"Overlord", the invasion of Europe began today.
Hand salute to all the Allied soldiers who fought and died 67 years ago today.

Special recognition to the Bedford Boys who died that day. Bedford VA. suffered the highest per capita losses of any American town or city on D-Day.

Their outfit was part of the 29th ID, which was sent to Britain in 1942 to begin training for the invasion. Bedford is the home of the National D-DAY Memorial. The last member of the group, Ray Nance, died a couple of years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Nance_(veteran)


Nance lay as still as he could, hoping the machine gunner would think he was dead. But even corpses were now targets for the Germans above Dog Green. "That machine gunner just wouldn't let me be. He'd send a line of bullets my way, pass on to another target then come back for me again, like he was playing cat and mouse."14 Nance tried in vain to dig a shallow foxhole in the sand and shingle with his hands. Then he spotted a tidal pool. It looked deep enough for a man to disappear beneath its surface........

http://worldwar2history.info/D-Day/Bedford-Boys.html

And on this day in 1942, the Battle of Midway was winding down. Midway was, arguably, one of the greatest naval victories in history.

Midway in Retrospect: The Still Under-Appreciated Victory
by James R. Schlesinger, former Secretary of Defense

There are too few of us who understand Midway's world-historic significance. And, as I will develop, it is essential for us to go forth and proselytize.

Since I wrote a piece a year ago in the Wall Street Journal on the 60th Anniversary of Midway, I have continued to be puzzled that the assertion that Midway played the crucial strategic role for the war in Europe--came as something of a revelation. So the question before us is: Why is not Midway recognized as the crucial battle for the West of World War II--just as Stalingrad is recognized as a crucial battle for the Soviet Union? The comparative neglect of Midway is a great historic puzzle--and, in a sense, a great injustice.

So, this evening, I shall talk about history and, in particular, in relation to what Churchill and others call Grand Strategy. Midway was far more than a decisive naval victory. It was far more than the turning of the tide in the Pacific war. In a strategic sense, Midway represents one of the turning points of world history--and in that role it remains under-appreciated........

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq81-12.htm

Salute to the Sailors, Marines and Soldiers who took part in Midway's victory.

My FIL landed at Port en Besin on July 7th 1944.

__________________
1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

My two uncles landed on D-Day, one was a medic with the 29th Division and one was and infantryman with the same outfit. Both survived the war, although Uncle Frank lost the use of his left arm. My dad fought in the Pacific and also survived the war, like his brothers. The victory at Midway probably saved his life. He was in the 533rd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment of the US Army. He operated a Higgins boat! A soldier-sailor!

We solemnly remember all those who were lost in these valiant efforts to set the world free.

__________________
"Life is tough...it's even tougher if you're stupid." John Wayne


Dave
Pawleys Island, SC

'79 300CD

Saying "Thank You" for those who fought seems almost trivial--diminishing their accomplishments.
Never-the-less, Thank You

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

The last war in which good and evil seemed to clearly-defined, and in which the moral imperative seemed so clear . . .

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" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
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Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

That was a pretty traumatic experience for the majority involved. It would probably be hard for a younger person today to really understand.

My father said little of the things he experienced. Yet he was active in several theatres. It is reasonable to state it changed his life.

In my time there were no wars that I was expected to participate in.
My grandfather on my fathers side perished during the first world war.So I never knew him.

I have had a lot of conversations with ww2 vets over the years, uniformly they speak of the shared experience, after all, there were so many of them - that shared experience no doubt brought a certain comfort upon the return home and a life of civility. Many guys from our little town in Iowa served including one left swimming in the oil after being blown off the deck of his ship on 7 dec 41. His account of the day, told to a group of us on a memorial day a few years ago, was moving to say the least. I was and am in awe. I have known men, elders in my town, who were in china, burma, anzio, the bulge - after also being there on d-day, one of them a prisoner of the japanese, and quite a number that served in post war Europe and I can't express my appreciation with much more than awestruck silence.

I would recommend for those who are interested, a documentary called "the Ritchie boys" (available on Netflix) I saw it recently and believe it to be a good insight in to army intelligence (insert joke here). It is about germans, mostly jews, who joined the US army after escaping the Nazis and were trained to interrogate german prisoners.

__________________
DS
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www.Newgateschool.org - check it out.
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Las Vegas NV

I will never be able to find the words to express my respect and appreciation of all of those who have gone before me and done what needed to be done.

Thank you.

Actually it began last night when the paratroopers dropped in, the guys had already been on the boats since late on the 4th I beleive, the invasion on the 5th was called off.

I think at about this time Hans von Luck was burning up the phone lines trying to get a hold of his commander in Paris, or he might have already said F it and started to move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N59msUnyy1g&feature=channel_video_title
In honor of that hell hole, now imagine you have to get up and advance on that position with those 8mm rounds screaming around you, all you can do is pray you live long enough to buy 10 seconds as they change out the barrel to throw a grenade at them.

That took balls.

__________________
1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

A very humble salute to the men & women who saved the world.....we can never repay you enough.

My FIL was in Basic in Texas and broke his ankle in a company baseball game in 8th week of training. He was "recycled" after he got the cast off and ended up a medic in the 2nd Armored.

