June 6,1944

[TheBookie]

The allies invaded German occupied lands.It took less than a year to defeat them.Surprised no one mentioned this as it effected most of the people in here parents or grand parents and themselves.

It also was the end of the "Battle of Midway".June 3-6,1942.

Both were turning points in WW2 and no mention of either.

Years ago in this forum people talked about historical events of WW1,WW2 and sometimes Korea.

How times have changed.The people in this forum have changed a lot also,they don't discuss things and just keep quiet unless they have a problem with something.Maybe they have no opinions or can't type.

TheBookie

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Cheers TheBookie:

I didn't initially propose to say anything, as my Dad fought in the PTO - his picture below. -I didn't feel it inspired a specific June 6th 44 reference. However, his older brother - no photo available - did campaign in France Belgium and Germany. I salute him, and all those who fought and sacrificed to liberate western Europe from fascist occupation.

[Mike71]

Cheers TheBookie:

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Sharp looking soldier; a career sailor salutes!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Sharp looking soldier; a career sailor salutes!

Thank you sir. I too am a career soldier.

[kdriver]

Great picture! Do you know where it was taken SW?

[hertzie]

Two years ago on June 6th I was at the Pegasus Bridge in Normandy and also at the dropping zone to see the Dakotas flying over and dropping paratroopers. For me it's a date I will always remember and will always be grateful for those willing to give their lives to give us back our freedom and democracy. But you're right, nowadays generations take freedom and democracy for granted.

hertzie

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Great picture! Do you know where it was taken SW?

Guam, early 1945.

[oldmsgt]

The Greatest Generation...

[Sarg Willy]

The 6th of June ,
was another date frame , to me ,

The 24th of May in Italy , preceded those events ,
the day my father earned those vetran stripes , Rolling out past the Hitler line , Locked in combat
against the 26th Panzer , and the first allied contact with the German Panther tank,s ,
In the confines of the narrow Liri valley , over shadowed from the heights and German artillery ,
They fought through it, to the Melfa river , The recce unit , crossing the river , to hold a precarious ,
bridgehead the opposite bank , against repeated counter attack,s ,

A driver for C-HQ sherman tank , My father was witness to those events,

Their unofficial record , was an ammo dump , stored in a farm house ,
traded for an He shell !
One Panther tank ,
One 88 Antitank gun , dual , trying to kill them !
Pushing on to the Melfa river , to support the Recce over the river ,
Where the tank was hit by an 88 - antitank gun / SP ,
Drilled front to rear , It exploded , and burnt ,
The mirricule was 5 men walked away from it !

I can never forget those fact,s , but we are the last that hold
those historic personal links , credits of honour , and character ,
To remember those who gave all ! To Freedom !

[Tako_Kichi]

I've mentioned this in the past but in response to the OP I do still think of the events of D-Day every year as my father was there in the thick of it!

He was a British Royal Marine Commando who was called up in 1941 and after basic training was shipped out to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) for a couple of months and then moved to India. In 1943 he was recalled to Blighty and retrained for the newly formed Commando Brigade roles. He qualified as 3" mortar team leader and his team briefly held the record for the most mortar shells in the air from first launch to first detonation during training, 21 shells in the air at once and that record stood for several weeks! He also qualified as a bren carrier driver ( Universal Carrier - Wikipedia ) which was used to carry the mortar tubes and shells. He was also qualified as an explosive demolition specialist and this skill was used to great effect during the D-Day landings.

On D-Day itself he reverted to his ship-board role and manned a twin Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft gun (Oerlikon 20 mm cannon - Wikipedia) on board a destroyer which was standing-off from the French coast and providing anti-aircraft coverage for the advancing landing craft.

On D-Day +1 he used his demolition skills and blew the bottoms out of several of the concrete block ships and concrete barges that were used to build the temporary Mulberry Harbours ( Mulberry harbour - Wikipedia ).

On D-Day +2 he went ashore and remained on land for the rest of the war, he fought his way across Northern France, Belgium, Holland and Germany before being de-mobbed in Berlin in 1946.

Other notable events he witnessed/took part in were 'Operation Market Garden', including the horrendous trip up the Arnhem Corridor ( Operation Market Garden - Wikipedia ). He should have been at the infamous bridge battle made famous in the movie 'A Bridge Too Far' but his entire unit was stuck in a massive traffic jam on the Arnhem Corridor for three straight days. After the jam cleared the battle for the bridge had been lost and he was re-directed to other locations. It is very possible that I am only here because of the delays on that road and my father wasn't one of the those who gave their all at the deadly 'Bridge Too Far'!

He was also a witness to the atrocities committed by the Nazis at the Belsen-Bergen concentration camp ( Bergen-Belsen concentration camp - Wikipedia ). After the camp was liberated in 1945 all British troops in the area not taking part directly in camp operations were ordered to drive through the camp (without stopping) so that everyone could see what the Nazis had done. According to my father the stench was noticeable while they were still 5 miles away and the sights that met him in the camp were some of the worst things he experienced throughout the whole war!