D-DAY Commemoration

[Robert]

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the D-Day, I have the honor to salute the memory of the thousands Ameriican soldiers who sacrificed their youth to liberate France, with a particular and respectful affection for those who rest in Normandy ground.

Robert Chombart
Normandy

 

[jonbearman]

Thank you sir for such a nice rememberence as my Dad was a WWII vet along with several uncles and 2nd cousins.It is a shame most younger people don't realize how important D-Day is to all of us here in the United States and our friends in Europe.This turned the tide so free men can write about it and be who they should of been.God Bless all our Vets on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

[5spd]

My son will be at the 70yr memorial since he is stationed close by in Germany.
My own dad stormed Omaha beach in the 1st wave & very lucky to have survived.

 

[nfhjr62]

My uncle was a Chaplin with Patton in England on D/Day went in on the Third wave of men and somewhere in France was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for what we can't find out as the telling of what happened he would never say.

 

[M-61]

Always thought this as an unusual (and somewhat little known) story about B. Gen. T .Roosevelt. An appropriate day to remember him and all the others.


"Roosevelt was the only general on D-Day to land by sea with the first wave of troops. At 56, he would be the oldest man in the invasion, and the only man to serve with his son on D-Day at Normandy (Captain Quentin Roosevelt II was among the first wave of soldiers to land at Omaha beach while his father commanded at Utah beach).

Roosevelt was one of the first soldiers, along with Captain Leonard T. Schroeder Jr., off his landing craft as he led the U.S. 4th Infantry Division's 8th Infantry Regiment and 70th Tank Battalion landing at Utah Beach. Roosevelt was soon informed that the landing craft had drifted more than a mile south of their objective, and the first wave of men was a mile off course. Walking with the aid of a cane and carrying a pistol, he personally made a reconnaissance of the area immediately to the rear of the beach to locate the causeways that were to be used for the advance inland. He returned to the point of landing and contacted the commanders of the two battalions, Lieutenant Colonels Conrad C. Simmons and Carlton O. MacNeely, and coordinated the attack on the enemy positions confronting them. Roosevelt's famous words in these circumstances were, "We’ll start the war from right here!".

These impromptu plans worked with complete success and little confusion. With artillery landing close by, each follow-on regiment was personally welcomed on the beach by a cool, calm, and collected Roosevelt, who inspired all with humor and confidence, reciting poetry and telling anecdotes of his father to steady the nerves of his men. Roosevelt pointed almost every regiment to its changed objective. Sometimes he worked under fire as a self-appointed traffic cop, untangling traffic jams of trucks and tanks all struggling to get inland and off the beach. One GI later reported that seeing the general walking around, apparently unaffected by the enemy fire, even when clods of earth fell down on him, gave him the courage to get on with the job, saying if the general is like that it can't be that bad."

 

[Warren Dean]

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the D-Day, I have the honor to salute the memory of the thousands Ameriican soldiers who sacrificed their youth to liberate France, with a particular and respectful affection for those who rest in Normandy ground.

Robert Chombart
Normandy

Robert,

Merci.

Warren Dean

 

[GerryM]

Thank you for remembering D day

special thanks to all vets who served

Ist man to st foot in France on D day

Captain Liliman Syracuse NY path finder ''

 

[Scotsman1]

Thank you to all Veterans who served for me and my family to have freedom.
I/we, owe you the highest of debt.
As my son and I will be at the D Day museum tomorrow for the ceremony, you will be in our thoughts and prayers.
God Bless,
Sean

 

[geordiesniper]

I have been watching the Commemorations today and there is not anything I can say to thank all of those heroes who took part in the operation, whether they be American, Canadian, British.
But there of those of us 'over here' who still would like to say Thankyou to any US veterans 'over there' as without you it would have been a near impossible task to do what needed to be done.
With Respect