravery is not lack of fear

Bravery is moving forward despite the fear, doing what must be done so that others won't live in fear.

The task before us today is not nearly so fraught with physical pain and death, but the stakes are very much the same -- the survival of freedom and democracy.

Will we rise to this occasion, and do what must be done?

Eighty-one years ago, battle plans were carefully laid out for the brave soldiers of free nations. Our tasks are less certain, but at least one thing remains the same: the resolve and determination to reach within ourselves and put our hearts and minds to work in defeating the evil before us.

[JohnnyRingo]

18. Very well written

You could only have done better if you were there.

[MissouriDem47]

19. Dad

My Dad was an artillery forward observer when he served in the 6th Division, 6th Army that liberated the Philippines. He very seldom ever talked about the war and when he did it was usually it was just a quick comment. When he came home he was down to 125 lbs and was battling malaria. Because of the point system he was on a troop ship headed home when the "The Bomb" was dropped. I asked him about it's usage in the 70's. He said simply, "it stopped the war". He was one of the millions of his generation that saved democracy for the world. We now see their sacrifices wasted as people support TACO and his brand of fascism.

[chouchou]

20. There were quite a few soldiers died in the waters. Never had a chance to even fire their weapon.

My husband knew a few Englishmen that lost their buddies that way...Talk about War is hell.

[underpants]

26. That was depicted in Saving Private Ryan

That’s a lot of gear to be swimming in

🕯️

[elocs]

31. My favorite movie as a kid was "The Longest Day", a great war movie full of stars

that was almost portrayed like a documentary in 1962. But its violence was tame compared to how graphic "Saving Private Ryan" was. I don't think I could have dealt seeing that when I was 10 years old.

[yellowdogintexas]

52. or the series "Band of Brothers" which follows a team all the way through their war experience

It is riveting. I almost did not make it through the segment on The Battle of the Bulge due to my father's experience there.

[elocs]

54. My father's war ended just before the Battle of the Bulge when he got wounded for the 2nd time

and when sent to England to recuperate. I've always wondered if I have an older sibling somewhere else in the world fought through North Africa into Sicily and then off to England to train for D-Day. Then fighting through France and into Germany. He was a good looking guy who played guitar and sang.

[erronis]

38. Or "Dunkirk" - about the evacuation at the beginning of the war.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_(2017_film)

[underpants]

40. I haven't seen that.

A 60 pound rucksack was the standard when I was in that gear us one thing but you have to carry all the ammo YOU will need. That’s a lot of weight.

[barbtries]

21. I had a teacher who was there.

yeah he was scared. I think in my mind it became surreal for them, like we're doing this, we are going to do this, and bodies start moving and some start falling and there's a kind of shock factor but no way to turn back or change what will happen on this day.

thank you for posting Duncanpup. It's even more moving today considering what's happening here.

It's also a day of Mass Protest to support today's Veterans who are being fucked over by krasnov and co.
This link leads to a spreadsheet to one near you and anyone up for it:
https://bit.ly/dday2025

I'm going to the protest in Raleigh NC.

[ECL213]

22. I can't imagine the fear Fred Trump must have felt...

as young soldiers moved out of their New York city apartments. "Who will pay the rent? Will I have to start renting to coloreds? At least there will be fewer Jews walking around."

[JMCKUSICK]

23. Thank you so much for such a beautiful tribute

To all that served in WWII. Your vivid imagery really does capture what they might have seen or experienced in such a captive state
Thank you Duncanpup

[SheLiberal]

24. Well Said Ducanpup

My father wasn’t at D Day but he was a mechanic in China keeping planes flying to bomb Japan. I never knew the man he was before the war but I would occasionally see glimpses of him growing up . Unfortunately most of the time he was dealing with some terrible demons from that time and used alcohol to keep them at bay.
I can not fathom the courage they had.

