Allies Storm Normandy Beaches

[mittman]

On 6 June 1944 allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. The beginning of the end for the Nazis.

My grandfather landed there, but well after D-Day. I think this is one of the most sobering places in the world. If you every get a chance to visit the American Cemetary there do not pass it up.

 

[RTR91]

A buddy & I went down to the DDay Museum in Nola 6/6/09 for the 65th anniversary of DDay. The museum had invited every known living DDay vet, and a couple hundred showed up. One of the most awesome experiences of my life, in the true sense of the word "awesome." I mostly managed not to blubber like a prom queen among all these guys (mostly, I say). And very rarely am I speechless, but this was one of those times. My buddy took his copy of Citizen Soldier and a pen, and got a bunch of those guys to sign it for him. He told them all "thanks for your service" and was usually met with "You're most welcome, son" or "We just did our duty" or something like that. A real treat was watching some of those guys encounter their war buddies: "Hey, Joe! How the (heck) are ya?" "Boy, you look great; what's your secret?" "I work out; doesn't everybody?" (etc.) There was one guy there who had on his "Iwo Jima Veteran" t-shirt; non-stop ribbing, all with smiles & laughs. "Boy, they let anybody in here, don't they?" "Just thought I'd add a bit of class & dignity to these proceedings" (etc.) Not far at all beneath their ribbing was a HUGE amount of mutual respect, knowing that they all were part of two world-changing events that required guts unimaginable by most of us. Shaking hands with a bunch of those guys throughout the day will always be a life highlight.

The same buddy just recently toured the Normandy area for a couple of days. For him--an Army veteran--a highlight was being asked to be part of the flag-lowering ceremony at dusk at the cemetary because he was a veteran. He kept his military bearing until the ceremony was complete, at which time he did NOT avoid crying like a prom queen. No chance I would've either, since I did so merely seeing the pics his wife took of that ceremony.

My dad and his best friend (I call him my uncle) went to the museum shortly after it opened. Both of them were in little cubicles listening to the audio of the video clip being shown. When they got finished watching the video, my dad noticed a few gentlemen standing behind them. My dad asked if they were at Normandy. I can't remember if all or just one were. My dad and uncle just told them "thank you" and how they appreciated their service. My dad says it was an honor to meet the gentlemen.

I'm only 21 years old. Many posters on here have heard stories from people that were on Normandy or other parts of WW2. I have not had that fortune yet, but to those that served our country and the other countries during WW1 and WW2 - thank you for the sacrifices you made. It will never be forgotten.

 

[rizolltizide]

Lest anyone ever wonder why they were the greatest generation.

 

[dayhiker]

Here's a copy and paste from the wiki page on Gen. Ted Roosevelt, son of Pres Teddy Roosevelt:

In February 1944, Roosevelt was assigned to England to help lead the Normandy invasion. He was assigned to the staff of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division. After several verbal requests to the division's commanding officer, Maj. General "Tubby" Barton, were denied, Roosevelt sent a written petition:
The force and skill with which the first elements hit the beach and proceed may determine the ultimate success of the operation.... With troops engaged for the first time, the behavior pattern of all is apt to be set by those first engagements. [It is] considered that accurate information of the existing situation should be available for each succeeding element as it lands. You should have when you get to shore an overall picture in which you can place confidence. I believe I can contribute materially on all of the above by going in with the assault companies. Furthermore I personally know both officers and men of these advance units and believe that it will steady them to know that I am with them.[12]

Barton approved this letter with much misgiving, stating that he did not expect Roosevelt to return alive.
Roosevelt would be the only general on D-Day to land by sea with the first wave of troops. At 56, he would be the oldest man in the invasion, and the only man to serve with his son on D-Day at Normandy (Captain Quentin Roosevelt II was among the first wave of soldiers to land at Omaha beach while his father commanded at Utah beach).
Ted Roosevelt was one of the first soldiers, along with Capt. Leonard T. Schroeder Jr., off his landing craft as he led the U.S. 4th Infantry Division's 8th Infantry Regiment and 70th Tank Battalion landing at Utah Beach. Roosevelt was soon informed that the landing craft had drifted more than a mile south of their objective, and the first wave was a mile off course. Walking with the aid of a cane and carrying a pistol, he personally made a reconnaissance of the area immediately to the rear of the beach to locate the causeways that were to be used for the advance inland. He then returned to the point of landing and contacted the commanders of the two battalions, Lt. Cols. Conrad C. Simmons and Carlton O. MacNeely, and coordinated the attack on the enemy positions confronting them. Roosevelt's famous words in these circumstances were, "We’ll start the war from right here!".[15] These impromptu plans worked with complete success and little confusion. With artillery landing close by, each follow-on regiment was personally welcomed on the beach by a cool, calm, and collected Roosevelt, who inspired all with humor and confidence, reciting poetry and telling anecdotes of his father to steady the nerves of his men. Ted pointed almost every regiment to its changed objective. Sometimes he worked under fire as a self-appointed traffic cop, untangling traffic jams of trucks and tanks all struggling to get inland and off the beach.
When General Barton, the CG of the 4th Division, came ashore, he met Roosevelt not far from the beach. He later wrote that
while I was mentally framing [orders], Ted Roosevelt came up. He had landed with the first wave, had put my troops across the beach, and had a perfect picture (just as Roosevelt had earlier promised if allowed to go ashore with the first wave) of the entire situation. I loved Ted. When I finally agreed to his landing with the first wave, I felt sure he would be killed. When I had bade him goodbye, I never expected to see him alive. You can imagine then the emotion with which I greeted him when he came out to meet me [near La Grande Dune]. He was bursting with information.[16]

