Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire 6 June 1944 Lest We Forget

Ingwe,
Did you ever find out who those German officers are??

Yes it was the Day of Days!

Dad went in on the first wave and had the good fortune to be landed 19 miles from where he was supposed to hit the beach. The section of beach they were supposed to take suffered very heavy casualties. He went in virtually unopposed. Two tanks were dug in on the back side of a rail bed that ran along the beach where they went it. They were shelling the boats coming in, but accurate Navy fire quickly took them out. They were assigned to take an airfield up on the high ground. The way they found the field was they saw British planes landing there. It had been taken by another unit, equally landed way off course like Dad's unit had been. When one hears about how many things didn't go according to plan, it makes you see how resourceful these guys were to just get the damned job done.

Hold on a sec, boys.

D-day was in 1944. But when Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the start of WWII, the U.S.'s military power was arguably at the lowest point in our nation's history. It took 2 years for Roosevelt to hornswoggle us into the war, and 5 years to build up the military machine that successfully invaded Normandy.

My uncle Steve was there on D-day as well, a private in the 1st Canadian Parachute Regiment. He fought all the way to Germany, went back to England and married his sweetheart, and then returned to Saskatchewan where he raised 5 great kids. He died on June 6, 2001.

I talked with him in 1998 at my other uncle's funeral. "Saving Private Ryan" had just come out. He had previously been reluctant to talk about his war memories, but in his late years he had joined the Parachute Regiment's veteran organization, and was very active in contributing to their historical records. So he answered my questions.

I asked him about the horrific volume of fire the movie depicted as the GI's landed on Omaha beach, and asked him if that was realistic. He grimaced and said he was in firefights in Normandy and Holland that were ten times worse than what Spielberg portrayed in the beach scenes. He said that he had no doubt the reality of Omaha was much worse than portrayed.

I watched Saving Private Ryan again last weekend, and as ever, that long invasion scene wrenched my guts and brought tears to my eyes.

God bless the memory of the boys who took the Normandy beachhead.

My thoughts always go to the Men who assaulted the beaches and jumped into Normandy on this day in history. It truly was a day of Death or Glory in the sharpest sense. Once the ramps went down,once the opening shock of the 'chute hit, there WAS no retreat,no surrender. Facing a very hard fighting and experienced enemy with brutal firepower at their disposal these men STILL went on. It was totally OUT of all control of any General on either side. It was ALL about the Soldiers who went in to Victory or Death. Men to admire and revere. Remember them Always!!

Doc, I was not talking about military power....I was talking about the "heart" and "will" of the young people today. I include my generation (baby boomers) as well....I just don't know how many would fight to save the country.

I think your uncle was a true hero and I appreciate knowing about his service.

same here.. I see the USA so divided into "all for me," groups.
The family ?, gone. Morals shot.
I don't think we could ever pull together like that again.
Listen to the Reagan speech. He talks of folks back home hearing the news and gathering to pray. Ringing the Liberty bell.
Dropping on their knees on a porch in Iowa....
Maybe I am way off, I hope so. For our childrens future.

Well said...

it is a day I always set aside and spend in a solemn reverence to those that fought that day, and the days that followed... let us not forget also, that in the 2 weeks following D Day, half of the guys that came ashore on those beaches that morning, did not survive either.

Anyone who has ever walked the graveyards in Normandy where the American Cemeteries are, will never forget the memories they give you. I was 12 years old on my first visit there.

Yes actually. Ive lost the name of the head honcho there but guys from the 'fire here hopped right on it, did some absolutely dynamite research and came up with the guy!

It wasnt Himmler by the way

My deepest thanks to my parents and the others of the greatest generation.

Flag's been out all day. Many brave men.

Pooba, what conbat engineer outfit was your dad with? My uncle was with the 51st combat engineers. They were the ones that built the bridge below the Ludendorf.

He was at Remagen and shows up in one of the old 20th cetury WWII series films. He is crouched behind one of the stone wings of the bridge looking across the river when he suddenly turns and looks back at the camera.
I asked him about it and he said he wondered why all of a sudden the volume of fire from across the river picked up so much. He said this idiot with a camer was standing out in the open takeing pictures.

Sgt. W H Abbott my uncle.

Hat tip to all of those who served then and since. I was gobsmacked when D-Day wasn't even mentioned on the evening news. Firing up the big screen/surround sound tonight with "Saving Private Ryan".

Im not sure which outfit, just that he was 69th infantry. He also ( I believe..) helped build the bridge below Ludendorf...lemme see If I have a pic of it somewhere.....Ive seen that footage of your uncle, the schitt was indeed hitting the fan then!

Amen brother!

In the 1960's, I worked a summer job with 3 WW2 paratroopers. They had jumped into Normandy, Operation Market Garden and Remagen (bridge over the Rhine), plus fought at Bastogne. Never discussed their experiences, but you could sense a quiet strength.

BCR Here is a pic of dad working on building a bridge...I have no idea if it was on the Rhine or stateside...



And for AFTERUM who asked earlier about this dude...



A couple Campfire members were able to run him down, and he is a Col. Herbert Fischer....

One last pic, lest we forget...Claysville Pa. burying war dead. The two riflemen on the right are my dad, and my uncle...

The Price of Freedom......

America lost more men in the 1st hour on that day than in both Gulf Wars + Afghanistan combined & yet we call them "wars".

This country no longer knows what war is.

May they all RIP.

MM

Wow! Looks like they are using Krag-Jorgensens!!! No doubt from either the local NG armory or American Legion post!!! Thanks for posting!!!

Bob