The Normandy Invasion - 68 years ago today

[Baz]

The Normandy Invasion that opened the Allies great crusade in Europe happened 68 years ago today - Avionics Intelligence

Please take a moment to remember those who paid the ultimate price.

More than 550,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing in the Normandy Invasion -- 320,000 Germans, 135,000 Americans, 65,000 British, 18,000 Canadians, and 12,200 French.
Just that number of CASUALTIES is more than three times the total number of soldiers -- Union and Confederate -- who were involved in the Battle of Gettysburg. In one cataclysmic battle, it's almost 90 percent of the total number of American casualties in the entire Civil War.

[GH85Carrera]

It is so amazing that so many young men gave their life in such a short time.

[Mark Henry]

My dad was supposed to be there, but a buzz bomb wiped out his troop and he was to injured to attend.

[tevake]

I recently saw a show about the 101st air borne being dropped just inland to help clear the way inland from the beach. Pure Hell, with no possibility of retreat as they surrounded and just had to fight their way forward.
The thing that really blows my mind is that they were in it for the duration, completely open ended. And for those that managed to make it thru the first few days.
That was just the opening chapter of battles that for some units led to continued losses that ended in most of the original members not coming home, or many replacements that joined along the way.
I am in awe of all they went thru, and what they accomplished once they returned home. Big respect!

Cheers Richard

[Baz]

Don't forget the Aussies who fought right along side us.....

[Baz]

Tow planes and gliders above France......

[Joeaksa]

I knew several of the 101st para's who went in on the 5th.

Glad that we were able to know and be the offspring of the Greatest Generation. Sad that so many wusses have taken over and we have for the most part squandered what they fought for...

[Baz]

Joe,

Thanks for posting - if you can, please, next time you see any of these brave heroes please shake their hand for me and tell them "thank you"!

I agree with you - the word "respect' is no longer emphasized in our society. Sad....

[Baz]

Some great photos here....

Flickr: The U.S. Army's Photostream

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by Mark Henry

My dad was supposed to be there, but a buzz bomb wiped out his troop and he was to injured to attend.

Probably a good thing for you... As you know a lot of our compatriot never returned from France.

So the least we can do is be tankful for their sacrifice

[Jim Bremner]

I'm glad that I wasn't one of the guys that had to do that. Thank you to the ones that did.

I have a M1 Garand and so does one of my four sons that could have been part of D-day one was from April of 1940 and the other from May of 1941

[szyzygy]

My grandad was there. He was a medic. I still have his army jacket (it fit me when I was 10!) and some medals he got. bronze leaf, and some nazi medals and money he took from dead German soldiers.

[rsNINESOOPER]

A great sacrifice indeed. Hard to imagine what those men went through all for the sake of country. My Grandfather made it through the beach and then into the countryside all while wearing a star of David the size of a quarter on his breast pocket over his heart. There is a photo in an album that shows him standing with his rifle pointed at German prisoners with allied gliders strewn about in the background with the star of David clearly visible on his uniform. He has never spoken to me of the ugly part of the war, only the support he received when in a small village in France where he was taken in by a family after being injured and separated from his unit. They fed him and gave him medical care for five days or so until another unit came through and picked him up. He returned to the lines.

Our country needs to reflect on the moral character of the men who served during this conflict and hold the men of today to this standard instead of the current selfish streak most seem to exhibit.

Thank you to all who have served or given their lives for our country. Let's respect that by being better citizens. It's the least we can do.

[Jim727]

Much truth here.

I have both family and friends that went through that hell. It's just incomprehensible.

I owe them a lot.

[LWJ]

One of the most powerful conversations I have ever had took place in a train in Western France. A man who was born in the mid 1950's or so looked at my wife and I and said: "My father always told me that because of the Americans, we are free."

Wow.

Let's all work to prevent this sort of thing from repeating.

Larry

[s_morrison57]

My great uncle was the ADC to Gen. Ceare, pronounced Sear and was really involved in the planning of D Day. Gen. Ceare was in charge of all the Canadian forces in the European theater. The Canadian War Archives made a short movie about his experience and he had still pic's of him and Churchill, him , Isenhower (sorry for the spelling) and WC, lots with him and Mountbatton and the others as well. He arrived in France on D Day plus 2.
After the war he got his Phd in Pharmicy and retired as the asst. Dean of P Science @ UBC, he was the Pres of the P society in Canada and the States for over 25 years and is, without a doubt the greatest Morrison ever, there is several of us, my son included who are named after U Finlay.
The debt that everyone owes to the men that served and are serving in our military's can't be expressed with a thankyou.
Thanks Bazz for this post, I'm gonna call and thank my uncle Finn
Finn

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

Yep, the greatest of generations!

My mother supported the people who went into France in the months prior to the invasion. My uncles flew support over battlefield and bombing missions (two fighter pilots one bomber). My father worked getting the aircraft launched from his base.

One uncle died in Bataan, horse calvary. One uncle was shot down after D-Day around Scotland.

Some of these family members could have avoided dangerous service, they did not.