June 6, 1944, 65 years later....

[Coach]

Saturday marks the anniversary of "D-Day," referring to the D-Day invasion in Europe in 1944. This year commemorates the 65th anniversary of Operation Overlord, or "D-Day," when thousands of American and British troops landed on the shores of Normandy with the objective of securing it from Nazi Germany, through additional land and naval support of other Allied nations.

The assault, the largest seaborne invasion in history to that time, is considered to be the turning point in the war toward the Allied victory, but it was not without cost. Total Allied casualties on D-Day are estimated at 10,000, including more than 2,500 dead.

Today, 65 years later, as our World War II veterans of our greatest generation are passing on, Americans reflect on the significance of June 6, 1944, and the historical importance of Operation Overlord. More than 330,000 Wisconsin service members served in World War II, with close to 43,000 of them alive today; only a certain percentage of them took part in Operation Overlord.

The National World War II Memorial on the national mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated five years ago, on May 29, 2004. The National Honor Flight Network is bringing World War II veterans and terminally ill veterans to visit the memorial. There are several flight hubs in Wisconsin with future flights being planned.

Also in keeping the historical significance alive, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum preserves the materials and memories of all Wisconsin veterans, including those at D-Day, through the Wisconsin Veterans Oral History Project, as well as archives and object collections.

Let us all remember the importance of the heroic invasion 65 years ago on "D-Day."

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[gblowfish]

Omaha Beach was crazy brave. Unbelievable carnage.

[crossbow]

My uncle landed on Omaha beach. His squad got creamed. He said it was just luck that he lived. Fought his way through it. Later fought for Clark in the bloodiest battle of WW2. Was decorated by U.S. Congress and French Army.

After the war he went home and became a plumber. Didn't want to talk about it, just wanted to chill out for the rest of his life.

[Simply Red]

Thanks soldiers

[ThaVirus]

Originally Posted by Dayze

I can't imagine. If it was 1% of the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan.....

Seriously.

[Fritz88]

Originally Posted by crossbow

My uncle landed on Omaha beach. His squad got creamed. He said it was just luck that he lived. Fought his way through it. Later fought for Clark in the bloodiest battle of WW2. Was decorated by U.S. Congress and French Army.

After the war he went home and became a plumber. Didn't want to talk about it, just wanted to chill out for the rest of his life.

I think he's savoring every minute of his life.
Posted via Mobile Device

[Aries Walker]

And deservedly so.

[ChiTown]

Thanks Dad. RIP

[crossbow]

Originally Posted by Fritz88

I think he's savoring every minute of his life.
Posted via Mobile Device

You are right about that. He found humor and pleasure in the simple things that most people take for granted. Dude was as tough as a Missouri mule though.

[Dayze]

Originally Posted by Dayze

those dudes were the badest MFers on the planet. probalby still.

dudes sacked up, and ran full bore into near-certain death.

I can't imagine. If it was 1% of the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan.....

Wait....I. Might have gotten it backwards. If Saving private Ryan was 1% of it...

[crossbow]

And they never complained about it. They thought it was their job, not heroics.

I can't imagine seeing most of my friends get killed and fighting my way out of it.

[Raiderhater]

Originally Posted by Dayze

Wait....I. Might have gotten it backwards. If Saving private Ryan was 1% of it...

I think everyone knew what you meant.

[Kaepernick]

I so hate living in California.

You patriots in KC have a 7 page thread commemorating the heroes of D-Day that was posted at 7 in the morning.

I just posted a thread commemorating them on the 49er forum doing the same, here at 9 pm Pacific Time. The entire stinking forum forgot or couldn't be bothered.

Typical California. Typical SF bay area. Too cool for the military. Too cool for honor or sacrifice or patriotism. Their only causes worth fighting for are gay marriage, pot smoking, free hand outs and banning guns.

I hate California. If I live these last few years, I'm moving to Virginia the second I retire. The very second.

It is good to see that some people still understand freedom, that it is worth fighting for, that sacrifice is honorable and that there is more to life than selfishness.

I would rep everyone of you in this thread if I could, and I haven't even read the thread. I just see 7 pages that kicked off 14 hours ago while the 49er forum treated it as an afterthought.

That makes me sick to my stomach.

[Kaepernick]

Coach - That was a compelling read about Excercise Tiger. I have never heard of it before, not even from my WWII historian brother.

Thanks for that story. Amazing. Sad for the loss of life but their sacrifice saved perhaps 10 times the number in the end. Wow.

I'm so grateful I never had to go to war. And grateful to those who had to so as to keep me free.

[crossbow]

Glad the pledge of allegiance is illegal after 1 million men died defending our right to say it.

[ChiTown]

Originally Posted by Kaepernick

I so hate living in California.

You patriots in KC have a 7 page thread commemorating the heroes of D-Day that was posted at 7 in the morning.

I just posted a thread commemorating them on the 49er forum doing the same, here at 9 pm Pacific Time. The entire stinking forum forgot or couldn't be bothered.

Typical California. Typical SF bay area. Too cool for the military. Too cool for honor or sacrifice or patriotism. Their only causes worth fighting for are gay marriage, pot smoking, free hand outs and banning guns.

I hate California. If I live these last few years, I'm moving to Virginia the second I retire. The very second.

It is good to see that some people still understand freedom, that it is worth fighting for, that sacrifice is honorable and that there is more to life than selfishness.

I would rep everyone of you in this thread if I could, and I haven't even read the thread. I just see 7 pages that kicked off 14 hours ago while the 49er forum treated it as an afterthought.

That makes me sick to my stomach.

This thread was first started in 2009, so......

But, it's a worthy thread to bring back up and honor those that gave so much to all of us today. We owe them a lifetime of gratitude, IMO