Allies Storm Normandy Beaches

[seebell]

On 6 June 1944 allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. The beginning of the end for the Nazis.

 

[Tidewater]

On 6 June 1944 allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. The beginning of the end for the Nazis.

I've been to that beach at low tide. It is long and flat. It took big stones to run across that one.

 

[RVTIDER]

My dad was there, a support role, didnt storm the beach. But I still wonder what was going thru his mind. Did he realize how much history this had?

 

[Bama Reb]

My dad wasn't at Normandy. He was a bit further away helping in another Allied endeavor - but they called it the Battle of the Bulge.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

i did not have any relatives there, but my grandfather was at Pearl Harbor.

 

[willie52]

Salute to all those who lived and died during WWII. My dad was with Patton as a tank commander. There are some great and not so great stories if you can get them to tell you about it.

 

[Tidewater]

i did not have any relatives there, but my grandfather was at Pearl Harbor.

S. L. A. Marshall, a US Army historian, wrote a book called The Soldier's Load and the Mobility of a Nation. His thesis was, well, basically, the Army loads its soldiers up with too much crap in combat. Soldiers going ashore at Normandy were supposed to be carrying their winter coats and three day's rations. Heck, I think that the first wave should have been wearing UDT shorts, Chuck Taylor high tops tennis shoes and toting an M-1 carbine and a bandoleer of ammo so they could freaking move when the ramp went down. I recall seeing a GI walking slowly up the beach at Utah (less dangerous than Omaha, but not risk-free) and getting shot by a German sniper and dropping like a sack of potatoes. Carrying all that crap slowed that poor guy way down so some Nazi could draw a bead on him.

 

[dayhiker]

S. L. A. Marshall, a US Army historian, wrote a book called The Soldier's Load and the Mobility of a Nation. His thesis was, well, basically, the Army loads its soldiers up with too much crap in combat. Soldiers going ashore at Normandy were supposed to be carrying their winter coats and three day's rations. Heck, I think that the first wave should have been wearing UDT shorts, Chuck Taylor high tops tennis shoes and toting an M-1 carbine and a bandoleer of ammo so they could freaking move when the ramp went down. I recall seeing a GI walking slowly up the beach at Utah (less dangerous than Omaha, but not risk-free) and getting shot by a German sniper and dropping like a sack of potatoes. Carrying all that crap slowed that poor guy way down so some Nazi could draw a bead on him.

I think I know just the clip you're talking about. He is among those big, steel cruciform obstacles and just drops in the video clip.

I'm with you, shoes, shorts, helment, gun, ammo, a few grenades, run like hell. There were lots of fatalities on the cargo nets and going over the side of the landing craft due to drowning because of that weight too.

 

[crimsonaudio]

"You are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you...I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle."
- General Eisenhower

RIP, soldiers. You saved the world.

 

[cbi1972]

My grandmother was in a hospital making baby formula on D-Day.

My grandmother's brother was exempted for bad eyesight, but was drafted in 1943 anyway. He landed at Salerno, helped liberate Rome, and in France, took a .50 cal to the side of the head. It shattered the helmet, but thanks to a former brain surgeon who happened to be at a forward battalion aid station, he lived another 50 years with a piece of that helmet in his head.

My grandfather was in the Navy in the Pacific, on a medical ship. His main role was to fight malaria by covering those island hells with DDT.

 

[HELENKELLERMRI]

I have one grandfather who stormed the beaches and the other was in the African campaign. Both are still alive today. I love to hear their stories.

 

[Tidewater]

I think I know just the clip you're talking about. He is among those big, steel cruciform obstacles and just drops in the video clip.

I'm with you, shoes, shorts, helment, gun, ammo, a few grenades, run like hell. There were lots of fatalities on the cargo nets and going over the side of the landing craft due to drowning because of that weight too.

