Thread: D-Day

70 years ago on this night elements of the 82nd and 101st Airborne stationed in England boarded planes and gliders for the beginning of a mission know as Operation Overlord to drop into France behind enemy lines and secure roads, bridges and key towns to prevent German reinforcements from attacking Allied invasion forces on the beaches of Normandy. The plan rapidly fell apart as German anti aircraft fire destroyed many of the planes and gliders. Many more flew off course in the panic and few of the troops actually parachuted near their intended drop zones. Several of the gliders crash landed killing or wounding the soldiers onboard. Many of the troops were machine gunned while still in the air while parachuting. Others landed in wet areas and drowned. One of the effects of the American troops being so scattered was that the Germans didn't know where to amass their forces to counter attack. Despite heavy losses, confusion and being separated from their units the American troops slowly began to organize into groups and proceeded to an objective even if it was not their original assignment. The Army Air Corps was supposed to attack the German fortifications guarding the beaches at Normandy with a massive bombing raid just before the troops landed on the morning of June 6th, 1944, known thereafter as D-Day. Afraid of friendly fire casualties the Navy insisted that the bombers delay dropping their bombs by several seconds. The result was that the bombs fell too far inland missing their targets leaving German fortifications intact. The troops landing on some of the beaches were decimated by enemy fire as they exited their landing craft. Many of the troops were forced out of their landing craft in deep water and were drowned by their heavy equipment. By the end of the afternoon of the 6th the Allied forces had established a beachhead and the liberation of Europe from Nazi German rule could begin. Most of the men who fought and survived the war have died of old age. We the people owe them and all of our armed forces a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid. Thank you to all of our veterans and their survivors for your service, sacrifice and willingness to put yourselves in harm's way to protect our country. God bless.

Yes I am fortunate enough to have a father who was in WW II went in Utah beach D+6. I have had the pleasure to have met his best friend/brother who lived in Kentucky. He will be 93 in December God bless them all

God bless them all, so grateful that we had men with the fortitude to jump out of those boats under horrific conditions to keep the rest of us safe. I don't have the words but I know "thank you" is not enough.

I had a grandfather who landed at Omaha on D+1... and my other one did Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima with 1st MarDiv and 3rd MarDiv. Father was four tour VietNam vet, including Pleiku during Tet in '68. D Day was always a big day for all of them, and for most veterans. I was aware of the importance of 6-6-1944 at a young age, educated by men who embodied the notions of God, Duty, Honor, and Country to the fullest.

Fast forward seventy years... and we swap a possible deserter for five Taliban terrorists. I just cannot see FDR, or Eisenhower, or Patton making a swap like that for five Nazi generals. Times have changed. Thank goodness our military men and women have not.

Thanks to all the vets for their service... and for each one's own D Day. Wherever and whenever it happened.