67 years ago today

"Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you."

-- Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, June 6, 1944

 

My grandfather landed at D-Day, with the second wave of the First Infantry Division at Omaha Beach. He was 18 years old. Said he had to climb across bodies to get to the beach.

He died in 2008, at age 82. He didn't like to brag about his accomplishments in the war or anywhere else, but was big on passing down family history and would gladly tell war stories to anyone who was willing to listen.

And sometimes, if he had a few Miller High Lifes in him and I, one of my brothers or some other whippersnapper was talking tough, he'd spit out:

"Sheeeee-it son, I've killed more people than you've ever been in a fight with."

There's no comeback for that.

RIP, Papaw. And thanks, to you and everyone else who served.

 

Absolutely. Full respect for those men. I'm pretty sure whatever the worst thing I could imagine, they lived it x10,000.
Covering that distance from the surf (if you didn't get drowned in it) to getting off the beach might possibly be the worst place in the history of the modern world.

 

My grandfather was there, too, and onward to the Battle of the Bulge. It was probably 15 years ago or so when, during Christmas or Thanksgiving, he began telling me stories of the war. I was transfixed.

He died last year. Cancer and coronary artery disease. Before he got really sick, I asked him if he would tell me the stories again, thinking — hoping — that I could record them for family posterity. But the timing never worked. And now his stories, like those of the hundreds of WWII vets who die every day, are lost to history.

I have a magazine assignment for our October/November issue as a sort of salute to veterans. And the best way I can think to honor these men — no matter the war or the time of service — is just to tell their stories. Just tell their stories.

 

Except for covering youth baseball during all-stars.

 

The men on the Eastern front, who handed Germany its first real knockdown from which it never recovered, might disagree.

To them, D-Day was a damn sweet nail in the coffin, but the fatal blow was struck 15 months earlier at Stalingrad.

 

I'd say August 6, 1945 would be my choice for most important day of the 20th century, all things considered. Or maybe September 1, 1914, the day WWI started.

 

The Battle of Midway needs to be in the discussion, but in those 10 years, more impoprtant days happened than in the next 50, 60 and probably (hopefully) the next 100 or 200.

 

Well said. Perish the thought had they failed.

 

Completely agree.

The Stud Puppet went over on Utah Beach on June 7. Wasn't a picnic then, either.

 

I want to go to Normandy so bad.

Would love to go on the anniversary, but need to go soon if there's going to be any living vets there.