D-Day

Amen

Yes, indeed.

The men were brave the assault was senseless proving what idiots Marshall, Montgomery,Eisenhower were. The war was already won or at least almost won. Bradly and Patton advocated for a push from the south and don't forget a year earlier Patton was ready to roll into Berlin only to be stopped by Eisenhower and Montgomery. The rivalry between Montgomery and Patton was not just the stuff of Hollywood movies. The Germans feared Patton more than any other general after he defeated Rommel. Eisenhower set up a fake story about Operation Fortitude South the fight that Bradley and Patton wanted and went ahead with D Day a plan that failed miserably in the cost of human life even though it did in a round about way of achieve its directives. In the advance to Berlin Patton was the first to cross the river Rhine even though Eisenhower told him to wait for Monty to catch up. The other mistake Eisenhower made was making Bradley attack Berlin further from the south allowing Russia to annex more territory. www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/NoOverlord/index.html

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have
striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The
hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.
In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on
other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war
machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of
Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well
equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of
1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats,
in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their
strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home
Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions
of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men.
The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to
Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in
battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great
and noble undertaking.

SIGNED: Dwight D. Eisenhower Letter to every man before DDay.

I read some of Ernie Pyle's columns written on D-Day and the days following the event. Very sobering reading.

Operation Tiger a even bigger cluster costing est 749-1000 troops this was a practice run for D-Day. www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/legendary-paratrooper-amazing-story.html  So much for surprise attack on D-Day.

Those people are true heroes! They deserve more than they ever got, or will ever get!

I was in the Navy with Chief Warrant Officer Woods, he was in the Army, went ashore at DDay, liberated Dachau, he never forgot the things he saw there, I was his friend, carried him back to the ship, drunk, mumbling about Dachau, things like that can never be unseen. He reenlisted in the Navy and was a hellava person, he adopted me as his drinking buddy, so I heard his stories, even when Eisenhower made a whole village march past the dying inmates that they pretended they didn’t know was there.

  I understand and agree!!  My Dad was a Marine in WWII. Never spoke much about what he went through. He himself always stated “ the greatest generation “. My Mom told me years later that my Dads best friend had his head blown off, I just can’t imagine what our troops saw and dealt with the rest of their lives.

 In my travels I’ve been to France a few times, they didn’t care for Americans then, heard the same from a friend that recently returned from France....” things never change with the French “!!!

For some, perhaps. I wouldn't tar them all with the same brush, though.

My gt uncle was in the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, that parachuted behind enemy lines in Normandy on D-Day. He was wounded several times over the next several days. Remembering him today. Definitely the Greatest Generation.

Guess that's why it's in French, this expression- Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Dewayne, glad your son is back safe and sound!