[elocs]

30. My dad landed on Omaha Beach. He was a heavy machine-gunner.

He was not a big guy but in the course of his war starting in North Africa and ending in Germany in November of '44 he won a silver start and 2 Purple hearts.
I have a short letter he wrote to his dad a few days after D-Day where he told him that he almost had 1 less son that day.
He became a 100% disabled vet and died at age 49 in 1970 as a result of what we now call PTSD.

[Norbert]

32. If my dad was alive...

He would tell me one more time. "I wasn't a hero. I made it home."

Sorry, dad. You will forever be my hero.

[Aristus]

33. My school bus driver when I was in 7th Grade had served as a glider pilot during World War II.

I used to sit behind his driver's seat on the way home from school and listen to him talk about the war. He never went into any real detail about the things he saw and did (as real veterans tend avoid this). I can't remember if he ever told me he had served during the Normandy invasion. But the D-Day landings were the largest operation during the war in which the Allies used gliders and glider infantry. So he may have been there.

Hats off to Mr. Taylor...

[LetMyPeopleVote]

35. We will remember them

[biophile]

36. My dad was in France (Army)

I don’t know exactly when or where. The one thing he told me was that his troop got lost and they didn’t try too hard to be found ☺️😏. I wish I could ask him more about it but he’s gone now. When I was younger, I didn’t think of the many questions that I now have. 😑

You know, we were kind of told not to pry or ask. Only if they decided to volunteer information would it be acceptable to inquire. Many never volunteered to talk about whatever things they saw, felt or experienced.

[Evolve Dammit]

39. You can request all records of his service. I did for my Dad. Took awhile but it was about two inches thick.

[biophile]

41. Thank you

To What office do you make such a request?

[ShazzieB]

47. You can do it online, at the National Archives website.

https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records

[biophile]

60. More great information- thank you very much!

[Evolve Dammit]

49. Veterans Affairs I think? It was 20 years ago but they had a ton of his records.

[biophile]

50. Once again, thank you- I appreciate your help and information!

[yellowdogintexas]

53. You can request them and the Congress person in your father's home district is where you start

However, depending on where they were when they were inducted, their records may have been destroyed in a huge warehouse fire in Missouri maybe 30 years ago. My father's records were in that warehouse.

Modern restoration technology has made a huge difference in salvaging these documents. My sister is researching to find our dad's records. We want to get his Bronze Star documentation, if you have it you can get a new medal. His original was destroyed (ironically) in a house fire in 1988.

We do know what he did to earn it; at least he told my mother that or maybe his sister told my mother.

[Evolve Dammit]

59. That would be great if you could get that. I didn't need a congress person?

[czarjak]

42. All for naught too?

My Daddy and five Uncles fought and served. Suckers & Losers after all?

[republianmushroom]

43. What is owed to these mem is unbelievable.

To those who have pasted RIP, those alive thank you.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

45. Our 6th grade teacher was in the 4th wave at Iwo Jima.

He didn't tell us about it when he was our teacher. He was such a great teacher that almost the entire class came home for a reunion forty years later. That's when he told us of his wartime experience. He spent the rest of his life helping Marine Corps Vets and arranging honor guards at funerals, in addition to being a distinguished teacher and principal.

[young_at_heart]

55. It's people like your teacher that should make us

think about the mess in Washington caused by a person who called your teacher a "loser". It just makes my blood boil!!!

[pansypoo53219]

46. i enjoyed playing card at a small wi town's VFW when my grandma was visiting her sister. fun guys + i met a man

who was at the bulge. + he was 6'8". awe. my great-great uncle was too old for d day, but he served in europe past the end. i red his letters + he was not happy he had to stay.

[C Moon]

48. Damn. The deaths. Even civilian deaths were insane.

Fuck the nazis!
I would guess a lot of the 210,000 missing German soldiers were deserters.

[senseandsensibility]

56. K and R

Thank you for posting this.

[Diamond_Dog]

57. Thank you for this incredibly written post Duncanpup.

We will never forget.