June 6, 1944: D-Day In Memoriam

The 80th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion is taking place today, and it is an important day in the history of the free world. As a WWII scholar and historian who focuses a lot on the European campaign, this day is evoking some strong emotions for me on the sacrifices so many English, American, and Canadian soldiers made to begin the liberation process of France and start driving the Nazi forces out of occupied countries.

My grandfather served in Patton's 3rd army during the latter part of the Battle of Bulge in January of 1945, and he was shot through the neck by a sniper in the Spring when his platoon was making their way through a German city. Thankfully, he survived, and he's the primary reason why I am so passionate about preserving this history.

Here are some startling statistics I learned from the news this morning:

View attachment 264468
Thank you to all of those who contributed to the successful landings on the Normandy beaches, and thank you to all of their families as well. While my grandpa was not there for the invasion, he helped to push the Germans back into Germany later in the European campaign. I was struck to learn from my wife that he was 25 years old when he was commissioned, which tells me that America was digging deep into the pool to throw all available resources at winning the war in Europe as swiftly as possible.

My current WWII study is Eisenhower's memoir Crusade in Europe, and it is outstanding:

I did an informal survey at work yesterday asking people if they knew why June 6 is an important day in American history. Out of the 10 or so people I talked to, only two said it was D-Day, and one of them thought it happened in 1943. A couple of the young men in their 20s didn't even know what D-Day meant.

It looks like we are losing sight of our history, an alarming trend in our culture.

The 80th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion is taking place today, and it is an important day in the history of the free world. As a WWII scholar and historian who focuses a lot on the European campaign, this day is evoking some strong emotions for me on the sacrifices so many English, American, and Canadian soldiers made to begin the liberation process of France and start driving the Nazi forces out of occupied countries.

My grandfather served in Patton's 3rd army during the latter part of the Battle of Bulge in January of 1945, and he was shot through the neck by a sniper in the Spring when his platoon was making their way through a German city. Thankfully, he survived, and he's the primary reason why I am so passionate about preserving this history.

Here are some startling statistics I learned from the news this morning:

View attachment 264468
Thank you to all of those who contributed to the successful landings on the Normandy beaches, and thank you to all of their families as well. While my grandpa was not there for the invasion, he helped to push the Germans back into Germany later in the European campaign. I was struck to learn from my wife that he was 25 years old when he was commissioned, which tells me that America was digging deep into the pool to throw all available resources at winning the war in Europe as swiftly as possible.

My current WWII study is Eisenhower's memoir Crusade in Europe, and it is outstanding:

This shouldn't even be in the list of the problems compared to the larger issue that people don't even know what they're saying.
They have no clue what words mean anymore. White is black and black is white and everything is upside down.
I deal with this mindset at "work" everyday.

We are now in the movie Idiocracy where the inhabitants of that society thought that Charlie Chaplin caused WW2.

Thanks for sharing! Pretty soon we will have to defend the free world again.

And not to take from any of those involved in June 6th 1944(very well heroes in the same),,,but it's become sort of a dot in a circle approach in the news media where the POTUS gets to get his name in the press,,, And not that June 6th 1944 was not an important day(it is) but to focus only on it is to forget that the entire war began on September 1st,1939(in Europe) and ended(but not really) on May 8th,1945(in Europe they say but not really)... Then the war ended on September the 2nd 1945 with Japan(a lot of dates to remember but none the less),,,now who died on the Gambler bay,the USS Hoel or Johnston(and many others in many different places) "nobody knows" it seems anymore about the other millions on solders leading up to June 6th 1944 nor those afterwards we just look at the dot in the circle as were told.... Again not to take one thing from those involved in D day(they belong there too) just don't forget the bloody 100th nor any of the others involved who defended the free world....

The Russians won the war on the battlefield against Nazi Germany.

And not to take from any of those involved in June 6th 1944(very well heroes in the same),,,but it's become sort of a dot in a circle approach in the news media where the POTUS gets to get his name in the press,,, And not that June 6th 1944 was not an important day(it is) but to focus only on it is to forget that the entire war began on September 1st,1939(in Europe) and ended(but not really) on May 8th,1945(in Europe they say but not really)... Then the war ended on September the 2nd 1945 with Japan(a lot of dates to remember but none the less),,,now who died on the Gambler bay,the USS Hoel or Johnston(and many others in many different places) "nobody knows" it seems anymore about the other millions on solders leading up to June 6th 1944 nor those afterwards we just look at the dot in the circle as were told.... Again not to take one thing from those involved in D day(they belong there too) just don't forget the bloody 100th nor any of the others involved who defended the free world....

Thanks for sharing! Pretty soon we will have to defend the free world again.

This shouldn't even be in the list of the problems compared to the larger issue that people don't even know what they're saying.
They have no clue what words mean anymore. White is black and black is white and everything is upside down.
I deal with this mindset at "work" everyday.

We are now in the movie Idiocracy where the inhabitants of that society thought that Charlie Chaplin caused WW2.

And, there are those who truly believe the holocaust never happened and the world is flat. Beyond my comprehension and Lord help us!

I won't get into how the word "holocaust" can mean different things to different people (e.g. some consider the excess deaths caused by the recent worldwide covid "vaccine" mandates to be the latest and greatest "holocaust" inflicted by evil governments on mankind), but you might be interested to know that no one has ever measured the curvature of the Earth. Our Earth is much stranger than many realise.

That said, history is worth studying and not repeating... (If only! )

The Russians won the war on the battlefield against Nazi Germany.

hmm,all but maybe Warsaw. In their case they decided to take a break and watch the Germans slaughter the Jews and other Polish allies... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Uprising

My point was the Soviets had already won the war in Europe two years prior to D-Day with the battles of Stalingrad, Kurst, Moscow and then Leningrad.

D- Day was an heroic effort but by then the Germans were basically doomed, D-Day allowed them to follow through easier.

The Soviets stalled by signing that treaty with the Germans. They had no intention of saving no one but themselves. Without the help from the US, GB and other allies the Soviet Union would have perished. Maybe so would the allies as well. The cooperation between the allies and the Soviet Union was a deal with the puppet of the devil. Sometimes that is necessary.

That is exactly right, so simple, let's throw away all the history books this one paragraph solves the entire debate.
And that is a wrap folks we can all go home.

Aww, you really know how to apply the rhetorical textbook to any situation, don’t you sweetheart?

Of course that is what thinking people do, now if a "Fahrenheit 451" society is more your speed no worries we are almost there.