DDay

[Nancy]

Just wanted to pay respect to all those who served on that historic day.

My 89 year old dad came ashore Omaha Beach on DDay+1. Every year I call him to try to get a little more information of that day. His ship sat in the channel on DDay waiting to unload and said they listened to the radio transmissions asking for more ammo and petro. Finally the next day they asked for more troops. I asked if there were a lot of bodies on the beach since 10,000 men died that first day. He said no they had all been moved within 24 hours. But the water was red with blood and they called the beach Red Beach. As they moved into the town they saw american soldiers hanging from buildings and trees as they were killed parachuting down.

This day has always meant a lot to me, maybe because I knew he was such a big part of it. There aren't too many people left who lived through that time.

Nancy

 

[gcvmom]

This day has always meant a lot to me, maybe because I knew he was such a big part of it. There aren't too many people left who lived through that time.

I have no family members alive who served in that war. And those who did serve I never knew.

I think for Europeans it had such a personal impact -- that war was in their cities, in their countryside. It affected every man, woman and child.

Here in the states, it had an impact as well, but it's not like living with the daily fear of bombings. I think that's part of the reason why so many people here have so little appreciation for what it's like. If we had bombs dropping on cornfields here or in the suburbs, and soldiers going door-to-door like they're doing right now in other countries, we might feel a lot more thankful for the job that's been done on our behalf, even if it was on foreign soil.

 

[tiredmommy]

Nancy-

Thank your father for me! My father was just a boy during WWII and he used to tell me about the nightmares he and the other children had about Hitler attacking the mainland US. He remembered people crying and praying after D-Day... and that everyone seemed to just know that victory (with a huge price) would be ours. The nightmares stopped for my father.

 

[Fran]

The stories of D Day are humbling. I can't imagine the amount of duty and responsibility it took to continue to land on that shore. Wave after wave of young men who were going into their death. They had to know and did it anyways. It makes me very humble.
I don't want to ever take our way of life for granted because of the amount of sacrifice that got us here.

Honoring those who fought is the least we can do.