Staff officers were thinking, "You know, guys, we are not sure how long it is going to take to get a chow resupply to you guys, so, how's about you carry three day's worth with you when to cross that beach, just in case we can't resupply you for a few days." Of course, a lot of the Joes never made it to three days, and that helps reduce the amount of chow you need to resupply them when the time comes.

 

[DzynKingRTR]

My father’s father was the one at Pearl Harbor. My mother’s dad was an army man and was not at Normandy either, but his story is a bizarre one. He was a sergeant and was a bit older than most of his men (in his late 30’s). He was ordered to send a scout to check out an area and he did not want to “send an 18 year old kid to his death” so he went himself. He was ambushed and his men clearly see this happen and they panic and attack. Most of his men are killed. When the medics are searching thru all the bodies they realize one of them is still breathing as they are securing his body, they rescuers are attacked and most of them are killed as well. My grandfather is now MIA and thought to be dead (they could not find his body). Back home my grandmother and her 6 kids gets the visit from the military and is told her husband is lost and presumed dead. About a week or two later she gets a second visit informing her that he is alive and recovering from injuries and he will be home soon. When they found him he was caked in mud (in his eyes, nose, ears) they thought he was dead until he started moaning. He came back home and my grandparents had 4 more children including my mom. so my grandfather was in a hospital when the US stormed the beaches.

 

[Bama4Ever831]

My great grandfather and brothers were at Okinawa and various other places in the Pacific theater. He died of old age last year. Thanks to all those that were in Europe!

 

[GreatMarch]

My great uncle died there. Found his grave when I went to Normandy last year.

I was at the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994 and we had 8 WWII veterans on board with us who were family members of crew aboard the ship. Of the 8, 3 were DDay veterans. I remember being on the flight deck the morning of June 6, 1994 and it was calm as could be looking toward the beach at Normandy. Not even a ripple in the water. I saw the 3 men walk up on the flight deck before they were to be flown to the beach a couple of hours later for the ceremony and it was the 1st time they had seen the beach head since that day. They didn't talk, they didn't share stories, they stood their staring. Everyone on the flight deck that morning did not make a sound watching those men and you could hear other people breathing it was so quiet.

I had a great uncle who was in the 101st, but he did not land at Normandy (so I was told) but he was at Bastogne when they were surrounded and everyone always told me he was never the same after being in Europe. Very quiet man who always fell asleep during church, but no one would bother to wake him or say something. The preacher always said that if he wanted to sleep through his service that was fine by him, cause my great uncle had a lot of sleep to catch up on.

 

[dayhiker]

I was at the 50th anniversary of D-Day in 1994 and we had 8 WWII veterans on board with us who were family members of crew aboard the ship. Of the 8, 3 were DDay veterans. I remember being on the flight deck the morning of June 6, 1994 and it was calm as could be looking toward the beach at Normandy. Not even a ripple in the water. I saw the 3 men walk up on the flight deck before they were to be flown to the beach a couple of hours later for the ceremony and it was the 1st time they had seen the beach head since that day. They didn't talk, they didn't share stories, they stood their staring. Everyone on the flight deck that morning did not make a sound watching those men and you could hear other people breathing it was so quiet.

I had a great uncle who was in the 101st, but he did not land at Normandy (so I was told) but he was at Bastogne when they were surrounded and everyone always told me he was never the same after being in Europe. Very quiet man who always fell asleep during church, but no one would bother to wake him or say something. The preacher always said that if he wanted to sleep through his service that was fine by him, cause my great uncle had a lot of sleep to catch up on.

I actually teared up a little reading that.

