Tonight is the night of nights...

[Fatcamp]

Youtube has a bunch of interviews with men who landed and jumped that day.

Spend time listening every year to remember how little I've really done.

 

[CorbLand]

How about as often as they will run it

Gotta buy it.

Band of Brothers and The Pacific should be in each of your homes and you should make your kids watch them so they understand how horrible each was and how we should strive to never repeat them.

 

[*zap*]

Damn tough men fought for our country, may my daily actions honor their sacrifices...and may they rest in piece.

 

[RMM]

10? What a rookie.

 

[Tick]

Thanks for the reminder of how proud and thankful we should be for the men that have sacrificed to make this the greatest country in the world.

 

[NDGuy]

Was I a hero?

No but I served in a company of heroes.

 

[Greenbelt]

I took out my grandfathers, and two uncles flags today to show my daughter. My uncle was on the invasion, grandfather, and his other brother in another part of the war. I had the pleasure of living with my grandfather most of my life. I'm only 41 yrs old but I grew up in a house hold with this generation.

I still remember the smell of to many drinks and cigar smoke. When stories of the war started flowing. I can still hear Red Millers voice as he chewed on a cigar talking about how cold he was in the battle of the bulge as he stared off into the distance. Another friend who falsified a signature and got sent to war at 16, once the army found out they sent him back home and drafted him a year later! They always had a good laugh at that. I still remember pretending not to see the tears in my grandfathers eyes whenever the national anthem played.

But most of all I can still feel the rifle volley at all of their funerals knowing this world would be lost without them. And we are. But I am truly thankful to be blessed to have been raised by one of the greatest generations this country will ever know. Thank you for posting this up. I think the world needs to remember who these men were and the sacrifice they made.

 

[insanelupus]

Those that arrived boys and survived, lived as men from that day forward. A very good friend of mine, whom I was blessed to know for several years, arrived a few days in. The experiences he shared left little to the imagination and enumerated the grit of the men involved and insinuated the danger they knew they faced if they went, and the greater danger they faced if they had not gone.


May the Lord bless the families of all the men and women of the Greatest Generation who sacrificed more than most will know and still carry the scars left in those families.

 

[Fullfan]

Dang shame that 95% of high school students, have no clue what D day was.

 

[displacedtexan]

Dang shame that 95% of high school students, have no clue what D day was.

Got a source?

 

[rtkbowhunter]

My wasn't wasn't part of D-Day. He landed in theater in July of '44, gunner in an M18 Hellcat tank destroyer. Fought across northern France, Belgium, Huertgen Forest, The Bulge, across the Rhine...wounded twice. Mom...well she helped too. Inspector on an assembly line for B26's and F4U Corsairs.

Truly, they ARE the Greatest Generation.

 

[JoshDoneff]

Thanks for the reminder. Good post.

 

[Pony Soldier]

This might be a little off of the line but I think the reason for that generation is that many were one or two generations past their immigrant parents.They were thankful for the opportunity the US offered and were more than willing to defend it. Their general attitude was to do what ever was needed to get the job done. To not expect to get anything special but fight to meet whatever needs existed.

I remember after the war, my father had is own business but also worked night shift at the sawmill until the his cashflow met his needs to care for his family.

Sorry about the sidetrack but I think we have lost a lot of that in the present generation.

 

[CorbLand]

This might be a little off of the line but I think the reason for that generation is that many were one or two gemerations past their immigrant parents.They were thankful for the opportunity the US offered and were more than willing to defend it. Their general attitude was to do what ever was needed to get the job done. To not expect to get anything special but fight to meet whatever needs existed.

I remember after the war, my father had is own business but also worked night shift at the sawmill until the his cashflow met his needs to care for his family.

Sorry about the sidetrack but I think we have lost a lot of that in the present generations.

Fixed it for you.

 

[JMasson]

Unfortunately the winds were out of tolerance and the memorial jump was scratched.

 

[displacedtexan]

This might be a little off of the line but I think the reason for that generation is that many were one or two generations past their immigrant parents.They were thankful for the opportunity the US offered and were more than willing to defend it. Their general attitude was to do what ever was needed to get the job done. To not expect to get anything special but fight to meet whatever needs existed.

I remember after the war, my father had is own business but also worked night shift at the sawmill until the his cashflow met his needs to care for his family.

Sorry about the sidetrack but I think we have lost a lot of that in the present generation.

In many cases, I do believe you're correct...

But for others like my grandfather and his friends, they were either the immigrants or first generation born here. Taken from their segregated communities and shipped to the front lines for a country that treated them as lesser and separate, because of the way they looked.

They came back with the scars, and bitter. Good enough to fight, but not equal at home.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I remember an article in the RMEF a number years ago. It was from a decorated black man that had settled in Boise after the war. He said he returned to Alabama but nothing had changed. He moved to Boise because nobody cared that you weren't the same and he could hunt elk.

 

[amassi]

This might be a little off of the line but I think the reason for that generation is that many were one or two generations past their immigrant parents.They were thankful for the opportunity the US offered and were more than willing to defend it. Their general attitude was to do what ever was needed to get the job done. To not expect to get anything special but fight to meet whatever needs existed.

I remember after the war, my father had is own business but also worked night shift at the sawmill until the his cashflow met his needs to care for his family.

Sorry about the sidetrack but I think we have lost a lot of that in the present generation.

The Great Depression helped a whole bunch. Growing up dirt poor and hungry getting drafted and sent to France didn’t make them willing to defend. They also returned to the strongest economy ever known, had GI benefits for the first time and bought homes on one income from a union job.
Your father worked nights to pay for his own business,
He made a choice to have a small business and needed guaranteed cash flow to make it happen, that is very prevalent with todays youth and hustle economy.
There’s more similarities to your father and many of todays children than there are differences.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sconnieVLP]

Unfortunately the winds were out of tolerance and the memorial jump was scratched.

That sucks man. That jump is one of my favorite memories.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

This is the eve of the 79th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion and the beginning of the liberation of France, 06 June 1944. Take a moment to remember those who gave up their tomorrow's for our todays, and generation of WW2 Veterans that has nearly faded away. Forever thankful for their service and sacrifice. Not a day goes by that I don't appreciate the freedom they have given me, and I know most Rokslide members feel the same.

Below are the words by Colonel Robert Sink, Commander of the 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Before boarding their transport planes in England on the night of June 5th, each paratrooper in the regiment was given a copy of Col. Sink's message, as well as a different message from General Eisenhower.

Soldiers of the Regiment:

Today, and as you read this, you are en route to that great adventure for which you have trained for over two years.

Tonight, is the night of nights.

Tomorrow throughout the whole of our homeland and the Allied world the bells will ring out the tidings that you have arrived, and the invasion for the liberation has begun.

The hopes and prayers of your dear ones a company you, the confidence of your high commanders goes with you. The fears of the Germans are about to become a reality.

Let us strike hard. When the going is tough, let us go harder. Imbued with the faith in the righteousness of our cause, and the power of our might, let us annihilate the enemy where found.

May God be with each of you fine soldiers. By your actions let us justify His faith in us.

Robert Sink

Colonel

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I just saw this thread and the words literally gave me goose bumps. Thank you for sharing.