None of the guys in his original platoon made it off the beach at Normandy...

My Dad was supposed to go over on D+2 to set up the advanced base and photo labs for the 107th Photo Recon. He got a bad case of food poisoning and was delayed until D+6. the guy who took his place was killed when his transport was shot down by "friendly fire".

My HS Guidence councilor was in the 82nd Airborne. He said he saw the 2 C-47's in front of his get hit and go down. He jumped OK, landed OK and stayed alive. The plane behind his dropped right on top of the Germans and most of the guys were shot while still in the air.

My shop teacher was in the Marines in Korea...Chosun survivor.

My Scoutmaster was a survivor of the Battan Death March and a Japanese Forced Labor POW Camp

My SIL's Uncle Ray died last week. He was in Italy, France, Germany and Austria. Wounded 5 times, the last one got him 100% disability pension and a Post Office job for life. 5 Purple Hearts, Bronze Star, Silver Star and the one he was most proud of the CIB. He was 5 ft 5 3/4 inches tall and barely 135 lbs, he never said a word about his service to his country. I was cleaning up his belongings and found his medals and citations. I called the VFW and they sent an Honor Guard and Bugler to his funeral. 100 Vets showed up and 18 were WW2 Vets in their 90's. When I saw them struggle to their feet to salute him when we lowered the casket into the ground with Taps being bugled from the hilltop behind us, I just lost it. Tears began to run down my face like rain. Then I looked at the other men who were helping me, a State Trooper, a Postal Carrier, a Marine home on leave from the Afghan and 2 local boys of 17 - to a man we were all crying as we helped our friend and my Uncle finally get some rest.

We owe a lot of fine people a lot of thanks for the thing we call FREEDOM.

damn fine story Stoney. My dad, uncle and most of their friends were WWII vets. They were a different breed, those men.

Mine too. US Coast Guard. Greenland Patrol June 1941-Mar. 1942; July 1942-June 1943.

Come gather round me lads and I'll tell you a thing or two;
About the way we ran the Coast Guard in Nineteen Forty Two.

When wooden ships and iron men were barely out of sight;
I am going to give you some facts just to set the record right.

We wore the ole bell bottoms, with a flat hat on our head;
Always hit the rack at night and never "went to bed."

Our uniforms were worn ashore and we were mighty proud;
Never thought of wearing civvies, in fact they were never allowed.

Now when a ship puts out to sea I'll tell you Son it hurts;
When suddenly you notice that half the crew is wearing skirts.

And it's hard for me to imagine, a female Boatswains Mate;
Stopping on the Quarterdeck to make sure her stockings are straight.

What happened to the KiYi brush, and the old salt-water bath;
Holy stoning decks at night cause you stirred old Bosn's wrath!

We always had our gedunk stand and lots of pogey bait;
And it always took a hitch or two ,just to make a rate.

In your seabag all your skivvies, were neatly stopped and rolled;
And the blankets on your sack had better have a three-inch fold.

Your little ditty bag, it is hard to believe just how much it held;
You wouldn't go ashore with pants that hadn't been spiked and belled.

We had scullery maids and succotash and good old SOS;
And when you felt like topping off, you headed for the mess.

Oh we had our belly robbers but there weren't too many gripes;
For the deck apes were never hungry and there were no starving snipes.

Now you never hear of Davy Jones, Shellbacks or Polliwogs;
And you never splice the main brace to receive your daily grog.

Now you never have to dog a watch or stand the main vent;
You even tie your lines today, back in my time they were bent.

We were all two-fisted drinkers and no one thought you sinned;
If you staggered back aboard your ship, three sheets to the wind.

And with just a couple hours of sleep you regained your usual luster;
Bright eyed and bushy tailed- you still made morning muster.

Rocks and shoals have long since gone, and now it's UCMJ;
Then the old man handled every thing if you should go astray.

Now they steer the ships with dials, and I wouldn't be surprised;
If some day they sailed the damned things from the beach computerized.

So when my earthly hitch is over, and the good Lord picks the best;
I'll walk right up to HIM and say, "Sir, I have but one request.

Let me sail the seas of Heaven in a coat of navy blue;
Like I did so long ago on earth way back in nineteen-forty-two.
Semper Peratus!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snwSCugd-W8

My Dad was on the USS the Lexington (CV2) till she was sunk, Hornet CV-8 til she was sunk and ended the war on the Wisconsin (BB64) as a main battery officer. Finally put him on a vessel the Japanese couldn't sink.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5ATYPrZnSQ

His brothers, my uncles, were also officers. The eldest had just graduated harvard law abd joined as an infantry officer and served in a combat unit until almost the end of the war when he got transferred to investigate war crimes. The youngest was a naval aviator and helped transfer military aircraft to the USSR vi Iran, IIRC.

My wife's uncle landed at Normandy as a medic and survived until the Bulge where he got a terrible wound across his shoulders and side that became gangrenous. He said he could smell his death. But he recovered and had the most hideous scar you could imagine. His brother died during the Bougainville campaign. They never found his body.

B, That's some line-up. Two thumbs up.