D-Day

DarryH said:

My sister's father-in-law was in the 1st wave. He was part of a 3-man machinegun crew. He carried the tripod. His M1 Garand was shot off his back, but he was uninjured. He had to grab another from a dead man. As he crossed the country he had a specific habit when they could sleep under a tent. He dug a foxhole low enough to get himself and sometimes a cot below ground level. He had a medical leave in England. He met a girl and married her. He never told his mates about it. They came back to the US and raised two sons. Her in-laws are both gone now. Such special people that I was blessed to know. I stopped by one day. I was coming home from a successful pheasant hunt in the early 1980's and drove by their house. They happened to be outside. I stopped to say hello. When Lorna found I had pheasants she commented that she had not had any to eat since leaving England in 1945/46? I promptly cleaned both birds and gave them to her. I continued to do this until my wife and I moved out of state in 1993. I miss that generation, but I'm proud to have been a child of that generation.

Click to expand...

Alibiiv said:

My dad landed in the strategic port of Cherbourg on that same day as the Normandy invasion. He said that when they landed they realized that did not have any guns due to the guns being delivered to another landing area. Right up to the day he died he remembered the landing. He was assigned to an anti-aircraft battery with the Army. He fought his way all across France, he even remembered the names of some of the streets in the small towns he fought through. Dad was sharp as a tack right up to the day that he passed last year. And...he always talked about his favorite drink throughout his time in the service, and...was his hot cup of "black" coffee when he could get one. He was proud of his service throughout his entire life. Rest in Peace dad.

Click to expand...

3chester said:

Talk about forgotten wars, the Dukes of Hazzard reruns, they've even air-brushed the Stars N Bars off the roof of the General Lee, almost criminal.

Click to expand...

William W. said:

The involved flag is correctly known as the Battleflag which was designed because the Stars and Bars (i.e., the First National Flag, of the Confederate States of America) looked too similar to the US flag when at The Stars N Bars, only way heard it but use whatever works for ya way out there.

Click to expand...

Pittsspecial said:

Amen brother.
My Dad, Uncle and father in law all fought in WWII All made it home but were changed forever.
I served too in the Army in the 70's
Can tell me something to start with .....real BBQ recipe? I miss southern BBQ chicken & ribs I use to live in GA

Click to expand...

William W. said:

What "works for me out here" is the concept of education. For your information, two unarmed color bearers led each Civil War regiment out front, flanked by a few armed soldiers as color guards - all of whom in this honorary position were primary targets. The flags carried were the National Flag (either Union or Confederate) and the regimental flag, on which the regiment identification and names of engagements that the regiment had fought in were proudly sewn. In the Confederate army, the pride of the regiment was their Battleflag, whose capture was a mortifying embarrassment. The Confederacy had three national flags, none of which was the Battleflag. However it was used in the "canton" position of the last two. Incidentally, the term Civil War is incorrect, as it was a war between two countries. If pictures are your thing, rather than the written word, watch the introduction of the movie "Gods and Generals". Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

William W. said:

What "works for me out here" is the concept of education. For your information, two unarmed color bearers led each Civil War regiment out front, flanked by a few armed soldiers as color guards - all of whom in this honorary position were primary targets. The flags carried were the National Flag (either Union or Confederate) and the regimental flag, on which (as shown below) the regiment identification and names of engagements that the regiment had fought in were proudly sewn. In the Confederate army, the pride of the regiment was their Battleflag, whose capture was a mortifying embarrassment. The Confederacy had three national flags, none of which was the Battleflag. However it was used in the "canton" position of the last two. Incidentally, the term Civil War is incorrect, as it was a war between two countries. If pictures are your thing, rather than the written word, watch the introduction of the movie "Gods and Generals". Hope this helps.

Click to expand...

Sappy65 said:

I was in Gods and generals as well got part of Steven Langs script. My father in law lived in Greenville.. still got my uniform .had to galvenize and play Zouv e. Met and shared a cigar with Robert Duvall.At the end of a day he was cool. My Springfield is resting on my Mantle.. look sharp brother I was N.C.21st. stayed on set till the went to Harrisburg..The food was awesome was it not?..

Click to expand...

3chester said:

Had an ol boy on a job one time, never got much production out of him.Said mostly, he was like arguing with a T-post, they finally just let him go.

Click to expand...

William W. said:

Your namesake unit suffered the highest rate of casualties on the third day of Gettysburg. I have the Mort Kunstler print of the unit jauntily marching north to death. My only claim to fame is being in the Shiloh Park movie. Gods and Generals is a tribute to Lee's honor. I cannot imagine him turning down command of the Union Army over about 50-superior officers and then being assigned to "errand boy" jobs by Davis and keeping his mouth shut. Then, in the 7-Days Battles, having Davis offer command to another after worthless Joe Johnston was wounded. Then, a day later, being offered command only because he was near Davis, when the first choice admitted that he was unsuitable. It is a shame that Gettysburg, a "must-win" for the Confederacy was Lee's worst battle. The only joy of Galvanizing is the our unit's alter-ego was the 16th Wisconsin, and I was born there. Thanks for the compliment; the picture was at a wedding, and I was much cleaner than usual.

Click to expand...

William W. said:

Does "gas-lighting" resonate with you?

Click to expand...

William W. said:

Your namesake unit suffered the highest rate of casualties on the third day of Gettysburg. I have the Mort Kunstler print of the unit jauntily marching north to death. My only claim to fame is being in the Shiloh Park movie. Gods and Generals is a tribute to Lee's honor. I cannot imagine him turning down command of the Union Army over about 50-superior officers and then being assigned to "errand boy" jobs by Davis and keeping his mouth shut. Then, in the 7-Days Battles, having Davis offer command to another after worthless Joe Johnston was wounded. Then, a day later, being offered command only because he was near Davis, when the first choice admitted that he was unsuitable. It is a shame that Gettysburg, a "must-win" for the Confederacy was Lee's worst battle. The only joy of Galvanizing is the our unit's alter-ego was the 16th Wisconsin, and I was born there. Thanks for the compliment; the picture was at a wedding, and I was much cleaner than usual.

Click to expand...

Bobby Bailey said:

Comprehension, my friend. You didn't comprehend what I said.
I never said anything about the German cemetary making a bigger, or more of, an impression than the US one.
I can't answer your question when it wasn't what I said.

I wrote about how I teared up at the US cemetary.
Then I wrote about how the German cemetary made a bigger impression on me than I was ready for.
"Most of them were also just kids..."

Now, where did I compare one cemetary to the other?

We often look at the "enemy" as worse than us; when they are just like us, for the majority.
Someone's child, someone's brother, someone's student. Just doing what they hoped would make the home folks proud.

I'm a proud Southerner, standing over a burial trench holding Sourthern dead makes me tear.
Looking out over a groomed cemetary holding Union dead reminds me also who they were and what they died for.

Is one more nobel than the other? In every war, each side's men fight for home and country
I tear up for mine, but I can have compassion on the other side when I look upon their graves.

It will take comprehension for understanding this too.

Click to expand...