D-Day, 75 Years Ago
American troops head toward Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944. NpX 72-98
“My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home — fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas — whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them–help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too — strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt 6 June 1944
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From Jeff LPH 3
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Category: The Warrior Code, Valor, We Remember
Thank you all, the best of our country who serve.
“….To the everlasting glory of the Infantry..”
Lest We Forget🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦🇫🇷
Remember that the first to fight were the airborne, who went in over five and a half hours before the seaborne landings. They had no way of knowing if anyone would make it to them once things got going.
Everybody’s a leg once they’re on the ground…the delivery mechanisms may differ but once you’re walking, you’re a leg.
🙂
Same kind of a deal when you’re the Point Man. Everybody behind you is a REMF.
Although telling the Slack Man he’s a REMF might not be one of the best ideas you ever had./smile
Of all the days to remember, this one is the most difficult. Something to point to in honor of our best yet the enormity of losses boggles the mind.
A mere 75 years ago!
As usual, Michael Ramirez illustrates the sad truth about history:
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/06/d-day-75-years-on.php
While it is true some of the younger generations seem to be airheaded, I have hope. My son was 11 years old on 9/11. He was an excellent swimmer and told me he was going to be a Navy SEAL and kill bad guys. Fast forward to 2013 and he commissioned as an Army Infantry Officer. There are many like him that stepped up. The snowflakes get all the press..
“The snowflakes get all the press..”
Concur
Me, too.
Tantrums get the attention, but men like your son are the ones that get the job done.
26L – I posted the same link last night on the threat about Jim “Peewee” Martin…
Have not read that thread yet. Thanks.
Here’s a song written and sung by a man who was there as a 15 year old galley boy on his first trip out to sea. It reminds me very much of the song Sgt MacKenzie (which always make me cry manly tears).
Grandpa was an auto mechanic, came ashore D+20… an uncle came ashore on or around DDay itself and refused to talk about it his whole life. Refused to even see Saving Private Ryan when it came out and his son offered.
Since 1775 Freedom Loving People have answered the call. As Blue Cord Dad pointed out, the snowflakes get the press. Won’t be but a few more years till all of the WWII Vets will be gone. It is up to us, the sons and daughters of “The Greatest Generation” to teach this history and insure that future generations remember what their Grandfathers did. Lord knows the public school system is not doing it.
One has to wonder what would be the bigger trigger these days, crossing a landscape rained on by steel, watered by blood or listening to an appeal to a higher deity on a national broadcast by the President?
As I’ve commented before, my Papa crossed that beach a few days later with the big guns. The carnage and destruction was still very much in evidence.
Never Forget!
Luckily both my sons had the benefit of both of their grandfathers being around while they were growing up. So they learned about WWII before going to school.
https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/millennials-as-human-wormholes-to-wwii/
We’ll all meet again some day.
“Back then the NAZIs were real, and heroism wasn’t called ‘toxic masculinity'”
-Mallard Fillmore-
God rest them all well. Let us never forget.
As President Reagan pointed out, the most dangerous weapon feared by tyrants is a man with the vision of true freedom in his mind.
Or something to that effect.
RIP Troopers, you performed your job well, the world is a better place having you lived in it.
Just watched Trump’s speech at Normandy. Even Acosta and Scarborough like it.
Really like that photo from Jeff LPH 3. Well done, Marines.
As long as the Republic survives, may we NEVER forget that the Greatest Generation that fought in the European and Pacific theaters, fought for the very survival of Western Civilization …
… and they won. The LORD love them all.
Amen🇺🇸
I’ve listened to the speeches over the last couple days, gazed on the men who survived, and I am awestruck by the courage it took for these warriors, these superheroes, to charge in the fire. And then I ask myself, “Could I have done that?”.
Back in 73 I, a lowly Specialist 4, met a congenial Sergeant Major at the Post Reenlistment Office regarding the Army not yet honoring my enlistment contract to attend jump school.
I had just come down on orders for Germany. In one phone call to Infantry Branch at HQDA he got me off orders to Germany and tdy and return orders for jump school followed by 1 year stabilization.
I can’t remember his name but one thing that always stuck with me is he was wearing a Combat Infantryman Badge with two stars, indicating it was his third award, and a Glider Badge.
Oops… forgot to add this:
He was a glider pilot? Awesome!!!!!!
I think Berliner is referring to the Glider Badge proper, like jump wings, not the glider pilot badge (a separate award). If he had a CIB, it’s more likely he had one of these than the actual glider pilot badge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glider_Badge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxiliary_Pilot_Badge#Glider_Pilot
I’m back. Mason is correct. “The Glider Badge of the United States Army was first created in June 1944. The award was intended to recognize those members of the Army who had been trained in glider assault tactics and was presented upon completion of a combat glider flight into enemy held territory.”
I’d respect the hell out of anybody with either one. As crazy as I think jumping out of an airplane is, these guys didn’t jump. They set off with the plan being to crash land a plywood and fabric airplane and then fight their way out.
As a glider pilot, he must have served in WWII, and have also served in combat as an infantryman in Korea and RVN. I think glider pilot training was eliminated right after WWII.
Since my comment about folks not knowing about D-Day or the Battle of the Bulge, several youngsters (i.e. still in school) have shown up knowing about D-Day in detail.
Faith restored.
I found this story in the NY Post this morning. Have some tissues handy. It may be dusty where you are.,
https://nypost.com/2019/06/06/decorated/wwii-veteran-buried-at-arlington-on-75th-anniversary-of-d-day/