Yeah, it was strange when I went a few years back and kids were playing and people sun bathing on some of those beaches.
Makes sense though. Time passes and things change, perhaps not sure what I could have expected. Certainly wouldn't want it to remain unchanged but still strange nonetheless.
good pics, the last one at juno i remember walking down that promenade after eating awesome mussels! The whole area is a huge family tourist spot now and not just for the war history.
I have a picture of my grandfather and his crew from June 1944. I wish he was still here so I could ask him more about it.
Do you think that he would actually tell you anything?
My grandfather served in WWII. Even when asked, he never spoke about it, except, as far as I could figure out, to his Army buddies during various reunions.
I can't truly imagine what he went through and saw---and I suspect that he didn't/doesn't want to remind himself of it either.
Do you think that he would actually tell you anything?
My grandfather served in WWII. Even when asked, he never spoke about it, except, as far as I could figure out, to his Army buddies during various reunions.
I can't truly imagine what he went through and saw---and I suspect that he didn't/doesn't want to remind himself of it either.
He talked to my brother and I a lot when he got older. Never talked about it as a younger man. My aunt has cassette tapes full of info, she interviewed him a few years before he died. I really want her to transcribe those, I'd love to have the information.
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Thanks for this thread, I'm going to be following all the coverage, having been to Juno Beach in 2012, I wish I would have travelled there for this anniversary. It's very humbling standing in those places.
Do you think that he would actually tell you anything?
My grandfather served in WWII. Even when asked, he never spoke about it, except, as far as I could figure out, to his Army buddies during various reunions.
I can't truly imagine what he went through and saw---and I suspect that he didn't/doesn't want to remind himself of it either.
My grandfather fought through Italy including Ortona. I was happy for whatever he wanted to talk about. As I got older, he spoke in some detail about his experiences.
It is also the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI. I will be in Belgium for some time for that and then go to Juno beach in a few weeks.
Looking forward to it.
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I would encourage all of you guys to go and revisit or visit the museum of the regiments.
Its a frightening and scary thought to be a soldier in an assault craft, crawling towards the beach, while machine gun fire rattles off of the bow ramp, and artillary screams over your head and explodes with teeth rattling ferocity.
If you were lucky enough not to get shot as the ramp dropped, you had to drop heavily loaded into freezing cold water and sprint for cover while watching friends and comrades cut down around you. The bunker emplacements probably looked like they were a thousand miles away.
with the failures of the aerial attack and naval bombardment it was just fortunate that day that the German High Command was paralyzed by their fear of Hitler and incompetence
If Rommel had gotten his way and gotten his armored divisions the D-Day invasion might have died on the beach. Instead Rommel ran out of time.
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My Opa fled Germany and hid in the attic of the family who would eventually become his inlaws when he was 15 in Amsterdam. After witnessing every one of his friends he had escaped with shot in the street for there Jewish decent. He helped rebuild his city with the help of Canadian troops. Every single time they visited Canada he would buy anything with a maple leaf on it. I still have about a dozen old Canadien wooden hockey sticks back in Winnipeg in the garage all right handed, never had the heart to tell him I was a lefty. He was so proud that his daughter made it to Canada and had a family. His picture reminds every time I see it what being a Canadian soldier meant and how it directly impacted my world. Always thank a soldier that you see no matter where you are, always. That is what he asked me to do and to this day I still do it. Sometimes it catches them off guard, but truly the life of a soldier is one I don't think I could muster through and I appreciate all that they have done, currently do and will accomplish.
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Just finished a book about operation fortitude which kept the 15th german army (massive force held at calais) away from those beaches for weeks. Amazing spy operation that thankfully fooled the germans...
I'd also recommend the canadian museum in coursellese sur mer, its right on the waterfront in town, well operated and funded museum.
Yeah, it was strange when I went a few years back and kids were playing and people sun bathing on some of those beaches.
Makes sense though. Time passes and things change, perhaps not sure what I could have expected. Certainly wouldn't want it to remain unchanged but still strange nonetheless.
my Grandfather was buried under dirt in a trench for 2 days on Juno beach.
kids playing and people sunbathing and enjoying their freedoms on those beaches and other occupied areas is the exact reason for the war.
having never been a military man i may be wrong but what more satisfaction could a veteran have than by seeing that and knowing you had a hand in those freedoms.
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my Grandfather was buried under dirt in a trench for 2 days on Juno beach.
kids playing and people sunbathing and enjoying their freedoms on those beaches and other occupied areas is the exact reason for the war.
having never been a military man i may be wrong but what more satisfaction could a veteran have than by seeing that and knowing you had a hand in those freedoms.
not to be snide, but that he survived and had a life after it.
Just came back from my second trip to Normandy about a month ago. Except this time I added stops at Vimy, The Somme and Dieppe.
The preparations going on for the anniversary were incredible. The airborne museum at St Mere Eglise is undergoing a ton of construction, and the tourist trap stuff is out in full force.
I got even more out of my second visit. If you're into museums, the Battle of Normandy museum in Bayeux is excellent. I skipped it last time.
With the influence of Hollywood, most people don't look past the events of DDay. The most ignorant think that after DDay it was smooth sailing all the way to Germany. But the battle of Normandy saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war. Caen was a bitch to take, the bocage, St Lo, hedge row fighting, Falaise pocket and so on. There were some fascinating battles that took place. The patriot in me would be remiss to mention that the Canadians played a huge part in the breakout. Some people don't even know that Canadian paratroopers also landed on DDay.
Also interesting in how Utah beach is kind of the forgotten beach. It was only defended by roughly 75 Germans, and in contrast to everything going wrong on Omaha, almost everything went right on Utah. But also the success of the Utah landings were largely due in part to the work of the paratroopers who landed the night before, there was some fierce fighting that took place as a result of the missed drops. The paratroopers were supposed to drop in, link up and complete their objectives. Instead they scattered everywhere, in some cases landing in the middle of townsquares completely surrounded by Germans with no cover.
My god I could go on forever...
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Normandy D-Day landing sites: Then & Now
