D-Day
 

My thanks and prayers for all of those who stormed Fortress Europe 58 years ago today. My solemn gratitude and sorrow for the 2,000 who did not live to see D-Day+1 and the many others who would die fighting in the difficult bocage country.

Imagine it is 58 years ago... Imagine you are alone in the night, separated from comrades, huddled in fear, waiting to link up with friendly forces and terrified that the cadence of approaching boots may bring death or capture rather than relief. I am so glad I didn't have to endure one of the thousands of hells experienced that night.

Gentlemen, my friends forgot you. No Spielberg movie to remind them this year. I pray the President did not forget you. But I will never forget how you freed an entire Continent, ended tyranny and destroyed an insidious evil. God bless you all.

Too bad their isn't a smiley for admiration, relief, sadness, pride and gratefulness all rolled in to one. The thought of this battle always overwhelms me with too many conflicting emotions. "Never again" is the one thought that always comes to mind. But where there is tyranny, and it regenerates time and again, young men of high moral character will be called upon to sacrifice themselves so that others can live free. How unfair. How sad. How I wish it would happen never again.

So true

[img]confused.gif[/img] <img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[crying]" /> [img]confused.gif[/img]

Very well put, and the war we are fighting again is important too. What they are now doing to hostages, the Daniel Pearl incident and some of the others mentioned in the news is pretty horrible. We must continue to fight all those that would take our precious freedoms, where ever and when ever they attack us. I do feel a prudent preemptive strike is not a bad thing. <img src="graemlins/offtopic.gif" border="0" alt="[offtopic]" />

I am now almost 68, too young for WWII, but I remember it well. You youngsters might not realize it based on the more recent skirmishes, but we fought WWII for the very existence of the US, democracy, etc. There were no protesters, anti-war garbage or such foolishness. Everybody was involved 100%. All men either were in the armed forces, defense industries or were 4F. There were few days off and no vacations. Most women were in the defense factories. Everything was rationed--coffee, meat, sugar, butter, gasoline, etc. No new cars (or even tires) were available for the duration. Pay, rent, prices, etc. were frozen.

This was serious business fighting ruthless and determined enemies. We owe our vererans everything. You would be speaking German or Japanese (and bowing to some dictator) if it weren't for them.

AGE

Alfred,

Thank you for your unique insight. I can't imagine how it was for you as a child during the war. I appreciate having grown up in the sheltered prosperity of post-war America. And I still respect and admire those who made the supreme sacrifice.

Jimbo,

We were very sheltered living in an inland area of Pennsylvania. We did have air raid rehersals and neighborhood men were air raid wardens (checking lights, etc. during drills). However no real action, but lots of following the news.

I was 7 when war broke out and 12 when it was over. We did lose one neighbor from across the street who was in the air force. My dad had a handicap--4F, but worked in a machine shop 12/7. I had 2 cousins in the war, both made it back.

News pictures were often sickening as were reports of the Holocast at the end of the war. We were thankful for the A-bomb no matter what the later protesters thought.

Remember these veterans. Many lived under extreme hardship (unbathed, slept in a hole, ate from a can, etc.) for 5 years--and then there were the prisoners.

Remember these vets and respect them.

"Remember these vets and respect them."

Indeed, with the utmost humility.