D-DAY Anniversy Tomorrow...

[Nickdfresh]

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces: 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 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.


--General Dwight D. Eisenhower

[Nickdfresh]

[Mishar_McLeud]

My prayers go with all involved in Omaha beach events. It's just terrible to imagine thousands of men fighting with each, I hope such things would never happen again. But this should not be forgotten.

[Nickdfresh]

Normandy Prepares for D-Day Anniversary

Sunday, June 5, 2005 4:07 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By FREDERIC VEILLE

American parachutists parade at Sainte-Mere-Eglise, northern France, Sunday, June 5, 2005, to commemorate the Allied D-Day landings of World War II. Rain dampened plans for about 150 military parachutists, including Germans that were to take part for the first time, to leap over the first Normandy town freed from the Nazi grip on June 6, 1944. (AP Photo/Franck Prevel)
World War II veterans and dignitaries were gathering in Normandy for ceremonies Monday to honor the sacrifices of Allied soldiers who died in the D-Day landings 61 years ago.

Dozens of ceremonies were planned to commemorate those who fought and died on the five blood-soaked beaches during the June 6, 1944, siege that marked the beginning of the end of the Nazi regime.

French and American officials planned a tribute with a church choir and band at the Normandy American cemetery in the town of Colleville-sur-Mer, where 9,387 fallen U.S. fighters are buried. Parades, wreath-laying ceremonies and concerts were scheduled in many towns and villages in a region.

Rain led officials to cancel plans Sunday for some 150 military parachutists to drop into the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise, a commemoration that was to include Germans for the first time. The town was the first liberated by U.S. forces in Normandy.

Hoping to strike a spirit of unity, Mayor Marc Lefevre invited about 40 German parachutists to take part _ but building support for his idea was not easy in his town.

"Many people asked me what was going through my head," Lefevre said. "We need to know how to turn the page, and welcome the Germans without rancor."

Hundreds of spectators, including some World War II veterans, peered skyward in anticipation of the jumps before organizers called them off.

"It's always moving to see this," said 82-year-old spectator Shifty Power from Virginia who parachuted in on D-Day with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division. "It's good for Germans also to take part _ it's important for peace in the world."

About 156,000 Allied soldiers _ mostly American, British and Canadian _ took part in the invasion, storming in from the English Channel and opening a Western front against the Nazis.

[4moreyears]

Fucking French Pussies. Thank god for American Soldiers.

[Mr Grimsdale]

Originally posted by 4moreyears
Fucking French Pussies. Thank god for American Soldiers.

speaking as a non-french person all i can say is ever heard of the french resistance? i don't think i'd have the guts to risk dying the way a lof them did

do a bit of reading sunshine and you might be able to see the world in a different light

[Mishar_McLeud]

Originally posted by Mr Grimsdale
speaking as a non-french person all i can say is ever heard of the french resistance? i don't think i'd have the guts to risk dying the way a lof them did

do a bit of reading sunshine and you might be able to see the world in a different light

Well said.

[FORD]

sunshine never reads anything but neocon chain e-mails.

[BigBadBrian]

From this day to the ending of the world . . . we in it shall be remembered . . . we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.

Operation Overlord, June 6, 1944.

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by 4moreyears
Fucking French Pussies. Thank god for American Soldiers.

http://www.jmu.edu/madison/center/main_pages/teacher/curriculum/chap2.htm

During 1776 The British almost were able to win the war. The rebel commander, George Washington (age 43 in 1775), was continually on the run and he was only able to win a few victories. Yet Washington held the rebel army together and did not allow it to be defeated as an effective fighting force.

On October 12, 1777 the Americans were able to defeat the British in the battle of Saratoga and capture 5,000 British soldiers. With this battle New England was lost to the British. Most importantly, this victory convinced the French that the Americans could indeed win the war. France had already given the Americans large amounts of aid and probably would have come into the war even without the American victory. Ninety percent of the arms used by the Americans at Saratoga were of French origin.

On December 17, 1777 France recognized the independence of the United States and in February, 1778 America and France signed a formal alliance with France declaring war on Britain. Holland and Spain joined France. France assisted the United States because it wanted to weaken Britain in Europe; France also hoped that it would be able to regain some of the land that it had lost in the French and Indian War. The Revolutionary War probably would not have been won without French support. Spain joined in to protect and regain territory in America, and Holland had trade grievances with Britain.

The help of the French navy and of a French expeditionary force of 6,000 men contributed substantially to the victories of George Washington's forces. In September 1781, the French fleet stopped general Cornwallis from being resupplied at Yorktown, Virginia and he surrendered 8,000 men to the combined American-French forces. Although there were a few nasty skirmishes after Yorktown, mostly between Loyalists and Patriots, the main armies were inactive, waiting for the results of the peace negations in Paris. The Treaty of Paris was signed in January 1783 and officially ended the war. There were about 4,000 American battle deaths during the War for Independence.

Besides French assistance, the Americans won because they fought on their home ground; they did not have to defeat Britain, they just had to avoid being defeated themselves; the British government lacked enthusiastic support for the war from the British people; and, the British army and navy were not up to par at the beginning of the war.

[Nickdfresh]

Originally posted by BigBadBrian
From this day to the ending of the world . . . we in it shall be remembered . . . we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.


Operation Overlord, June 6, 1944.

You know BIGBAD, I think I read in AMBROSE's book on D-DAY that there were a bunch of graphic photos from OMAHA BEACH that were lost after the battle. Pity...

[Warham]

It's really too bad we don't have the kind of relationship with France that we should have.

[Angel]

Originally posted by 4moreyears
Fucking French Pussies. Thank god for American Soldiers.

Don't you mean Thank God for ALLIED SOLDIERS? You guys weren't alone...

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Thank God eternally for our heroes, American, British, Canadian, Australian, Russian and Ukrainian Soldiers.


And huge thanks to Nick, Mr Grimsdale, Warham and Angel for being so sensible.
You pay great homage to your grandfathers in that way too. Considering all the French as cowards is unfair to the French, which is not that serious. The worst is, it's like an injury to the thousands and thousands of Allied soldiers who died there, and to those who survived as well. They knew why they came here, and they gave their lives for that, or lost an arm or a leg... or remained in a state of shock for the rest of their days. Saying the reason why they fulfilled such a feat is no good is but blasphemy.
And it's easy for 4moreyears to judge a whole people from across the Atlantic, 61 years later... Has he ever been to France? Does he know about the military fiasco (because of the government who had declared it was no longer a priority...) that helped the nazis (sorry, can't put a capital letter) take hold of the country? About the overwhelming strength of the German army? Jean Moulin? History is meant for being read.
That said, do the French still bear a grudge on the German? A minority of them do: those who don't think but have their minds fossilized with prejudice. Our peoples have made friends decades ago (H. Schmitt and V. Giscard d'Estaing worked together in the 70s, and so did their successors), we just moved ahead.

[Warham]

My great grandfather was from France, so I can't be harsh. :D

I'll always hold France in high regard for their service to our fledgling country during the Revolutionary War, but I'm disappointed with our relations during the last ten or so years.