Thanks Steve. :TU: As you stated, the Allied Expiditionary Force's make up is rarely mentioned these days. It is all too easy to believe Hollywoods versions of America leading the D-Day assault. (and I'm not in any way slighting American soldiers) We must remember all the brave soldiers who died that day, no matter what their birthplace. I have yet to see Saving Private Ryan in its entirety, looks like it's going onto the must view list.
Every once in a while, Hollywood really hits one out of the park. Saving Private Ryan was a memorable movie....very well done!! :TU: Unlike the nonsense that opened at the box offices today....
I have quite a few newspapers from WWII, including one from the day after D-Day. They are very interesting to read. My grandfather was on a DE (Destroyer Escort) in the pacific. Duane
I have commented on my country's role in Overlord exclusively because I do not pretend to be able to tell Canadians or the British how they should feel, not from a misplaced belief that they were not part of the landings
My father was in the South Pacific throughout most of the war. He was an aerial photographer in a fighter-bomber. I am fortunate to have over a hundred of his one-off original aerial photos of air raids, bombings, ships, air strips and others. They were truly The Greatest Generation regardless of which war theater they were in. I never forget important dates from WW II and I always remind other people. Dennis
Chris, I meant no disrespect toward you. :TU: :TU: I've found that you're one of the more informed members of this forum.
My maternal grandfather was an SM3c on an LST in the Pacific. He made it home. My paternal grandfather was a married farmer with 5 kids, so he did not serve, but was written up in the local papers honoring his contribution to the war effort rationing. Not nearly as much patriotism these days, it seems. Each year on June 6, while writing up my days' paperwork on the job, I always write "D-Day" underneath the date. Sometimes I keep writing it day after day for a week or so, i.e., D-Day+1, etc. No one ever questions me about it.
No offense taken Tom ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reid- It may interest you that just two years ago I was on a Ferry to Long Island NY, which was a converted LST. It landed on the beach on D-Day several times and was still in service daily; I expect it still is
Yes, that is interesting. I'm an amateur Pacific War buff, so I try to visit as many ship museums as I can. Never been on an LST, however. Did it still resemble its original configuration, or was it extensively modified? My major interest has always been the Navy, in particular the Silent Service. It still amazes me that just 2% of the American Navy was reponsible for 55% of all Japanese naval losses.
The deck on the LST had been radically changed of course, but the hold seemed to have been simply modified to allow cars in and out. The hull shape, etc wasn't changed at all to my eye. Maybe the large doors were changed Try to find a book called "Wake of the Wahoo" if you can. I'm sure you know about Dudley Morton already. The book was written by Forrest Sterling, who was Yeoman on the Wahoo for it's second, to second to last war patrol. He was transferred off just before it's final patrol for an exam if I recall. Very lucky guy!
That one is in my Amazon 'Wish List', but I've read a few others about the Wahoo, including Dick O'Kane's book. Old 'Mush' was truly a pioneer. Sam Dealey (The Destroyer Killer) was another. Although I never lost a relative in that war, after reading so much about those men, a trip to the Submariner's Memorial in Groton, Connecticut was a moving experience. Like the Vietnam Veteran's wall, you can find your "heroes", run your fingers over their names, and attempt to touch the past. Howard Gilmore of the Growler was another case that gives me chills. Badly wounded after being caught on the surface, he knows that getting himself below will take time his boat cannot afford. Instead, he orders his men below and tells them, "Take her down." Later, when the sub is able to surface, Gilmore is gone. The bravery of those men is astounding. All of them...from both oceans and the European continent.
Kerry, I've been thinking. That old car is such a gas guzzler and I bet it's loud too. Ug, what a pain I bet that is. Black too, probably have to wear gloves to touch it on a hot day....a manual too, jeez they couldn't put an auto in that thing? I'll tell you, old cars are so inconvenient. I don't offer to do this a lot because I'm not made of money, but I could scratch up 5 grand to take that noisy wasteful old car off your hands. Don't thank me now, just tell me when you'd like me to come pick it up :grin:
Wwii I can barely remember the end of the war. I do remember that the news came over the radio. [no tv s exhisted] And my mom was canning peaches. She got to crying and ruined the peaches in the process. [put salt in them instead of sugar] I also remember that my cousin said when he headed in to shore in his tank, it sounded like a heavy rain from all the bullets hitting the armor on the tank. He and my uncle both told me about the combat. Some things tragic, some things actually funny. They told me about liberating Auchwitz and the piles of baby shoes as big as a house................ I remember the victory parades and seeing men, real men, marching as far as the eye could see in uniform carrying rifles and then the wounded that were able to participate following behind some walking, some in wheel chairs...... I remember my uncle working in the front yard and a car backfiring and he dove under the car he was working on....... I remember another uncle telling me that when a kamakizi plane hit his ship he came to his self and he was under a gun turrent saying " The Lord is my shepherd" ...... I have been on the battle ship Texas and seen the blood stains on the wood decks and the bullet marks on the walls of the super structure. This freedom that we have has been paid for in blood. We had better protect it at any cost. My heart felt thanks to all vets of all contries that have stood for freedom down thru the years. "Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his friends" May God bless and keep You.
Brits, Poles, French, Canadians and Americans Chris, my mention of the other forces involved was not a poke at you in any way. I appreciate that you raised this topic very much. I am 40 yrs old. I have a number of Family connections to WWII, particularily the European theatre. I have tried several times to write a fitting tribute to post here. I can only tell you that the effort has moved me to tears.... twice! (... and I ain't done with this post yet.) Political correctness will change with the wind direction. But what soldiers do is never forgotten by the people that they liberate. At the age of 7 my parents knew who Hitler was and that he meant to kill them. They also knew that The Americans, the Polish and the Canadians (they remember encountering these nationalities) were there to save them. At immeasurable cost...they did! Thank You Veterans! As Tom stated....where ever you were born.
I have yet to see Saving Private Ryan in its entirety there's no need too. once they get off the beach the movie turns into a namby pamby, touchy feely new age piece of sh!t. the first 40 minutes should be required watching for every school kid every June 6 (summer school for EVERYBODY) ... the rest of it should be burned.
