June 6th, 1944

[wwb]

Having been to Normandy and stood on Omaha Beach, I am in awe of the courage these men displayed. Not to diminish their deeds, but I've been to Utah Beach, too, and that was a relative cakewalk.

 

[RugerHound]

Col George Taylor motivating the men on Omaha Beach: "There are two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are dead and those who are going to die. Now let’s get the hell out of here."

None of 'em was a cakewalk...

 

[JPGLSG]

Truly the greatest generation of Men we shall ever see. My dear Wife's Father was among those brave Men. He lived to see 80.

 

[wwb]

.....

None of 'em was a cakewalk...

I'll grant you that.... but notice my use of the word "relative". Omaha Beach was a bloodbath; the terrain, the gun emplacements, and the fortifications all worked against the landing troops to a much greater degree than on Utah beach.

 

[eveled]

I think of those guys every time a brightly painted DUCK boat drives by me in traffic. On some of them you can find old repaired bullet holes. I hope the ones who didn't make it to June 7th rest in peace,

 

[blume357]

It was a different beach... in Italy ..... I was listening to a Vet from here in S.C. telling about his company ..... 120 men hit the beach... 2 minutes later there were 15 of them left to go on......

 

[Wyandot Jim]

There was also a little Island Resort called Iwo Jima, which took the lives of more Marines than all of D-Day. They all paid to much because of insane leaders that thought they could conquer the world.

 

[wwb]

There was also a little Island Resort called Iwo Jima, which took the lives of more Marines than all of D-Day. They all paid to much because of insane leaders that thought they could conquer the world.

My favorite uncle, who left us 17 years ago, was a Marine. He made two landings.... Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, where he was wounded. He never talked about it until I came back from Vietnam, when he took me aside with a bottle of Windsor Canadian (his favorite) and said, "We're gonna talk. You've got some $..t to deal with, and only somebody who's been there can help."

 

[powder smoke]

Your uncle was a great man. May he rest in peace. ps

 

[blackhawknj]

When George C. Marshall visited the Italian Front after June 6, he referred to D-Day whereupon some of the assmbled troops asked "Which one?" An important step, but one of many in a hard fought struggle.