75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy (2019)

[Alamo]

In November of 1960 The Atlantic magazine published an article by S.L.A. Marshall detailing exactly why and how the cemetery on Omaha Beach was needed. He and other historians were able to track the movements of individual platoons and companies of the first wave to assault the beach and document the outcome of each. Often this included the fate of individual soldiers, sometimes the soldiers just...disappeared, presumably lost to the channel waters. In this article he documents the actions and fates of Able and Baker Companies, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division.

Take a few minutes and read this, it is both fascinating and grim.

First Wave at Omaha Beach

 

[shootersix]

if you ever make to the us, one thing i'll miss is your pictures!

 

[HoughMade]

In November of 1960 The Atlantic magazine published an article by S.L.A. Marshall detailing exactly why and how the cemetery on Omaha Beach was needed. He and other historians were able to track the movements of individual platoons and companies of the first wave to assault the beach and document the outcome of each. Often this included the fate of individual soldiers, sometimes the soldiers just...disappeared, presumably lost to the channel waters. In this article he documents the actions and fates of Able and Baker Companies, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division.

Take a few minutes and read this, it is both fascinating and grim.

First Wave at Omaha Beach

Well worth the read. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Leadeye]

Great pictures Sylvain, and many thanks for posting them.

 

[Sylvain]

In November of 1960 The Atlantic magazine published an article by S.L.A. Marshall detailing exactly why and how the cemetery on Omaha Beach was needed. He and other historians were able to track the movements of individual platoons and companies of the first wave to assault the beach and document the outcome of each. Often this included the fate of individual soldiers, sometimes the soldiers just...disappeared, presumably lost to the channel waters. In this article he documents the actions and fates of Able and Baker Companies, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division.

Take a few minutes and read this, it is both fascinating and grim.

First Wave at Omaha Beach

To this day they are still finding missing soldiers.
A few years ago they found the body of a missing Canadian soldier who was serving in the US Army.He had been burried by mistake in a German cemetery in France.
His name was on the walls of the missing at the Normandy American Cemetery.

You also have lots of graves of unknown soldiers.A lot of missing soldiers are burried in military cemeteries, they just don't know who they are.

Many soldiers also have been burried in civilian cemeteries during the war since the current military were not built yet.
Some have then been moved to military cemeteries, others have been forgotten or have graves marked "a soldier of the second world war"; when they don't even know if he was American, German or French.

There are many crosses without a name at the Normandy American Cemetery.

You also had temporary military cemeteries in France right after the war.
Bodies have been moved several times so it's easy to lose track of people I would imagine.

The wall of the missing with thousands of names ...

 

[Trigger Time]

Thank you God for men such as these.

 

[actaeon277]

if you ever make to the us, one thing i'll miss is your pictures!

I want to take a vacation and visit Sylvain one day.

 

[Sylvain]

Not much pictures of the official ceremony with president Trump are available.

 

[Sylvain]

The French president awarded the Legion of Honor medal to five US veterans.

I'm not sure why it took 75 years ...

 

[Sylvain]

 

[Sylvain]

The Patrouille de France (French Blue Angels) flying over Omaha Beach, and the US/French presidential couples.

 

[Sylvain]

Some 250 WW2 vehicles at Arromanches (Gold Beach) today.

 

[Sylvain]

Over 80 ceremonies took place today along the coast of Normandy.

Some with heads of states from the US, UK and Canada; others involved children from local schools.

 

[Trigger Time]

Just awesome! If anyone ever has any doubts if the French are our true friends and allys, one needs to look no further. Thank you Sylvain for this and thank you to The French Republic!

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Got to be unreal meeting a man that shot you during war.

 

[KokomoDave]

Sylvain, thank you! RADM Don Pardee Moon was on the USS Bayfield directing the Utah Beach invasion as he was the OIC for that endeavor. He later died in Naples,Italy from combat fatigue.

 

[BigRed]

I caught Trump's speech on the 75th anniversary of D Day.

It was about twice as long and 10% as effective as Reagan's 40th anniversary speech.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Got to be unreal meeting a man that shot you during war.

Philosophical question. Should the German soldier who shot the American soldier, all those years, ago feel bad about it? I kinda think it would make more sense for the German guy to say "hey, we were both fighting for our countries. I was doing my duty, and your were doing yours. I'm happy I did not kill you."

My next question, is was that guy really hit in the chest 3 times with an MG?

 

[Kutnupe14]

I caught Trump's speech on the 75th anniversary of D Day.

It was about twice as long and 10% as effective as Reagan's 40th anniversary speech.

In a world of low expectations, I was absolutely thrilled with the president's speech. One of the few times, I didn't roll my eyes and say "what a jackass."

 

[Sylvain]

Philosophical question. Should the German soldier who shot the American soldier, all those years, ago feel bad about it? I kinda think it would make more sense for the German guy to say "hey, we were both fighting for our countries. I was doing my duty, and your were doing yours. I'm happy I did not kill you."

My next question, is was that guy really hit in the chest 3 times with an MG?

German vets are kinda taught by their own government to feel bad about it.
Heck some of them even had to face justice for serving in their country's armed forces.
It's illegal for them wear their uniform or wear any medals given to them by Nazi Germany.
Even if they fought for their country and were awarded a bunch of medels for bravery they are not seen as heroes in their own country.

Maybe he was hit 3 times but not wounded 3 times.Maybe he got really lucky and some of his gear caught the bullets.
You have stories of vets who have been saved by objects in their chest pockets (bible, lighter etc).

Some actually had bullet-proof bibles (with a metal cover).