Important Anniversary

Oswego John · Post by **Oswego John** » Jun 6th, '10, 19:52

Like so many other dates falling from memory, today, June '06 is the anniversary of D Day invasion of Europe during World War II.

D Day was a significant turning point in the Allied Forces defeat of the Axis in its proposed dominance of the world.

After speaking with several clueless students, I doubt if it is taught in our schools today.

God Bless America,
O J

barfwinkle · Post by **barfwinkle** » Jun 6th, '10, 21:44

I remembered OJ, even told my grandson about it. My uncle stormed those beaches!!!!!

Fair Winds

Joe Myerson · Post by **Joe Myerson** » Jun 7th, '10, 08:51

Thanks for posting this OJ.
D-Day will always stick in my mind, because my Dad was a Navy beachmaster on Omaha Beach. He will celebrate his 90th birthday on the 21st.
--Joe

Bob Ohler · Post by **Bob Ohler** » Jun 7th, '10, 12:20

OJ,

Great post, topic, reminder! We owe a lot to those brave soldiers from D Day!

Bob O.

Neil Gordon · Post by **Neil Gordon** » Jun 7th, '10, 12:38

Bob Ohler wrote:OJ,

Great post, topic, reminder! We owe a lot to those brave soldiers from D Day!

Bob O.

As Joe noted in his post, there were lots of Sailors involved in the Normandy landings. Roughly one-fifth of all U.S. casualties on the first day of the invasion were Navy.

Naval losses for June 1944 included 24 warships and 35 merchantmen or auxiliaries sunk, and a further 120 vessels damaged.

Sea Hunt · Post by **Sea Hunt** » Jun 7th, '10, 12:39

OJ:

I have been "out of town" a few days. Thanks for reminding us all of what so many gave for freedom.

My uncle (my Mother's brother) was with the 2nd Ranger Battalion. If I remember correctly (it's really the FIRST thing to go

) I recall they "spearheaded" the Omaha Beach assault.

If the details of WW II are not taught in junior and senior high school classrooms today then, sadly, what Winston Churchill said is true: "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it".

Carl Thunberg · Post by **Carl Thunberg** » Jun 7th, '10, 13:01

Guys,

It's very easy poke shots at the youth of our country. Believe it or not, they do teach this stuff in school. It's truly amazing what these kids know. Don't under-estimate them.

John Vigor · Post by **John Vigor** » Jun 7th, '10, 13:22

Sea Hunt wrote:OJ:

I have been "out of town" a few days. Thanks for reminding us all of what so many gave for freedom.

My uncle (my Mother's brother) was with the 2nd Ranger Battalion. If I remember correctly (it's really the FIRST thing to go ) I recall they "spearheaded" the Omaha Beach assault.

If the details of WW II are not taught in junior and senior high school classrooms today then, sadly, what Winston Churchill said is true: "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it".

Not to detract from your post in any way, Sea Hunt, but that's not a Churchill original. The quote is by the Spanish/American philosopher George Santayana:

"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Cheers,

John V.

sloopjohnl · Post by **sloopjohnl** » Jun 7th, '10, 20:45

there will always be a fondness in my heart for the Duk as that is what my father (all of age 20) drove on and off and on and off and .... Omaha Beach that June 6 in 1944. after which he fell in with Patton through Europe.

Alan Holman · Post by **Alan Holman** » Jun 8th, '10, 20:41

There is no denying the importance of D-Day and the American contribution to WWll.
And I do appreciate OJ's reminder of this important occasion. But as small boat sailors we should also note that 4 years earlier, the week between May 27 through to June 4, 1940, was also important. The Germans had cut off the British, French and Belgian armies and it looked for a time that close to 400,000 Allied troops would be killed or captured. They armies were able to hold off the Germans and retreated to Dunkirk in France. It was there that, what Churchill called "the miracle of deliverance" occurred. Hundreds of small boats aided the Royal Navy in getting those armies back to England. Many of those boats were little yachts, not unlike the vessels we play around in today, and during those critical nine days they helped pull over 338,000 men back to Britain. Most boarded ships in harbour of Dunkirk, but nearly 100,000 were picked up off the beaches of Dunkirk. This unlikely flotilla not only battled the elements, but it was als constantly strafed by German fighter planes. During the last two days of the evacuation, the threat from the Luftwaffe was so great that they ceased daylight operations, but they still managed to rescue over 26,000 troops on each of those last two nights.
Last week over 100 British yachts and small boats re-enacted this fantanstic feat. Some of the boats even had members of the original cast on board!
We live in relatively benign times these days and we have a lot of people to thank for this happy circumstance.
The Meddler

Judith · Post by **Judith** » Jun 8th, '10, 21:20

I've always been fascinated with/a student of WWII, perhaps because my father was a participant.

Thinking of D-Day (thank you, OJ, for the reminder) makes me proud of my own country. Thinking of Dunkirk makes me proud of the human spirit in general--particularly, of course, those who sail the seas

Droofus · Post by **Droofus** » Jun 9th, '10, 17:20

God Bless America. The fairest, most caring, greatest Country in the world. We always do what is right. Our Veterans and all that support, them deserve the highest commendations

The Cape Dory Board

Important Anniversary

Important Anniversary

My dad was there.

Great Post OJ!

Re: Great Post OJ!

I have kids in the school system.

annivesary

D for "D-day" and for Dunkirk

Thank You for your post