Longest Day Edition...
Yes, friends, today is 6 June, and that means that on the beaches of Normandy, sixty-eight years ago TODAY, brave sons of America (and her allies) stormed onto German-occupied French soil to liberate the French people, fight Nazi fascism, and secure freedom for Europe...and the world.
Now, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention some of the "nuts and bolts" of this grand undertaking, and we'll be doing so straight away, but first, we've some other business to attend to, so hang in there...we're going from the roads in Jersey to the shores of France today...in less time than it takes to make some flapjacks!
*** First up, today's military quote otherwise known as WHO SAID THAT?
"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...I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle."
Now, being this IS D-Day, it's a no-brainer...if you know your history (and Supreme Allied Commanders).
The answer at the top tomorrow (not that you'll need it...lol)
Meanwhile, back on the troop ship...
*** An update AND correction to yesterday's latest homicide.
The victim was NOT the person portrayed in yesterday's post (thanks to ambiguity from our local paper).
Hey, how would anyone know there was a difference between Dawain D. Porter and Dawain Dontae Porter (or Dawain Dautwe Porter)?
Now you know the CONFUSION that accompanies FATHER'S DAY in the ghettohood. I'm not related to any of them, and I was dumbfounded...!
The OBIT for the REAL Dawain DAUTWE Porter appeared in today's paper.
He was born in Gary, Indiana.
The OTHER Dawain D. Porter is apparently still with us (damn), so we'll be stuck with that one for a while (until HE gets locked up...again).
*** An update to the Paul Moss / ACSD / FWPD "saga" (?).
Here's the story link:
And an "op-ed" here:
The Op-Ed mentions transparency, but I have to ask whether transparency is the real issue when the FACTS become muddled in the first place?
If I didn't know better, I'd swear this smells of a democrat "witch-hunt" much like what was perpetrated against Matt Kelty years ago; a simple misunderstanding becomes the mountain from the mole hill. Interestingly enough, both Moss and Sheriff Fries are REPUBLICANS...
Makes 'ya wonder...doesn't it?
Personally, I would prefer (ACSD) Ken Fries over (FWPD) Rusty York, as far as ability to lead and maintain better morale within their respective departments.
But then again, I like those not intimidated by others and won't bend over backwards to please them.
Hopefully, all the facts will come out and we'll find out the truth.
*** Next up...anyone thinking of moving to "Joisey" better think twice, especially if they have a dog.
The state is going to start fining people who allow their pooch to hang his head out of a vehicle window...!
Here's the story:
Now, while the pets will have to "buckle up" as passengers, it says nothing about if they are actually DRIVING the vehicles...
I'm just sayin'...
(And I don't even WANT to know WHO is working the pedals)
Guess it would pay to have a kennel-mate in that instance, especially if your dog is a Dachshund or Chihuahua.
I guess the NEXT thing the government will butt into is having CATS banned from using RIFLES???
And Lord knows what will happen when Giraffes have to STOP taking the subway...or elephants have to purchase a SECOND SEAT on airliners.
What the hell is this world coming to, hmm?
It's getting scary out there for our beloved pets.
Tell 'ya one thing, the level of dumbassery that the government can create knows NO bounds.
Moving on...
*** Yes, today IS D-Day...
The LONGEST DAY (as was told in a marvelous, albeit dramatized movie from the 1960s) was the culmination of Operation Overlord.
But long before the actual OP took place, there had to be disinformation given to the axis powers, so as to confound them as to WHERE (exactly) the landing would take place.
With THREE choices to select, it was determined by the allies that it would be "leaked" that the P'as D' Calais would be THE landing area (as it was the CLOSEST point between England and the French coast), to which the Germans would devote the majority of their military resources...which they DID.
The WIKI for the operation can be found here:
THIS site provides much of the buildup to the execution of the operation and is a really interesting read.
And here is the WIKI for the 6 June 1944 D-Day:
I specify the 6 June, because the TERM "D-Day" was typically used for the first day (implementation) of ANY major operation by the military back in those days.
Personally, I can't imagine what it was like on that cold, rainy morning, being seasick, and tossing whatever I tried to eat before I left at my feet, only to have the ramp on the Higgins boat that brings the men to shore riddled with enemy machine gun fire, killing fellow soldiers as they tried to disembark.
And then having to wade through the bodies and the bullets to find SOME cover and be able to regroup and attempt to storm the emplacements.
In that ONE day alone, the U.S. lost 2500+ KIA with over 7500+ wounded or missing...!
That's one sobering statistic.