With his division's original plan modified on the beach, the division was able to achieve its mission objectives by simply coming ashore and attacking north behind the beach toward its original objective. Years later, General Omar Bradley was asked to name the single most heroic action he had ever seen in combat, and he replied, "Ted Roosevelt on Utah Beach." Originally recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross by General Barton, the award was upgraded at higher headquarters to the Medal of Honor which Roosevelt was posthumously awarded on 28 September 1944.[17]

 

[RVTIDER]

Lest anyone ever wonder why they were the greatest generation.

This and they liked to work for their payday as opposed to walking from the couch to the mailbox.

 

[G-VilleTider]

This and they liked to work for their payday as opposed to walking from the couch to the mailbox.

Thats why I had mine switched to electronic deposit. It sucked having to walk all the way to the mailbox to get paid ...

 

[PattheCatinSaudi]

My uncle (married my Mom's sister) joined the Army to escape Dust Bowl Oklahoma in 1940. He was sent to Hawaii and was at Schofield Barracks when the Japanese attacked. He applied and was accepted into OCS and was sent to England as a 2nd LT. He landed on Omaha day one. One of a select few who were at both Pearl Harbor and DDay. He spend 33 years in the Army, rising to bird Colonel. He fought in the Bulge, Berlin Airlift, Korea and Viet Nam.

My mother's first cousin was in the original Rangers and landed the first day at Normandy. He was killed and buried at the cemetary there until the family fianlly was able to convince the government to let them bring his body home to Semmes.

At the same time, my Dad was at Great Lakes Naval Station, being trained as a corpsman. His brother was on a bomber crew flying missions over Japan.

 

[rizolltizide]

Thats why I had mine switched to electronic deposit. It sucked having to walk all the way to the mailbox to get paid ...

Honesty is virtuous in and of itself.

 

[dayhiker]

My mother's first cousin was in the original Rangers and landed the first day at Normandy. He was killed and buried at the cemetary there until the family fianlly was able to convince the government to let them bring his body home to Semmes.

Seems like I read a book on Point du Hoc once. It's an amazing story.

 

[BradtheImpaler]

I had an great-uncle there in the 82nd Airborne. He got hit in the left hand between his thumb and forefinger on the way out of the glider and he said it looked like hamburger meat, but other than that, he never really said much else about it.

Greatest generation indeed.

 

[SavannahDare]

We should all be humbled by benefitting as we do from the sacrifices, physical and mental, those young men made that day. Many of them suffered til the day they died, be it in combat or decades later at home.

May their souls rest in peace.

 

[jabcmb]

I was at the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994 and we had 8 WWII veterans on board with us ....

I, too, was at the 50th anniversary in 1994, except I was in the Army stationed with public affairs in/around the cemetary for two weeks leading up to June 6th. You didn't say what ship you were on, but I was invited to Captain's Call aboard the USS Normandy and regret I couldn't go out there due to our work schedule. I'm sure your ship was among those I saw in the channel on that day.

One of my best memories in life is meeting, talking with, and sometimes assisting the actual D Day veterans who attended the 50th Anniversary. Today's popular headlines talk about how great JLo, Brad, and the rest of the stars are and many people follow them closely. I'm sorry for those people because I met true celebrities that day in France, heroes who you wouldn't give a second glance if you passed them on the street, and for me, no one else can compare.

 

[jabcmb]

 

[willie52]

It's been a long time but you should visit the retirement homes of some of these veterans and talk to them. I spent many hours talking and listening to stories, something most kids now have no interest in. It was hard to get my dad to talk but after 35 years or so, I wrestled some stories out of him. I saw the movie Patton with him and he made sure I knew which parts were true and which were Hollywood. You ever notice in the film at the beginning Gen. Patton is wearing two pistols and later in the movie he is wearing only one, he gave it to Marlene Deitrich according to him. Spoke with other veterans about movies reflecting actions they were involved in and most would talk more it seemed like to ensure their story was told accurately and there is some funny stuff in those stories.

 

[seebell]

http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/index.php

Beautiful videos. Many, many, white crosses.

Public television had a special last year on military cemeteries. They are stunningly beautiful.