Thursday, June 6, 2019

The greatest amphibious invasion in history, 75 years ago today


On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy, France.  It was the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany's occupation of Western Europe.  Together with the far larger and more deadly battles on the Eastern Front at the same time, it signaled the impending doom of that most evil of empires.

My parents both went through World War II, my father in uniform, my mother on the so-called Home Front.  The experience changed them forever.  It was one of the truly pivotal conflicts in the history of humankind, and still resonates to this day.  Here are some video clips that say, better than I can, why that is so, and why the commemoration of D-Day is so important.  I'll let them speak to the occasion.

















May all who died on D-Day rest in peace, and may their sins be forgiven them;  and may the same grace be given to its survivors, those who have died since and those who are still alive.  May we never forget their sacrifice.

Peter

2 comments:

Bob said...

"May we never forget their sacrifice."

You and I won't, but the last two generations don't have a clue.

Like the old saying: "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it."

I'm old, but not that old. I may live to see the day when old lessons are relearned.... the hard way.

Seal Of Lion said...

A few weeks later one of the greatest naval battles and then a huge amphibious invasion on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean happened. The land battle was almost as vicious as Omaha Beach but didn't last for hours, it lasted for weeks.

I wish the Battle of the Philippine Sea & the Battle of Saipan got the same recognition.