 

[exiledNms]

A buddy & I went down to the DDay Museum in Nola 6/6/09 for the 65th anniversary of DDay. The museum had invited every known living DDay vet, and a couple hundred showed up. One of the most awesome experiences of my life, in the true sense of the word "awesome." I mostly managed not to blubber like a prom queen among all these guys (mostly, I say). And very rarely am I speechless, but this was one of those times. My buddy took his copy of Citizen Soldier and a pen, and got a bunch of those guys to sign it for him. He told them all "thanks for your service" and was usually met with "You're most welcome, son" or "We just did our duty" or something like that. A real treat was watching some of those guys encounter their war buddies: "Hey, Joe! How the (heck) are ya?" "Boy, you look great; what's your secret?" "I work out; doesn't everybody?" (etc.) There was one guy there who had on his "Iwo Jima Veteran" t-shirt; non-stop ribbing, all with smiles & laughs. "Boy, they let anybody in here, don't they?" "Just thought I'd add a bit of class & dignity to these proceedings" (etc.) Not far at all beneath their ribbing was a HUGE amount of mutual respect, knowing that they all were part of two world-changing events that required guts unimaginable by most of us. Shaking hands with a bunch of those guys throughout the day will always be a life highlight.

The same buddy just recently toured the Normandy area for a couple of days. For him--an Army veteran--a highlight was being asked to be part of the flag-lowering ceremony at dusk at the cemetary because he was a veteran. He kept his military bearing until the ceremony was complete, at which time he did NOT avoid crying like a prom queen. No chance I would've either, since I did so merely seeing the pics his wife took of that ceremony.

 

[Displaced Bama Fan]

My great uncle died there. Found his grave when I went to Normandy last year.

I didn't want to like this and seem insincere. His service and his sacrifice were greatly appreciated. He paid the ultimate price to help the French and defeat a sick, demonic human being.

 

[GreatMarch]

I actually teared up a little reading that.

As crazy as it sounds, of all the things I did in the military, that morning stands out. The calmness of the weather off shore was eerie but it was like we were touching a part of history. The sight of the ships lined up was amazing and the Navy even let one of the squadrons paint the black and white allied stripes on the fly over planes. Although, I do not think the Brits took to kindly to the fact that the US sent the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON over for the D-Day flotilla. I wonder what George would think about the fact the Queen of England would board a ship with his name on it?
In regards to those men, No one would approach those three men on the flight deck as it was like you were intruding on something sacred. I have never forgotten that morning and hope I never do.

 

[HELENKELLERMRI]

A buddy & I went down to the DDay Museum in Nola 6/6/09 for the 65th anniversary of DDay. The museum had invited every known living DDay vet, and a couple hundred showed up. One of the most awesome experiences of my life, in the true sense of the word "awesome." I mostly managed not to blubber like a prom queen among all these guys (mostly, I say). And very rarely am I speechless, but this was one of those times. My buddy took his copy of Citizen Soldier and a pen, and got a bunch of those guys to sign it for him. He told them all "thanks for your service" and was usually met with "You're most welcome, son" or "We just did our duty" or something like that. A real treat was watching some of those guys encounter their war buddies: "Hey, Joe! How the (heck) are ya?" "Boy, you look great; what's your secret?" "I work out; doesn't everybody?" (etc.) There was one guy there who had on his "Iwo Jima Veteran" t-shirt; non-stop ribbing, all with smiles & laughs. "Boy, they let anybody in here, don't they?" "Just thought I'd add a bit of class & dignity to these proceedings" (etc.) Not far at all beneath their ribbing was a HUGE amount of mutual respect, knowing that they all were part of two world-changing events that required guts unimaginable by most of us. Shaking hands with a bunch of those guys throughout the day will always be a life highlight.

The same buddy just recently toured the Normandy area for a couple of days. For him--an Army veteran--a highlight was being asked to be part of the flag-lowering ceremony at dusk at the cemetary because he was a veteran. He kept his military bearing until the ceremony was complete, at which time he did NOT avoid crying like a prom queen. No chance I would've either, since I did so merely seeing the pics his wife took of that ceremony.

Me and my cousins took my grandfather(that was part of D-day) to that musuem and it was neat that the tour guide had to listen to my grandfather talk and explain that day.