June 6, 1944

[Skerik]

SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

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. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: June 6, 1944

Already planning on watching Saving Private Ryan tonight.

[dave360]

Re: June 6, 1944

Great Post Skerik.

[McLite]

Re: June 6, 1944

Makes me think of those interviews at the end of Band of Brothers. "Grandpa were you a hero? No...but I served in a company of heroes."

What an amazing yet sad day in the history of men. May God bless all those brave men who stormed the beaches those many years ago, and may He also bless the brave men who fought and died for the German army as well.

As Harold Moore writes in We Were Soldiers..."While those who have never known war may fail to see the logic, this story also stands as tribute to the hundreds of young men...of the People's Army of Vietnam who died by our hand in that place. They too, fought, and died bravely. They were a worthy enemy. We who killed them pray that their bones were recovered from that wild, desolate place where we left them, and taken home for decent and honorable burial. This is our story and theirs. For we were soldiers once, and young."

[SportsTop]

Re: June 6, 1944

This day and the men who fought in WWII are heroes in the word's truest sense.

I was at the WWII memorial the day after Memorial Day and word's cannont describe the feeling of respect I had for the few WWII veteran's I saw walking around it (my favorite of all the monuments in the National Mall).

Semper Fi.

[Psyblast]

Re: June 6, 1944

[joshuar9476]

Re: June 6, 1944

Here's to those who died on that beach .....

[Knight165]

Re: June 6, 1944

I agree...to those who died that day... ...but it's should also be remember for those that fought hard....kicked *** and lived that day...and fought on and on... I salute those men also! (sadly too few are left....R.I.P. pop).

M.K.
Knight165

[Beantown]

Re: June 6, 1944

Wish my grandfather was still alive so I could actually ask him about this day and his storming of the beach. I would've loved to hear a story, and I think he actually would have told me one.

[theaub]

Re: June 6, 1944

[Knight165]

Re: June 6, 1944

I digress my northern friend....there were many men...from many different countries involved on that massive day...

M.K.
Knight165

[Scottdau]

Re: June 6, 1944

Yeah that is a great day. What is a trip, I couldn't even imagine what that day was like for the soldiers and to think they were probably only around 18 to 23 years old. I read somewhere they thought of calling it off, because of the weather, but still went through with it. Also, I read that Hitler try to plan an attack on America, but the bad weather cause that from happening too.

[Lintyfresh85]

Re: June 6, 1944

I can't imagine what those men went through that fateful day... but I salute them. Thanks guys!

[dave360]

Re: June 6, 1944

My grandfather stormed the beaches at Normandy and told me many stories about World War II before he died. The stories (especially about Normandy) sounded like something out of a movie and seemed so unreal. I wept when I saw Saving Private Ryan because I knew then just how believable those stories were and realized to a certain point what he must have felt like on that day and what he went thru.