Who where in the landing craft and wading threw the surf dodging bullets and shrapnel. The Coastguardsmen guiding those landing craft threw the steel obstacles and mines. The seamen on the destroyers taking their craft so close in to assist their countrymen the bottoms where scraping the bottom. The airmen isolating the battlefield so the land forces could get ashore. The Paratroops who dropped into the dark and scattered all over the foreign countryside fought no matter where they landed. The Glidermen who bravely the AA fire in plywood craft trying to set down in small hedge lined fields. Normal guys taken halfway around to world to fight not for personal gain or loot but to free all men. hanks to those who gave some and highest praise to those who gave all.

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"

I'm always a little sad and humbled on d day.

I can't imagine what I would be thinking if I was in one of those landing craft. A lot of men just drowned because of the weight on their backs trying to storm the beach. Others gunned down as they hit the beach. Sheer bravery,nothing more to say except Thank's and Rest in Peace!

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

They looked square into the depths of hell and slogged on. Amazing.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

True warriors.

Vin Scully told quite a few stories about this during last night's Cards/Dodgers game. Very cool.

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-- source

I enjoyed them. Well, in a melancholy way. I'm sure Vin has some firsthand memories to call on as well.

With the ESPN game tonight, no Vin broadcast.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

It is impossible to fathom what it must have been like to be on of those initial boats. Un fucking believable.

True,if you ever go to New Orleans.Take the time to visit the WW2(DDay) Museum. One of the best I have been to . The entire set up is meant to immerse you into the feeling. I knew a few old timers who where there. Took a lot to get them to talk about it, after they did I looked at them with a new found sense of respect. There is no way my generation or any after could do what they did. One of them was a pathfinder for the 82nd.

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When I am stuck and need to figure something out I always remember the Immortal words of Socrates when he said:"I just drank what?"

The courage it mustve taken is beyond my comprehension.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

They were some tough dudes. Much respect for those guys.

I just always wonder why didn't they wait a day or 2 for the weather to clear n bomb the dogshit out of the beach more...I know the Nazis were very well fortified ..but couldn't 2-3 days of incessant bombing cove our guys an easier path onshore.

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You might lose the element of surprise if you bomb of 2 days first.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

I've read that most of the German generals were participating in wargames on the eastern front... leaving only a minimal amount of troops in the Atlantic fortifications. Lacking access to the Atlantic, German meteorologists did not believe a coastal assault would be possible until later in the summer.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

That was just about the best weather they were going to get.

When the gears start moving on strategic plan such as this you can't just call it off and wait another day or 3, as BRogue said they had the element of surprise and thus the initiative. There was a whole operation running in tandem that was meant to fool the Germans into thinking the landings would happen elsewhere, you lose that and things get a hell of a lot more dicey.

Yeah..I'm sure they had their reasons . I'm not a general or historian..just seemed like a massacre that may have been inevitable ... Are you referring to the inflatable tanks and planes on a different bank of the channel?

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Yes, the entire fake army and air force, nuts how they pulled it off.

The operation was going to be tough regardless, there was an actual plan to go ahead with a suicide invasion in 1943 it hinged on the Russians and whether or not they'd last. That would have been bad.

It is nuts how they pulled it off .. My grandfather fought and was hit by shrapnel in the battle of the buldge . he never talked about it when he was alive. I would love to have been able to hear some stories.

One thing I didn't know was just how damaging the pearl harbor bombing really was until I saw a good documentary about ten years ago.

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