D-Day + 62 years

[cubbingcarol]

Just finished watching 'The Longest Day' (again!) and can truly say I'm glad I didn't have to do what those men (and women) had to do. Thank God they did it though.

 

To all out there that landed at Normandy or any of the hundred other D-Day landings (Pacific landings as well), THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart.

 

Carol

[John-in-KC]

Lest you forget, Carol,

 

There were thousands of US soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines serving in stations that went "in harms way" on Dec 7, 1941...

 

Pearl Harbor

Wake Island

Guam

Corregidor

Bataan

Panama Canal Zone

East coast shipping lanes

Carribean shipping lanes

 

The rearguard fights of each and every one of these young men allowed the US the remaining time it needed to arm, train and deploy.

 

There were three months between the surrender of Corregidor to the Japs and the start of the Guadalcanal campaign ... two months between it and Midway ...

 

The Japs took my father through three years of slavery ... at Cabanatuan, in the construction of additional runways at Nichols Field (now Manila International Airport), and in Baron Mitsui's coal mines on Kyushu. He was but one of thousands.

 

To this day he calls them %%%%%%% Japs.

 

Sorry ... you hit my soapbox button!

[Bobanon]

The WW II generation, my father's generation, are and were giants on the Earth. I don't believe we will ever see a more selfless generation. I know my own generation, the baby boomers, could not, nor don't have the right to carry their lunch boxes.

 

I know many WW 2 vets, and they are passing from us at an alarming rate. The WW 2 generation is indeed the greatest generation.

[scoutingagain]

John in KC,

 

Mind if I add to your list?

 

North Africa

Sicily

Anzio

Italy

 

My dad's tour during WWII. His pet peeve is the "forgotten" Italian campaign.

 

But, regardless of where they served. My hat's off to this, the "greatest generation."

 

SA

[ozemu]

Bardia, Tobruk (Italians defeated), Syria and Lebanon (Vichy French defeated), Greece, Crete,

 

And in 1942 : Benghazi, El Alamein (Germans defeated), Malaya and Thailand, Singapore, Timor, Labuan, Rabaul, Kokoda, Milne Bay (first defeat of the Japanese on land) and Gona.

 

But surely the most moving would be ferocious and stoic non-battles such as Sandakan (where 6 of 2400 survived - our Bataan Death March) and the Burma Railway. The character of these men amazes and inspires those who know what happened.

 

Sad to say my 13 year old son was not aware that we fought against Japan 60 years ago. I found out last night as our team went up against Japan in the World Cup last night. Boy, is he in for an historical treat shortly!

 

To tell the truth 1915-1918 campaigns are remembered twice each year (25 Apr and 11 Nov) but 1939-45 barely gets a mention. Why is that?

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

Oz, December 7th is a pretty remembered date here in the states

[Crew21_Adv]

Yes, Thanks to all our Veterans Wartime and Peacetime. I know I've told my own children that I feared hostile actions, as I grabbed my battle gear and run to the line with my fellow troops only to hear "Hold your fire", as tensions calmed. So I appreciate all my fellow veterans.

 

Of note. Everyone of us, Scouts, Parents and our Community should learn about U.S. and World History. I certainly don't know it all, but I appreciate learning new historical events.

 

Scouts from Transatlantic Council, BSA learn about some of the DDay events every three years during the Normandy Beach Camporee. (Recently published in Scouting magazine.)

 

This same past week of the DDay Normandy landing, shares the same week of the Battle of Midway. Some consider the first blow against the Japanese and a turning of the War in the Pacific.

 

Regards,

Crew21 Adv

[ozemu]

Just curious after OGE's post.

 

What are the days on which you remember service in war?

 

6 Jun - D Day

7 Dec - Pearl Harbour

11 Nov?? - Rememberance/Armistace Day

and you have one in May - I used to have it in my diary.

 

I try to mention our important dates in my SM's Minute before the date(s) fall.

[scoutldr]

Welcome back, Mate! Good to hear from Down Under again. Here in the US, November 11 is Veterans' Day (formerly Armistice Day) and the Last Monday in May is Memorial Day. December 7th is Pearl Harbor Day, but not a national holiday. For those of us in Virginia, we have Lee-Jackson Day in January (from the War of Northern Aggression). For a while, it was Lee-Jackson-King day, but that didn't last long. Dr. King now has a separate holiday. My dad served in US Submarines in the Pacific Fleet during WWII, operating out of Pearl.

 

From December 10th 1941 to August 6th of 1945, the US Navy's Submarine force, in the words Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, "held the lines against the enemy while our fleets replaced losses and repaired wounds." During WWII, the US Submarine Service accounted for approximately 55% of total Japanese ships sunk during the war. That this was accomplished by a branch of the Navy that accounted for only 1.6% of the Navy's wartime personnel compliment is a testament to their dedication and ferocity. Yet a large percentage of them paid the ultimate price in defense of the United States, with total losses of 52 submarines and over 3,500 men. The Japanese lost 1,178 Merchant Ships sunk for a tonnage total of 5,053,491 tons. The Naval losses were 214 ships and submarines totaling 577,626 tons. A staggering five million, six hundred thirty one thousand, one hundred seventeen tons, (5,631,117 tons), 1,392 ships. Japan ended the war with a bare 12% of her merchant fleet intact but not fuel at hand to run more than a few of them.

[ozemu]

Often thought about submariners. Scares the heck out of me just thinking about fighting under water. Prefer the jungle myself. Open country makes me feel like a pawn. Oceans are worse. Cannot express greater regard for such men and women.

 

Interesting story I read about D-Day preparation. Someone wanted to know whether the beach sand would support weight of amoured fighting vehicles. Next day a British naval officer handed over a core sample of beach sand from Normandy. He had gone in a sub, swum ashore, taken the sample and returned. Gutsy.