70 years D-Day

Well said, Nigel. I well remember being in that part of Normandy on the 50th anniversary and every town was festooned with banners saying "Welcome to our Liberators". We were touched to find a road named "Chemin des Canadiens". In honour of the men who fought their way from Juno Beach to Caen. I also remember being told that the Germans left 50,000 of their dead behind in Normandy.

Well said, the both of you. What a spectacular day to honor the veterans who are still with us, those who have passed on, and those soldiers who never made it off the beaches.

Thank you for posting this, Nigel. In London I was especially touched by the incredible sacrifices that occurred during the war. St. Paul's has a beautiful plaque thanking the Americans for their service; and every time I rode the Tube I thought about all those brave Londoners who hid in the train tunnels during the Blitz. God bless the British soldiers and civilians for their bravery and sacrifice.

It's a good reminder that it wasn't just U.S. troops-America, England, Canada and France all contributed massively, are there others I'm missing?
As an aside, it's also fascinating to note some of the people who were there, like a young J.D. Salinger, who came ashore with six chapters in his rucksack of the as yet unfinished The Catcher in the Rye. Oh-and my Uncle Jim, who received minor injuries.
It's nice to set politics aside, if only for the day, and remember our deep commitment to France, in particular.

It is good to remember all who sacrificed during that terrible time. What a big price to pay for our freedom.

It wasn't just service members who were affected by the war. My late mother-in-law was sent to live with strangers in the English countryside as a young girl to escape the bombing in London. She told me about how hard it was to be away from her family and not know if they were dead or alive. I think it really affected her during her entire life. There were many more like her I'm sure.

Nigel,

I also salute all those who served in that incredible event, and indeed all of our veterans. One of my uncles was overseas with the Canadian Army during WW-II but I'm not sure if he landed at Normandy.

I spent most of this morning watching the impressive ceremonies at Juno Beach Centre, which were attended by quite a sizable contingent of the people who were actually there, including an air force General who was 20-years old at the time and flew Recce missions over the landing areas in a P-51 Mustang. He said that provided a very unique view of the events as they unfolded (which I'm sure it would).

For me it was a very moving experience to stand on Juno Beach and also some of the other significant Canadian sites, especially the cemetery at Bény sur Mer and the garden at the Abbaye d' Ardennne.

I just saw this article and thought it was worth posting here. Nice story...

http://news.yahoo.com/missing-uk-veteran-found-d-day-events-france-165302839.html;_ylt=AwrSyCTZOpJTCyAAi93QtDMD

My Aunt was nursing in Denver and although Canadian she joined the US Army ( training at Camp Carson, Colorado) and was a nurse at the USA Field Hospital # 167 in Normandy. If I remember correctly they arrived at Omaha Beach 10 days after the invasion. I am so fortunate to have her album and all the photos, mostly of the field hospital and activities there but also of Mont St. Michel and Cherbourg. The album has been a wonderful way to teach my children and now my grandchildren about the sacrifices so many people made during that time.

My beloved dad, who recently passed away, was one of the planners of D-Day and landed at Omaha Beach a few days after June 6 and fought across France and at the Battle of the Bulge. I think of him and everyone who sacrificed so much for all of us.

And the exiled Poles who came ashore and worked with the Canadians to close the Falaise pocket! And the French who came in, 177 of them, as Kieffer's rangers.

Near the statue of "The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves" in the American Cemetery in Normandy, fresh flowers are still delivered every day to the base of a statue saying (in French):

"A grateful French nation thanks the Mothers of America for the sacrifice of their sons on this beach, which they call Omaha Beach, in June 1944."

And a salute to all the persons, from England, Canada, France, Germany, and other countries, who 70 years ago "gave the last full measure of devotion."

For me, it was impossible to watch all of the interviews with the veterans and not tear up when they talked about their "buddies" - the heroes - who made the ultimate sacrifice and never had a chance to experience life beyond age 19 or 20, to get married, raise a family, walk their daughter down the aisle, to hold their grandchildren, etc. They are absolutely the 'Greatest Generation'! I hope someday to personally pay my respects at the American Cemetery in Coleville-sur-Mer. Sadly, WW II is ancient history to today's youth. As an educator, I have built in stops at WWII sites during two study tours to Europe. Most recently, we visited the 'Topography of Terror' and several other WWII sites in Berlin, as well as Bergen-Belsen Memorial near Celle. It is so important to remember and understand the past, so we don't go down that same road in the future.