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D-Day 75th anniversary
75 years ago, the liberation of Europe began. The largest invasion fleet in history ever organised off the shores of Normandy France, making the trip across the English channel.
Over 150,000 men from the US, Canada, Britain , France stormed the beaches in the dawn hours. The first wave of American and British paratroopers and glider troops arrived hours earlier.
Fierce fighting inflicted heavy casualties to the Americans at Omaha beach and to the Canadians at Juno beach, Total allied casualties numbered 4414 were killed that first day alone.
But the liberation of Europe had begun and the destruction of the Nazi regime.
I wanted to draw something more dramatic, action filled, but a series of events this week took a mental toll on me. I wanted to depict the hell in some way. I can't even begin to imagine the hell those men faced that horrific morning. Colored by my partner in crime, Richard Konkle.
I even got up early (5AM) this morning to watch the D-day commencements live on TV. It was moving to see Presidents Macron and Trump pay tribute and personally shake the hands of the 65 plus D-Day veterans that were at the event. Both Presidents took their sweet time doing it and the old soldiers cheerfully took it all in.
Normandy is still #1 on my bucket list. I always regretted not seeing in back in 1992 when I was within 30 miles of it. But one member of our group refused to see "Some stupid beach" and unfortunately we were connected with him to England. I seriously got to see Normandy sooner than later.
BTW, Any Brits, Canadians, French...I'm looking for any coins or stamps commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day since the US can't bother to commemorate the anniversary. Can you assist?
Over 150,000 men from the US, Canada, Britain , France stormed the beaches in the dawn hours. The first wave of American and British paratroopers and glider troops arrived hours earlier.
Fierce fighting inflicted heavy casualties to the Americans at Omaha beach and to the Canadians at Juno beach, Total allied casualties numbered 4414 were killed that first day alone.
But the liberation of Europe had begun and the destruction of the Nazi regime.
I wanted to draw something more dramatic, action filled, but a series of events this week took a mental toll on me. I wanted to depict the hell in some way. I can't even begin to imagine the hell those men faced that horrific morning. Colored by my partner in crime, Richard Konkle.
I even got up early (5AM) this morning to watch the D-day commencements live on TV. It was moving to see Presidents Macron and Trump pay tribute and personally shake the hands of the 65 plus D-Day veterans that were at the event. Both Presidents took their sweet time doing it and the old soldiers cheerfully took it all in.
Normandy is still #1 on my bucket list. I always regretted not seeing in back in 1992 when I was within 30 miles of it. But one member of our group refused to see "Some stupid beach" and unfortunately we were connected with him to England. I seriously got to see Normandy sooner than later.
BTW, Any Brits, Canadians, French...I'm looking for any coins or stamps commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day since the US can't bother to commemorate the anniversary. Can you assist?
Category All / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1100 x 850px
File Size 734.7 kB
Techincally, WW2 Allies were anti-fascist as well, just government organized against a fascist threat that compounded into something horrific. Europe didn't do anything until Warsaw, and we certainly didn't do anything until Pearl Harbour.
Never, ever here to discredit our heroes. Never. But there is a lot more to these guerrilla groups than you'd think.
Never, ever here to discredit our heroes. Never. But there is a lot more to these guerrilla groups than you'd think.
britain technically started it by threatening germany if they invaded poland, that's what mainly caused it... also a peace treaty then a stab in the back three seconds later, if it wasn't for america we would have lost the war! GOD BLESS AMERICA AND GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!!!
Nicely done Jim, in my childhood I got to meet a number of World War II vets that took part in that event. The one thing they shared in common was the fact that they didn't talk about it. It was just something that they had done.
Dad also served in World War II, he also didn't talk about his service other than just being in the South Pacific.
Dad also served in World War II, he also didn't talk about his service other than just being in the South Pacific.
My Dad got to the Continent toward the end of the Battle of the Bulge (December 20th, I think), about five and a half months after D-Day. In the 334th Infantry of the 84th Division, "The Railsplitters," he was assigned to repatriation duty. He never spoke of what happened in Belgium, but it had to be horrific.
He did speak, at least for a while, about things that happened as the War wound down. He had photos of some of it. Toward the end of his life he wouldn't discuss any of it.
He did speak, at least for a while, about things that happened as the War wound down. He had photos of some of it. Toward the end of his life he wouldn't discuss any of it.
My late grandfather never faced the beaches of Normandy, he was one of the British soldiers in Burma during WW2. Grew up surrounded by WW2 vets, including the man who was my godfather and had adopted my grandfather into his Gurkha tribe. I now carry my grandfather's khukuri
And my family has a box of old coins going back as far as the early 1900s, I might have a commemorative coin or two in there.
And my family has a box of old coins going back as far as the early 1900s, I might have a commemorative coin or two in there.
I do not think a single still image can capture the horror that is war.
And to echo. My late Father-in-Laws were both WWII vets. One US Army, the other Royal Navy. No they did not talk about it. Both were wounded. James Maxwell before he was in the Navy as a civilian teen. And they don't give you the time of day for that. John Diviney got a few metals for the fact. The small ones from the Germans he carried around his whole life.
And to echo. My late Father-in-Laws were both WWII vets. One US Army, the other Royal Navy. No they did not talk about it. Both were wounded. James Maxwell before he was in the Navy as a civilian teen. And they don't give you the time of day for that. John Diviney got a few metals for the fact. The small ones from the Germans he carried around his whole life.
Excellent work Rabbi. Was just chatting with my 89 year old Dad about D Day. He had a number of relatives in the service including one Lt. Louis Fargle who was a troop glider pilot on D Day. He got his craft down intact and he was in the fight till the Battle of Bulge - wounded and sent back to the states. My late Mother was Norwegian - in Occupied Norway during the War. She used to say despite all the orders by the Germans to turn in your radios folks there were keeping track of the Allied Landings and advances. She said folks were putting maps of Europe on their walls and were marking the Allied advances with pins - something that would have got you shot if the Germans had caught you.
No nothing commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day here either, but I could shoot pictures of some Stoplersteine ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolperstein ) if you want.
Then there was the bloodbath that was the air war. One USAAC vet remembered himself following a B-17 Bomber Group (30 airplanes) that was attacked by Focke-Wulf 190s. After three passes, every plane was gone. 300 men dead, dying or on the way down to capture in about 90 seconds.
And his Group was right behind them.
What to do? Press on to the target. As if that was even a question. Press on, goddammit. That’s the mission.
USAAC had the second-highest casualty count after the USMC in WWII.
What all these vets both on the ground, in the air, and on/under the sea did is very hard to wrap one’s head around. All I know is that when the balloon went up, the smart ones considered themselves already dead. If you survived, well, you didn’t consider yourself a hero, just one lucky sonofabitch.
But they sure as hell were, and are, heroes.
And his Group was right behind them.
What to do? Press on to the target. As if that was even a question. Press on, goddammit. That’s the mission.
USAAC had the second-highest casualty count after the USMC in WWII.
What all these vets both on the ground, in the air, and on/under the sea did is very hard to wrap one’s head around. All I know is that when the balloon went up, the smart ones considered themselves already dead. If you survived, well, you didn’t consider yourself a hero, just one lucky sonofabitch.
But they sure as hell were, and are, heroes.
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