June 6th: Beautiful Normandy still bears scars

[Vindicator]

This June marks the 67th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Normandy, and the beginning of the end of World War II. The last great D-Day commemorations were held two years ago, because there likely won't be any veterans alive for the 70th. But Normandy's inhabitants haven't forgotten what the British, Canadian and American troops and their families sacrificed all those years ago.

When I was on the small main square of a town in Normandy, an elderly Frenchman approached me and sang a few bars of "The Star-Spangled Banner." The region remains particularly friendly territory for Americans and is an inspiring place to see museums, monuments and cemeteries that pay tribute to the courage of the Allied armies.

Read more:
Normandy France: Scars remain in Normandy, France - chicagotribune.com

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D-Day! The greatest single event in human history!



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[Sunni Man]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEWqB-CwkpY&feature=youtube_gdata_player]YouTube - ‪German Military Cemetery in Normandy‬‏[/ame]

 

[Oddball]

Check out Google Earth or Mapquest satellite views of the Normandy coast....You can still pick out shell and bomb craters in the countryside.

 

[Mr. H.]

For those who wish to do so, I encourage flying the flag today.

 

[California Girl]

I've been to the beaches at Normandy. Stays with you forever to walk those sands and the cemeteries. And the French, to this day, treat Americans with respect because of what our fellow Americans did.

 

[Mr. H.]

I gotta get me a passport. A friend visited several years ago and brought me a small bit of beach sand.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Cool set of pictures taken in June 1944 and in 2010

Lots of the buildings that were destroyed during the war seem to have been rebuilt exactly the way they were prior to the landings. Both cool and weird.

 

[Sunni Man]

A little-known footnote to the invasion of Normandy was that Korean soldiers wearing german uniforms were captured by the American troops

Korean soldiers at Normandy

 

[blastoff]

It's hard to describe how it felt to visit the Normandy area, such a range of emotions and feelings.

A lot of it for me was just mind boggling trying to imagine what it must have been like. To see the expanse of beach in some places our guys had to cross to get closer in for safety was almost mind numbing, and then we went over to Pointe du Hoc and that was an even worse scenario to think back on.

Had the honor of attending the funeral of a 92-year-old Marine veteran two weeks ago who fought in the Pacific island campaigns. Not many of the Greatest Generation left these days. Their sacrifices and accomplishments deserve our thanks many many times over. Semper Fidelis.

 

[Anachronism]

A little-known footnote to the invasion of Normandy was that Korean soldiers wearing german uniforms were captured by the American troops.

As were a number of Russian and Eastern European troops. The Germans were heavily engaged on the Eastern Front at that time and they sent captured troops who changed allegiance to the Western Front to replace German divisions that were needed in the East. Especially since the Germans expected the initial invasion to be much further North than the Normandy coastline.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

It never gets old

 

[Vindicator]

A little-known footnote to the invasion of Normandy was that Korean soldiers wearing german uniforms were captured by the American troops.

As were a number of Russian and Eastern European troops. The Germans were heavily engaged on the Eastern Front at that time and they sent captured troops who changed allegiance to the Western Front to replace German divisions that were needed in the East. Especially since the Germans expected the initial invasion to be much further North than the Normandy coastline.

Remember the 2 "germans" behind the bunkers who tried to surrender to the American soldiers in "Saving Private Ryan" but were shot by them while Capain Miller gave them a dirty look? I think they were Czech and were forced into wearing a German uniform.

 

[Sunni Man]

It was not unusual for men of various eastern European nations to join the German army.

Because they wanted to fight against the Russian Communists who had invaded their countries.

 

[Vindicator]

This famous massacre happened just after D-Day. An entire French town was murdered by the SS.

Oradour-sur-Glane 10 June 1944

It is famous now for being the opening sequence to the series "World At War". They explain what happened to the town and give an aerial view. Could that ever happen in the United States?

 

[Sunni Man]

This famous massacre happened just after D-Day. An entire French town was murdered by the SS.

Oradour-sur-Glane 10 June 1944

It is famous now for being the opening sequence to the series "World At War". They explain what happened to the town and give an aerial view. Could that ever happen in the United States?

It already has happened here.

Many native American villages were totally wiped out and massacred by the US Calvary during the Indian wars.

 

[Oddball]

This famous massacre happened just after D-Day. An entire French town was murdered by the SS.

Oradour-sur-Glane 10 June 1944

It is famous now for being the opening sequence to the series "World At War". They explain what happened to the town and give an aerial view. Could that ever happen in the United States?

Ever heard of a sleepy little hamlet called Atlanta?

 

[Vindicator]

This famous massacre happened just after D-Day. An entire French town was murdered by the SS.

Oradour-sur-Glane 10 June 1944

It is famous now for being the opening sequence to the series "World At War". They explain what happened to the town and give an aerial view. Could that ever happen in the United States?

Ever heard of a sleepy little hamlet called Atlanta?

Well, if your talking about CIVIL wars..............

 

[Vindicator]

This famous massacre happened just after D-Day. An entire French town was murdered by the SS.

Oradour-sur-Glane 10 June 1944

It is famous now for being the opening sequence to the series "World At War". They explain what happened to the town and give an aerial view. Could that ever happen in the United States?

It already has happened here.

Many native American villages were totally wiped out and massacred by the US Calvary during the Indian wars.

You mean after the Indians showed the whiteman why they are called "Savages" when they killed soldiers who surrendered?

 

[Dabs]

For those who wish to do so, I encourage flying the flag today.

I fly the flag every day
And June 6 happens to be my oldest grandchild's birthday, she turned 12 yesterday.