by "X37.9XXS" (x379xxs)
Published 06/06/2017 at 09:08
by "X37.9XXS" (x379xxs)
Published 06/06/2017 at 09:08
No Tags
STARS: 13
150 thousand men set out to save the world
I guess that the current guardians of our freedom were too busy to remember
"random001" (random001)
06/06/2017 at 09:20, STARS: 1
There were no tweets to re-tweet, so yeah....
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
06/06/2017 at 09:25, STARS: 2
We’re quickly losing all those men. Be sure to thank them, if you know one. My grandpa faught under Patton, and thus came up through Italy. He’s been gone for 14 years, almost to the day.
"Azrek" (azrek)
06/06/2017 at 09:28, STARS: 0
I put the first scene of Saving Private Ryan on at 11 on volume...and just hang on every year.
"Dave the car guy , still here" (a3dave)
06/06/2017 at 09:29, STARS: 3
When I lived in Houston years ago I worked with a Mr. Jesse Herrera who was a paratrooper who survived D-Day. I think of him every time this date rolls around and remember he fought for the worlds freedom. RIP Jesse.
"Dave the car guy , still here" (a3dave)
06/06/2017 at 09:32, STARS: 2
God bless them all. My dad was with McArthur in the Pacific, one uncle in subs there, two other uncles in France and they have all passed.
"X37.9XXS" (x379xxs)
06/06/2017 at 09:37, STARS: 2
One was my father
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
06/06/2017 at 09:40, STARS: 1
Well, I thank him for his service, whether he’s still with us or not. You’re really not exaggerating when you say that they set out to save the world. The sacrifices they made, and the horrible things they saw, are something no human being should have to endure. I know my grandpa had war nightmares until his last day.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
06/06/2017 at 09:41, STARS: 1
Indeed. We all owe them more than we could ever hope to repay.
"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
06/06/2017 at 09:54, STARS: 0
If he was with the 4th Fighter Group flying out of Debden, England, my grandfather might’ve done some metal work on his plane.
"AuthiCooper1300" (rexrod)
06/06/2017 at 10:07, STARS: 0
You should tell again the excellent story you mentioned two years ago and which I have just read.
"fintail" (fintail)
06/06/2017 at 10:10, STARS: 1
No tweets yet huh? Shocking. Must be fake news.
When I was in HS in the 90s, a friend of mine’s mom had remarried a man about 20 years her senior, he had been at Normandy. One of the coolest old guys I ever met, had endless stories about his various travels, and was always in a fun mood. He’s been gone now for over a decade. I hope his family recorded some memories.
My maternal grandfather was a Navy radioman (not sure of term) in the Pacific, mainly in the Aleutians, I think. I don’t think he saw combat, and I never heard any war stories from him. He passed 14 years ago next month. My paternal grandfather had a few kids by wartime, and wasn’t able to enlist, but he did aid with maintaining some military radio equipment that was set up on his farm.
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
06/06/2017 at 10:13, STARS: 1
My grandfather was among those men. My other grandfather was in the Pacific theater. Although he missed WWII, my step-grandfather fought in Korea. They are all gone now and I miss them. They were cut from a different cloth.
"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
06/06/2017 at 10:21, STARS: 1
If you haven’t read this book, then I highly recommend that you do. It’s a fantastic read, and was followed by the equally good Citizen Soldiers . The only thing it needs is more maps, so if you can supplement it with some good maps of the invasion, it will help.
"Hammerdown" (hammerdown32)
06/06/2017 at 12:10, STARS: 1
The logistics alone of D-Day blow my mind.
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
06/06/2017 at 13:58, STARS: 0
Yeah, they really were a different breed. I try to emulate my grandpa as much as possible. We were very close until he passed.
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
06/06/2017 at 14:24, STARS: 1
My namesake died before I was born, but we look so much alike that my kids thought a picture of him was a picture of me. My other grandfather and I weren’t really close because of distance (9 hour drive) and when I was a young teenager, he had a series of strokes which made it difficult to communicate with him. I saw my step-grandfather every few weeks, so he was the one I was closest to. He died when I was a teenager. He was the one who took me fishing and showed me what it meant to have a strong work ethic. Still, I miss them all.
"X37.9XXS" (x379xxs)
06/06/2017 at 15:43, STARS: 1
Sure
According to my father, who was there, the US air forces had three rings of fighter protection over the beaches.
Directly over the beach were P-38’s. The reason was that no other fighter aircraft looked like the Lightning
The next circle were P-47’s, and the last were P-51’s
My father was with the 82nd Fighter Squadron (P47’s) and was directed to stay the hell away from the beaches or he would be shot at. Well, he was a contrary SOB, and, on his way back to Duxford, flew over the invasion. He had to see it. He had been there for two years.
To make a long story short, he was fired on by a US cruiser. He said that he thought the ship blew up, it exploded with gunfire from bow to stern. Fortunately, he had far more experience dodging the best Triple-A in the world, so he was able to easily roll out of the target area. The cruiser’s lookouts were able to get his identification letters, so, when he landed, he got his butt reamed. He did say that it was worth it. It looked as if there was literally a bridge of ships from England to France
"X37.9XXS" (x379xxs)
06/06/2017 at 15:47, STARS: 1
You should check this out
written by the guy who came up with the artificial harbors (Mulberries)
"shop-teacher" (shop-teacher)
06/06/2017 at 15:51, STARS: 2
I know how you feel. I only knew the one grandfather, my dad’s dad died long before I was born. He taught me so much though, and was so pleasant to be around. I’ve always felt like it was OK that he was as gone, he was 93 after all and lucid right up until the last couple days, but it doesn’t make me miss him any less.
"X37.9XXS" (x379xxs)
06/06/2017 at 15:57, STARS: 1
He was with the 72nd FG, about 22 minutes due north, at RAF Duxford
"Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever" (rustanddust)
06/06/2017 at 16:12, STARS: 0
One of these days I’d like to go see Debden and the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. I never got to meet that grandfather (he passed when my dad was a month old), but something makes me want to see where he served, as well as visiting France and Belgium where his father served in WW1.