It was the LARGEST casualty rate of ANY one day military action in U.S. history.
And, had it NOT been for the U.S. airborne troops (82nd and 101st divisions) that were dropped BEHIND enemy lines hours preceding the invasion, the numbers would have been higher still.
The disruption and chaos caused by the airborne units had the enemy guessing and resulted in DELAYS which allowed our beach heads to be established.
When the Germans realized that NORMANDY was the crux of the invasion, General Von Rundstedt tried to call Hitler so he could release the panzer reserves from up north to counter the attacks by the allies...but Hitler was fast asleep, and not to be disturbed.
It was not until the late afternoon that Hitler allowed the tank divisions to move south, permitting the allies valuable time to mass their forces and strike farther inland.
By then, for the Germans, it was too little, too late...
When you think of the MASSIVE logistical problems faced by the allies, coupled with an attack that simply put, HAD to succeed..in lousy weather as well, the odds seemed stacked against us from the start.
But it was the bravery, the dogged determination, and the desire to NOT allow the axis powers to grow any further in strength which brought about the victory we achieved on those battlefields, fed by the blood of so many brave soldiers.
This was basically an "all-in" operation...and with a spirit of steadfastness and valor...our forces prevailed.
Eisenhower had even prepared a letter accepting complete blame for the defeat of our forces at Normandy...it was THAT much of a crapshoot.
To those that died...it was NOT in vain.
To those that survived...it was for those that did not, so that we may ALL remember...
Victory ALWAYS comes with a price.
And there may come times when sacrifices will be asked by some for the many.
May we still be up to the task...just as we were back in 1944.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.
4 comments:
you mention D Day, I think of Eisenhower, Montgomery, and the beaches. I had the good luck of being in New Orleans back in June 2005, and (as it turned out) the D-Day museum was within walking distance (like 8 blocks). On the way, I found the Civil War Museum, with many an interesting thing! A $5 donation to go inside and see lots of stuff from that time.
The D-Day museum is expanded now - they were planning on adding a whole new wing dedicated to the Pacific theater of war. There were many D-Days, Tarawa, Okinawa, other beaches, many died. At the Normandy D-Day display, they had a vet from that day that was there, that you could ask questions of. Talked to him for a good 20 minutes, finding out what it was like to actually land there. Shook his hand, told him thank you for your bravery.
The heroes of WW2 are starting to be lost to us - if you know of one, get a notepad and a pen, and ask lots of questions about that time.
My dad joined the Navy when he was 17, and was stationed on liberty ships, also was stationed in Japan after the surrender. He said despite there being no ice, very little refrigeration, beer was still being produced, and that's where he learned how to drink it room temperature. He also had some stuff from there - a newspaper, a fancy fan, and some chopsticks. My sister ended up with those, I think.
The Military Channel is having D-Day programs all day today.
Diane:
If I don't make it to the D-Day museum in NOLA during THIS life...definitely in the NEXT one.
Would love to get there, as well as the WW2 memorial in D.C.
Hell, the War Museum up in Auburn, IN would be okay for me.
Just wish they would have done this sort of thing when my Dad was still living.
Sounds like you had a FANTASTIC time there...
Yeah, I remember a time when we had vets from BOTH world wars, and lots of them around.
These days, harder to find them still alive.
Amazing how "boys" became MEN within one single day.
I plan to watch the History channels today as much as I can.
We need to remember what THEY did for this country...and every one of US that follows.
Thanks so much for stopping on up here today and taking time to share your thoughts and remembrances.
You stay safe down there.
It being the anniversary of D-Day, that quote's gotta be Eisenhower.
And speaking of D-Day, guess what anniversary Google is honoring today: the anniversary of the first drive-in movie. Yeah, those folks over at Google really have their priorities straight. Not!
John D.:
Very well done!
It was IKE!
Lemme get this straight - Google "honors" the DRIVE-IN???
Well, IF (a BIG if) I were to play "Devil's Advocate" here, I might support Google's anniversary of the venerable drive-in theater...(provisionally)
...IF (an even BIGGER if) they were showing THE LONGEST DAY, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, THE BIG RED ONE, BAND OF BROTHERS, IKE: COUNTDOWN TO D-DAY, or D-DAY: THE SIXTH OF JUNE...
Or, some of them together for an "all-nighter".
(BofB is one day all by itself)
That's the way you do it PROPER, right?
(pass the popcorn and BIG GULPS)
Hey, thanks for remembering and for stopping on over today to comment.
You stay safe out there.
Post a Comment