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D-DAY

maynard

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Tomorrow is the 77th anniversary of D-Day.

Basil-please excuse the language, but I feel that some or your younger generations need to know:

1622938608021.png
 
One of my heroes, talking to other heroes:

Eisenhower D-Day.jpg


Ike wanted to know who he was sending into that terrible battle. He asked one young man, "Son, tell me about yourself." The guy said "Sir, I am (xxx), company (xxx) serial number (xxx)."

Ike said - "Son, I already know that. Now tell me about your home town and your family."

That's one reason he's one of my heroes.
 
My dad told me all about it. All his pals were there to impart their experiences as well. Even a guy who survived the Bataan March. Some astounding stories, some astounding characters.
 
And with the strong likelihood that Overlord would fail, Ike carried this note he'd written on June 5.

IkeApology.jpg


"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."

Note how he wrote July instead of June. The pressure of the moment.

Tom M.
 
My father was there attached to the Régiment de la Chaudière - a Canadian Regiment - he was Dutch and had had to flee Holland. How he came to be attached to a Canadian Regiment we don't know. Obviously in any time of war not everyone acted with integrity (Watch Foyle's War for a fictionalized account) but, still honour, integrity, and responsibility in leadership (Ike) is worth reclaiming - now more than ever.
 
Saw a cartoon the other day. On one side was a 20 something protesting with a shirt printed with a political slogan. Opposite the young guy was a much older man wearing his VFW baseball hat. He said to the kid “When I was your age I was liberating a country”
 
My Grandfather (Dad’s side) was there. He was evacuated from Dunkirk and then went back at D-Day. My Mum’s Dad spent the years of 1939-45 on escort destroyers in the North Atlantic mostly and the the Mediterranean. Neither spoke much about it…
 
Dad went ashore at Utah on day two, one of a quad fifty anti-aircraft crew. His brother (Army) went to Pearl shortly after the attack. Mother had three younger brothers. One went into the Navy, one Army (part of the Anzio landing) and the third too young during the war but joined the USAF shortly after. Growing up I had good role models. That generation and their deeds need to be remembered and venerated.
 
My dad and one uncle joined the army at the same time and were stationed together, Sometime later a notice came out that the Merchant Marines needed men badly to man ships taking supplies to England and other areas of need. They both switched over and made two trips to England, unloaded the whole ship and returned back here for another load, which went to Naples Italy. They saw two ships sunk with torpedoes' but fortunately they made it through with only one air strafing attack. Naples harbor was mined heavily and had orders if they saw a floating mine to shoot at a primer and explode it, they blew up 2 as he remembered. They were carrying a shipload of aviation fuel and ammunition! He said they didn't think about the consequences if they got hit, he said it was just a job like everyone else was doing. He always played the war down to us kids and told us not to worry about anything. There was no TV back then and everything you heard was on the radio, which they kept turned off when us kids were around. Gone now for a few years, I think of him often, quite a guy!
 
I have the original black and white negative of a photo of my dad and his brother meeting up by ~chance~ in France on VE Day.
The photo appeared in a local newspaper in NY. I really need to get a print made of it. I made some many years ago when I had a darkroom and gave some to my brothers.
 
I have the original black and white negative of a photo of my dad and his brother meeting up by ~chance~ in France on VE Day.
The photo appeared in a local newspaper in NY. I really need to get a print made of it. I made some many years ago when I had a darkroom and gave some to my brothers.
Have you tried scanning it?
 
Ought to do both. A scan can be shared more widely but a print has less chance of being lost 20, 50, or more years from now. I know folks who keep everything on Instagram and other platforms and I wonder of their grandkids and beyond will lose track of them someday. And, regardless of what you do, make sure that full names, places, hometown and any other relevant information are with them. I've been working on identifying old family photos with such quick labels as "mom and dad", "vacation" and so on. When several generations go by and direct contact never occurred, lots of details make things so much simpler.
 
One of many that died on d-day, on his birthday oddly enough... just doing everything in his power, above and beyond, to get it done.


One of the 4 medals of honor from d-day
 
One of many that died on d-day, on his birthday oddly enough... just doing everything in his power, above and beyond, to get it done.


One of the 4 medals of honor from d-day


I think we went to school with a young female relative of his. Classmate of my younger brother and a cousin. Same area in PA, Lawrence and Beaver counties. Never knew about the CMH though.
 
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