A Remembrance of June 6, 1944

[duke74]

Today marks the 71st anniversary of the Normandy landing on D-Day, June 6, 1944. I spent some time this morning thinking about the bravery of the soldiers that day, and the resolve of our leadership. The "greatest generation" is slowly leaving us and we continue to owe them a debt of gratitude that, frankly, cannot be repaid in proportion to their sacrifice. And thank you to the veterans of our other wars and to those who have and are now serving this great country. (I know that we have a number in this wonderful community.)

I thought it might be fitting to post Ike's message ("Order of the Day") on June 6, 1944. While brief, I think it captures what was at stake, and why we fought.

Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one.

Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

 SIGNED: Dwight D. Eisenhower

[OldPhiKap]

I was fortunate enough to visit the U.S. Cemetery on the bluff over Omaha Beach (Colleville-sur-Mer) a few years ago. Every American, if they get the chance, should stand on that hill where the Germans we're dug in and look down at the beach. Incredibly moving place.

[Tripping William]

May human history never come to require such a day again.

[devildeac]

Last year we saw the IMAX D Day documentary and I read Eisenhower by Jean Edward Smith which went into a lot of detail about the planning and execution of that monumental event. Omaha Beach went on our bucket list last summer.

[duketaylor]

Today is very important when it comes to our freedom and liberty. The notion that Hitler had was scary, genocide for many, master race.

I'm sipping on a Gaelic Ale from Highland right now, on my 53rd anniversary of my birth. Exquisite cuisine in a few hours from Heritage awaits. Fishing tomorrow w my boys (we caught 130 or so 2 weeks ago- croaker). D-Day is very memorable day for me!!

[duke74]

Today is very important when it comes to our freedom and liberty. The notion that Hitler had was scary, genocide for many, master race.

I'm sipping on a Gaelic Ale from Highland right now, on my 53rd anniversary of my birth. Exquisite cuisine in a few hours from Heritage awaits. Fishing tomorrow w my boys (we caught 130 or so 2 weeks ago- croaker). D-Day is very memorable day for me!!

Same for me DT...I didn't want to dilute the original post, but on June 6, 1977, I started at Haskins & Sells (one of the then Big 8 accounting firms) - Now, post name changes and mergers, Deloitte & Touche. We have mandatory retirement at 62 for partners, so as of May 30 I was no longer an active partner. Had I been able to stay, this would have been my 38th anniversary with the Firm. The only real job I ever had...

That's how I always remembered my start date - it was D-Day (not the reverse).

[Jarhead]

About seven years ago Mrs. Jarhead and I were on one of several trips to Europe. This time we were on a river cruise to Paris. Along the way we tourists on the river boat were taken by bus for an overnight stay at Normandy. I was taken aback walking along Omaha beach, and my first look at the Cemetery brought tears to my eyes. There are 9,327 Americans buried there. God love them all.

I decided to see what I could find about my cousin, Billy Klosterman , who was reported missing in action on the morning of June 6, 1944. His unit was virtually total casuality before sunrise. The ship was preparing to disembark the soldiers from his unit when the Navy ship was blown up by mines or torpedoes. They never found out. Billy was a Freshman at a college in Pennsylvania on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. In early January his entire class enlisted in the Army. He was my best friend who encouraged me in my days in the Boy Scouts. He was an Eagle Scout.

A tour guide at the cemetery was very helpful on that day. He actually was carrying a book list all of the soldiers buried there. It included the Missing, and he was able to find Sgt. William Klosterman on the missing list. He took us to a long curved wall about nine feet tall that had the names of all the missing soldiers and sailors. And there was Billy's name. The date was June 6, 2005. I took pictures which are somewhere on my computer, I can't find them. I'm very emotional right now.

[OldPhiKap]

Amazing story, Jarhead.

It is truly sacred ground.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, originally called the D-Day Museum, is one of the best places one can visit to learn about the war, some of it first hand. The many interviews one can listen to provide all sorts of points of view and give a sense of what was going on at home as well as on the fronts of the war. The Higgins boats were an important key to the eventual outcome... New Orleans is the home of the Higgins boat.

If you choose to visit this ever expanding museum, be sure to make time to view Beyond all Boundaries, a Tom Hanks produced and narrated 4D production. It illuminates how far reaching and how devastating the war was as no other source seems to be able to do.
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/vis...oundaries.html

[duke74]

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, originally called the D-Day Museum, is one of the best places one can visit to learn about the war, some of it first hand. The many interviews one can listen to provide all sorts of points of view and give a sense of what was going on at home as well as on the fronts of the war. The Higgins boats were an important key to the eventual outcome... New Orleans is the home of the Higgins boat.

