D-Day

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Today is the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion to push back the Nazi's in Europe. A heck of a lot of brave young men died on that day to begin the liberation of Europe. Did any of you have a father or grandfather involved in D-Day or D-Day+ in Normandy? My late father was in the 166th Photo signal Corps. His group came ashore on D-Day+6 I believe. So lucky for him and his group the worse was over. He was a cinematographer, a movie photographer. His group was assigned to Gen Patton's 3rd Army. Along the way he got wounded and received the Purple Heart. It was quite an adventure for a young man in his early 20's needless to say. Obviously he survived the war otherwise I wouldn't be writing this
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Whimsey
 
My dad told me he landed at Normandy on D-Day plus 6, also...wiki says the 2nd Armored came in plus 3, but one division was a lot of men and equipment and I could see things being spread out.
Dad was amazed that what was a thriving port when he landed had been the site of a desperate battle less than a week before.
He was under Patton in Sicily and saw him there a few times...the 2nd Armored was involved in the breakout from Normandy and fought the 2nd Panzer at Celles to stop the NW expansion of the Bulge. The 2nd Panzer was destroyed as a fighting unit by this action. The 2nd Armored was in Germany when the fighting in Europe stopped and was one of the units guarding the conference at Potsdam...dad got to explore Berlin at that time and "borrow" a few things.
Dad was wounded when a German 20mm flak gun opened up on his halftrack and was awarded the Purple Heart, also.
 
My dad was too young to be involved in D-Day, He was part of the occupation forces in the Pacific in 1945 and 46. Those were definitely different times back then.
 
My ex wife's grandfather was a paratrooper before the beach invasion and they tried to take out machine gun nests, etc. I didn't even know what he did before I read his obituary.
 
My father was in the US Army through most of WW2, but didn't get sent to Europe. My grandfather's uncle (who incidentally was younger than he was) was killed in France in WW1. My grandfather escaped that battle by being seriously ill with an infection, before antibiotics---otherwise, I might not be here.
 
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Originally Posted by CR94
My father was in the US Army through most of WW2, but didn't get sent to Europe. My grandfather's uncle (who incidentally was younger than he was) was killed in France in WW1. My grandfather escaped that battle by being seriously ill with an infection, before antibiotics---otherwise, I might not be here.


I always figured I was the luckiest SOB to ever live, my grandpa made it thru WW1, my dad made it thru the Korean war and I was to young for Vietnam.

My grandpa wasn't around much but I remember he had shoulder issues from the war but not sure how.
 
Dad was in the CIC due to his skill in German. He monitored the Luftwaffe for the 8th Air Force, but traveled with some sort of HQ unit in the 3rd Army driving a Dodge WC full of radio gear. My uncle was a sailor on the Laffey,a destroyer sent in close for fire support. They drew fire and radioed the coordinates to the heavier ships in deeper water. I met another old timer, who was a tank ssgt when he landed , to fight through hedgerows .By the time he got to Paris, he was a Captain. simply because he had survived and therefore was the most experienced.
 
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I can't imagine the fear that those brave soldiers had in those landing craft as they left for the beach. God Bless Our Troops.
 
Originally Posted by Virtus_Probi
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Dad was wounded when a German 20mm flak gun opened up on his halftrack and was awarded the Purple Heart, also.


That's why they were called "Purple Heart Boxes"...

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Originally Posted by simple_gifts
Probably the most important day of the 20th century for Europe; right up there with the collapse of the USSR


I agree. An incredibly pivotal point for the history of humanity really.

The stories of what went down for the first of the men to reach the shore is hard to fathom. I've read that the scenes out of "Saving Private Ryan" were said to be no exaggeration by men who were actually there. Hard to comprehend really.
 
My uncle fought in the landing. I think he was involved in Utah. He never spoke to anyone about it. Must have been really tough for him.
 
God Bless our Veterans and current service members we all need it. Also my Grandfather and his two brothers enlisted in WWII my Grandfather was 17 when Pearl Harbor was attacked and his brothers were older. His two brothers served in Army one with 101st, the other we don't know Grandpa only talked about his service twice I know of. His brother from the 101st saw action in Italy. Grandpa was on Destroyer Escort in the Pacific.

D-DAY a major event in history was blessed with some good fortune and fortune favors the bold. But we are losing our Greatest Generation Veterans and soon none will be left we should do everything we can to remember them.
 
My grandfather was a weatherman who gathered data on B17's.

In weeks leading up to to d day he flew many missions gathering weather and knew something was up with constant weather presentations to high brass.
 
I understand my grandfather went over to Normandy in a Horsa glider as part of the 6th Airborne. He was subsequently injured by shrapnel and evacuated on a hospital ship. This ship then hit a mine and sank and he was rescued again. He went on to meet several of his great-grandchildren.
 
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