HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY

[jrttoday]

At this writing, perhaps a bit early? Really? IMHO, shouldn?t they be honored every day, 24/7; or is it that our freedom is taken for granted?

 

[southkogs]

Good to remind folks a little early: I'll be on our city square this Wednesday at a memorial for the fallen and honoring of the living.

Some gave all ... all gave some. Thanks y'all.

 

[jrttoday]

Good to remind folks a little early: I'll be on our city square this Wednesday at a memorial for the fallen and honoring of the living.

Some gave all ... all gave some. Thanks y'all.

agreed! Seems like society forgets they wouldn't be able to announce other holidays in advance if it weren't for our veterans; while totally dismissing this one. More than a moment of silence is required...

 

[Tim Frank]

Crossed one off the Bucket list last week.

Was in the south of France with family for a week, they all went home and I stayed on and headed for Normandy, and then the France/Belgium Northern border?.WWI country.
This included from WWII, the Overlord Beaches (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword) and Point du Hoc, the key Airborne targets ~ Pegasus Bridge, St. Mere Eglise, and St Marie sur Mont as well as Carantan and Brecourt Manor ( all depicted in The Longest Day and Band of Brothers); from the Great War, I stopped at Vimy and Passchendaele and Beaumont Hamel?.all sacred ground for Canadians. Just because I was there, I also had to make whistle stops at Ypres (?Wipers? as the Commonwealth Allies called it), Cambrai, and of course Armentieres. But. I did not meet Madamoiselle?.

Fantastic experience and well worth the effort.

Here is a shot from the US Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. A gorgeous piece of ground that overlooks Omaha Beach.

 

[Tim Frank]

Here is one looking out over Omaha Beach from the cemetery....

 

[MTboatguy]

Tim, all I can say is WOW!

 

[jbcurt00]

Thank you to all who served, are serving and those that will serve in the future.

 

[jrttoday]

ditto on the WOW!! and Tim Frank thank you so much for those awesome photographs!!! very moving

 

[rbh]

Nice pics Tim, can you post one of the Vimy memorial?

 

[Tim Frank]

Tried last night, but couldn't make it happen. Will try again. There are 4 more that I'd like to post if I can.

 

[Tim Frank]

Here is a shot at Vimy looking up the slope that one arm of the attack would have had to negotiate. Tough sledding! The grass is not the surface they would have had....it was mostly mud....the shell holes were there, however.






This is a closer shot of the monument itself with a few people for a size perspective.
Inspiring!





Here is the preserved forward observation trench. This would have been the jump-off point for the attack. There was a network of tunnels that brought the attackers up overnight, but well out of sight. the tunnels were as much as 50 feet below the surface. I toured one of them....absolutely amazing.


Here is Givenchy Road cemetery #2. No explanation required.

 

[Tim Frank]

Tim, all I can say is WOW!

Most of the time I could not even have said "wow".....the lump in my throat would have been too much in the way.

It was heartening how well the responsible agencies maintain all of the cemeteries. They are kept up impeccably, and with obvious respect and commitment..

What was disheartening was the obvious dichotomy between the WWI and WWII cemeteries.
After 4 years of trench warfare, the WWI brain trust had still not figured out that sending troops "over the top" to take on entrenched Maxims and artillery was pretty expensive sport....and the currency they paid with was mostly 20 year old soldiers. Almost qualifies as a war crime in its own right.

The WWII cemeteries have, as a guess, maybe 75+% of the headstones with name, age, and regiment inscribed
The WWI cemeteries have about 75+% with : " A soldier of the Great War known unto God"....sobering and chilling.



I guess there must have been a lessons learned component, not sure if they had dog tags or similar in WWI, but probably more to do with a stationary front and massed artillery raining down all the time.
WWII was more mobile.

 

[southkogs]

Very impressive. Thanks for posting this Tim.

 

[Tim Frank]

A monument to the Airborne forces. This is between Utah Beach and Brecourt Manor.....Easy Company of the 506th took out s battery of five 88mm guns that were firing on Utah Beach.
The statue of the paratrooper was supposed to be generic, but bears a "striking resemblance" to Richard Winters, who was a major (and Major) player in the series Band of Brothers.

 

[jrttoday]

words fail me...... thank you

 

[Tim Frank]

The church in the town square of Ste. Mere Eglise....note the Parachute and paratrooper replica.
John Steele was the actual paratrooper who got caught on the church steeple and played dead for a few hours to avoid getting shot by the enemy in the town square,
The incident was recreated in the movie the longest Day, John Steele was portrayed by Red Buttons.

(having real trouble getting these pics to post....no idea why. I've resized all of them, but have another 15 or so that would be of interest, i think.
I'll keep trying)

 

[jrttoday]

thank you for your efforts in sharing them!! Are you using photobucket? makes it easier

 

[Tim Frank]

OK, Photobucket it will have to be. I'll post a few more every day until the 11th :

This is Pegasus Bridge, site of a glider assault by British light infantry, led by Major John Howard.
They captured the bridge and held it against serious counterattacks until reinforced.
This bridge spanned the Caen Canal and was key to any German armour being able to access the British/Canadian Sector beachhead.

Useless trivia note: One of the British officers was a Captain Richard Todd, an actor after the war. In the movie The Longest Day, he played the part iof his own CO, Major Howard…. Another actor played Todd.

 

[jrttoday]

OK, Photobucket it will have to be. I'll post a few more every day until the 11th :

Thanks Tim!! I go by Frank; no relation, es middle name! lol and there's no deadline unless they close the topic lol
I really am enjoying the photos, would have liked to have been there....

 

[Tim Frank]

Utah Beach pics:....

Higgins Boat






This is the USN Memorial at Utah Beach