71st anniversary of D-Day

[GeorgieForPresident2216]

In memoriam of all those sacrificed on D-Day, 71 years ago today, who paved the way for all that we enjoy.

[paladin1991]

Roger that.
Did you have any relatives there?

[Yorkshire pud]

In memoriam of all those sacrificed on D-Day, 71 years ago today, who paved the way for all that we enjoy.

We owe them so much it's inadequate to simply say thank you to them.

[FightTheFuture]

Our greatest generation. Never be another like them.

[GeorgieForPresident2216]

Roger that.
Did you have any relatives there?

No, I have no personal connection to it.  Did you?

[albrecht]

No, I have no personal connection to it.  Did you?

A lot of people, and possibly correctly, say that no good can become of war but I knew several people who claimed, for them personally, that war was good. One guy was at D-Day. He was orphaned (didn't even know his birthday which constantly amazed me as a kid. No birthday parties? How could you not know when you were born? etc) and he dropped out of school and joined up with, somehow, with false or questionable papers from school/church being 15 or 16 as best as he could reckon. He never talked about it much (looking back I should've asked more questioned and paid attention) but survived, came back, and had a good life. He said the military and experience basically "got him on track" "family he never had" and also taught him not to complain about stuff. Went back to work in a, I guess, considered lowly occupation of fixing furniture but parlayed that, without formal education, into a decent small business in antiques and frequently bragged about how his limited service, in his words, got him doctors (for decades until he finally died around 1986.) "If I wasn't in the army I'd have to pay $$$ for this" he would almost gleefully say while routering some wood. I knew another guy, not on D-Day but in the Pacific theater who also extolled the VA system, "I wouldn't be around now" (cancer treatments) both seemed to be amazed because they figured joining up was a duty and, oddly, sort of surprised that they "still were getting benefits" from something "everyone should've done." A great uncle of mine got bombed by us in the Pacific when he was on a Jap ship as a POW, survived, and went to labor camp and he never bitched (about us) but got some kind of lung infection or condition (I was never clear on exactly what) but went on to live a long life (again with VA care and needed oxygen tanks especially later on) and also wouldn't talk about the conditions on the POW ship and camp, which from what I've read were horrible.

The attitude was so different than many would expect. Though I suspect that many of our current soldiers etc still have it.

[ksm32]

I believe that at least one of these countries are now empty shells of what they once were. Morals, ethics, and just plain common sense that is no longer common at all.  The flag I hang outside my house is for the Canada that used to exist. Not the hijacked replica it now is.

Taking freedom for granted? Not I.

[Unquenchable Angst]

Quietest anniversary I have seen in years. Then I wake up this morning to the news that US Embassies in 57 Islamic countries have decided not to celebrate the 4th of July but did so on 4th of June  not to offend Moslems during  Ramadamnit.

[paladin1991]

Quietest anniversary I have seen in years. Then I wake up this morning to the news that US Embassies in 57 Islamic countries have decided not to celebrate the 4th of July but did so on 4th of June  not to offend Moslems during  Ramadamnit.

I would not have attended the 4th of July on 4 June unless I was ordered to stand in formation.  That is some weak shit.

[3OctaveFart]

I believe places have energy and Normandy has a solemnity like nowhere I have ever been.

[Yorkshire pud]

I believe that at least one of these countries are now empty shells of what they once were. Morals, ethics, and just plain common sense that is no longer common at all.  The flag I hang outside my house is for the Canada that used to exist. Not the hijacked replica it now is.

Taking freedom for granted? Not I.

What I continue to find incredibly moving and restore faith in humanity is each year, many schools in the UK take their older pupils (16-17) to the war graves and sometimes Auschwitz to show them exactly what the consequences of allowing a despotic charismatic little shit hold sway over hitherto intelligent and free thinking people. And how the good (often overwhelmingly outnumbered) will prevail. It surprises many of these young people that those who died were often the same age as themselves. I never ever fail to have something in my eye at 11 o'clock, on the eleventh of November, Nowhere where I've worked as never come to a silence for two minutes. It's the least our cossetted present day citizens can do.   

[zeebo]

I believe places have energy and Normandy has a solemnity like nowhere I have ever been.

I was lucky enough to visit years ago and I totally agree.  I was quite overcome with the sense of memory that persists there.  A profound experience I'll never forget.