heliocentric's Journal: D-Day... I was there

Today is the anniversary of D-Day in the European theater of WWII for the invasion of France by the allies. It is important to note that many operations have D-Days and H-Hours, it's just part of the plan, however I think when one talks about "D-Day" this is the one in particular they mean.

This day means a lot to me. It means that 9 years ago today I was standing in the cemetary at Ohama beach playing taps. It was the then 50th anniversary of D-Day and I was over with the USO swing band. I was there in my army air corps uniform, I was there with my grandfather, a now passed on vet who landed on Omaha in the second wave*, I was there on so much history... I was there.

While in Europe that tour I played for the US Pres, the Queen of England, was on BBC and all that coolness, but that cemetary thing was the hardest moment for me in my presently finished music career. Talk about pressure, I was told taps is never played there but for special occasions, I was there with my grandfather and he was there with the heros he knew and lost because they never left... I was there.

* - Although not part of the big red one he landed with them. He was part of a special forces group that the German's called "Miller's Butchers." I won't go into why, but when the opposing forces have a nickname for a small group of guys, it's an interesting point in history.

A great day for Canada as well...

[checkyoulater]

There was also a ceremony to open a new Canadian memorial/museum at Juno Beach, the beach that the Canadian forces landed at and secured (alone, I might add!)

Interesting was the backlash [nationalpost.com] from the veterans about the inclusion of our Prime Minister at the ceremony. Apparently Ottawa didn't really care much to help fund the memorial, and as such the veterans find it offensive that the Prime Minister still shows up to take the credit for it. Ottawa only chipped in about a million initally. The government o

Re:A great day for Canada as well...

[eugene ts wong]

The government probably already knows all that they need to know in order to make a decent contribution to such memorials. Unfortunately, it's all/mostly based on politics. This is evidenced by such wasted money like the Canoe Hall of Fame [google.ca]. Don't take my word for it, though. I've only heard about the money through word of mouth.

My grandfather...

[singularity]

My grandfather was on the beach, was later taken prisoner by the Germans, and had some medical problems during his POW time and immediately afterwards. He had surgery under less than ideal circumstances than left his abdomen wall weakened until the time of his death.

Other than stories about his basic training in Yuma, AZ (winning enough money to buy an engagement ring for my grandmother in a game of craps), that is all my grandfather ever spoke about the war. Most of the information found in the first para

Re:My grandfather...

[gmhowell]

My grandfather had to work for a living: island hopping in the South Pacific. None of that European Vacation stuff (just kidding). He had five daughters. My understanding, from talking to my mother is that he spoke to me, my brother, and my father more about his experiences than anyone else. Period.

Not a whole lot of stuff. Bitched about the Red Cross. Complained about the food. Said what it all boiled down to was two dumb kids, thousands of miles away from home on a pissant scrap of land that they didn't

I may not have been there at the end of the war...

[intermodal]

but genetically my fate was told at the beginning. My grandmother's second husband (and my grandfather) was present at Pearl Harbor, at the army barracks. When the war on Japan ended, he was on his way to invade the home islands on a ship. Thus I will never, ever be upset that we dropped the nukes since they may be directly responsible for my existence.

F'ing A Man!

[MagnetarJones]

Good for you, I hope I have the opportunity to some day visit these Historically Important places.

I'd also like to go to Hawaii (besides the obvious reasons to go to Hawaii) and visit the Arizona Memorial.

and Anzio Italy, where my uncle was killed in a tank...

We can never forget, and our children must know what occured on these important dates...

Re:F'ing A Man!

[heliocentric]

I hope I have the opportunity to some day visit these Historically Important places.

Do great things in life and perhaps all the places you have been will become Historically Important Places (TM).

Or... do bad thing in life and the same may happen as well.

I'd also like to go to Hawaii (besides the obvious reasons to go to Hawaii)

You place great trust in me to fill in the big picture there and I'm not going to [hawaii.gov] touch [rainbowhandbook.com] that [disastercenter.com]. Ok, just a little: 6th highest crime rate per capita and a big jump in STDs an