If you choose to visit this ever expanding museum, be sure to make time to view Beyond all Boundaries, a Tom Hanks produced and narrated 4D production. It illuminates how far reaching and how devastating the war was as no other source seems to be able to do.
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/vis...oundaries.html

Wasn't Stephen Ambrose based in New Orleans? I think, also, that the Higgins boats were produced there in prep for the landing.

[Tripping William]

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, originally called the D-Day Museum, is one of the best places one can visit to learn about the war, some of it first hand. The many interviews one can listen to provide all sorts of points of view and give a sense of what was going on at home as well as on the fronts of the war. The Higgins boats were an important key to the eventual outcome... New Orleans is the home of the Higgins boat.

If you choose to visit this ever expanding museum, be sure to make time to view Beyond all Boundaries, a Tom Hanks produced and narrated 4D production. It illuminates how far reaching and how devastating the war was as no other source seems to be able to do.
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/vis...oundaries.html

I second this. We barely scratched the surface of this museum in an afternoon, but it was awesome.

[OldPhiKap]

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, originally called the D-Day Museum, is one of the best places one can visit to learn about the war, some of it first hand. The many interviews one can listen to provide all sorts of points of view and give a sense of what was going on at home as well as on the fronts of the war. The Higgins boats were an important key to the eventual outcome... New Orleans is the home of the Higgins boat.

If you choose to visit this ever expanding museum, be sure to make time to view Beyond all Boundaries, a Tom Hanks produced and narrated 4D production. It illuminates how far reaching and how devastating the war was as no other source seems to be able to do.
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/vis...oundaries.html

I second this. We barely scratched the surface of this museum in an afternoon, but it was awesome.

Third this. Very well-done museum.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Wasn't Stephen Ambrose based in New Orleans? I think, also, that the Higgins boats were produced there in prep for the landing.

Yes, Stephen Ambrose lived in New Orleans and was a professor at the University of New Orleans. He championed the idea of a National D Day Museum which evolved to the National WWII Museum.

Andrew Higgins developed what became known as the Higgins boat. It was based on some of the boats designed for use in the bayous and modified to suit the need to unload soldiers and equipment directly onto a beach. His company manufactured fishing and other boats prior to the war, but changed over to the manufacture of the Higgins boats for the war effort. If you visit the museum, you may be surprised to learn the extent to which the people of New Orleans supported this manufacturing effort.... many working their regular jobs plus an additional shift at the boat factory. The factory operated 24/7.... you'll have to visit the museum to learn the rest of the story!

The museum now occupies several buildings with more planned. It's become the top tourist attraction for visitors to NOLA.

[DukieInKansas]

If you are ever in the Urbana, OH area, they are restoring a B-17 bomber at Grimes Field: http://www.champaignaviationmuseum.org/#!hours/crql

They have videos at the website, including some of the visits by former WWII flyers and their stories. On my visit several years ago, they told about a gentleman that arrived at the door with a walker, left it at the door, and told stories of his time in the war. Another came and shared stories that his family had never heard. They have tried to video some of these visits to keep that information alive.

Jarhead, thank you for sharing your story.

[jimsumner]

About seven years ago Mrs. Jarhead and I were on one of several trips to Europe. This time we were on a river cruise to Paris. Along the way we tourists on the river boat were taken by bus for an overnight stay at Normandy. I was taken aback walking along Omaha beach, and my first look at the Cemetery brought tears to my eyes. There are 9,327 Americans buried there. God love them all.

I decided to see what I could find about my cousin, Billy Klosterman , who was reported missing in action on the morning of June 6, 1944. His unit was virtually total casuality before sunrise. The ship was preparing to disembark the soldiers from his unit when the Navy ship was blown up by mines or torpedoes. They never found out. Billy was a Freshman at a college in Pennsylvania on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941. In early January his entire class enlisted in the Army. He was my best friend who encouraged me in my days in the Boy Scouts. He was an Eagle Scout.

A tour guide at the cemetery was very helpful on that day. He actually was carrying a book list all of the soldiers buried there. It included the Missing, and he was able to find Sgt. William Klosterman on the missing list. He took us to a long curved wall about nine feet tall that had the names of all the missing soldiers and sailors. And there was Billy's name. The date was June 6, 2005. I took pictures which are somewhere on my computer, I can't find them. I'm very emotional right now.

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[Jarhead]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, Jim. Every June, I think about my cousin, Bill. The last time I saw Bill was when he left for basic training in 1942. Just two years later he died at Normandy. Now, by divine intervention, PBS is showing
D-Day's Sunken Secrets. Now we may learn something about all those soldiers and sailors, and how they died. I'll be watching it for sure.