June 6th, 1944

5.56X45mm

Milforum Mac Daddy
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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

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D-DAY PRAYER


Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest — until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home — fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them — help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too — strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment — let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace — a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen.

Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944



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The heroes of Normandy that have kept us free.

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....and the aircrews that didn't come home.

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Ashes to Ashes
Dust to Dust
Brother to Brother
Amen....

For those of the greatest generation are passing as we speak. They are simply going to greener pastors to once again be with their Brothers in Arms. And those of today's generation are of the same greatness as those of days gone past.

Remember those that have given their all, for there is no greater love then when a man gives his life for his fellow man.
 
I second that. One of my grandfather's was on Omaha on my dad's side, and on my mom's side, the other one was on Utah. And my stepdad's grandfather, ironically, drove the landing craft that my Mom's father was on.
 
Very moving tribute. We can never thank our veterans enough.

My grandfather and one of his brothers had already been wounded and medically discharged by the time D-Day came. His other brother was KIA at the Battle of the Bulge.
 
Great pictures!

I visited Omaha beach with my family about 7 years ago. It was in early November. Cold, wind blowing. It was quite an experience walking along that beach.

I was in the sector designated "Green Dog". What US units fought here? Rangers?
 
Great pictures!

I visited Omaha beach with my family about 7 years ago. It was in early November. Cold, wind blowing. It was quite an experience walking along that beach.

I was in the sector designated "Green Dog". What US units fought here? Rangers?

This might help...
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Thanks Monty,

This map makes thing easier.

We were standing right on the Dog Green/Dog White boundary.So it was the 29th Infantry Division in this sector. What does 116RCT stand for?

Was that the Rangers in Charlie sector? 2nd Rangers C Company?? Or am I way off?

We had a look around Vierville. Not many Americans about? It was only about 6-7 weeks after the 9/11 murders, so I guess not many were too keen to go holiday making in Europe. The locals said they noticed a big drop in numbers from the US at the time.
 
116RCT stands for 116th Regimental Combat Team.

"D-Day", 06 June 1944, found the 116th Regimental Combat Team spearheading one of the greatest military operations in history - - the assault landing on the German held coast of Normandy. The 116th Infantry, assault regiment of the Division, suffered 341 casualties on Omaha Beach.
 
May God bless their souls who died on Normandy to struggle for the freedom against the Nazis.
 
My Uncle was a Sgt at Battle of the Bulge. Tough battle. Bronze star, Purple heart.


Very moving tribute. We can never thank our veterans enough.

My grandfather and one of his brothers had already been wounded and medically discharged by the time D-Day came. His other brother was KIA at the Battle of the Bulge.
 
I know a guy who fought at Normandy. He was with the 5th Ranger Battalion and fought on Omaha Beach. His company got mauled up pretty bad and he was assigned to the 4th infantry division sometime afterwards. After Normandy he was sent to Italy (I don't know ANY details from this part other than the fact he was a sniper).

He later served in Korea and rose to the rank of 1st Sergeant. Remarkable man.
 
Nice thread 5.56. My Grandfather was on the second wave into Normandy. He ended up getting 5 Bronze Stars in theatre. Normandy,N. France,Rhineland,Ardennes,Central Europe. As his discharge paper state. He was a full track driver for the 811th Tank Destroyer Batt. 11th Armored Div. He made it back with no injuries.

Coincidentally my Great Uncle trained at Fort Campbell KY,for Armored unit also,but a tank lid dropped on his hand.He was retrained as a Medic,and served in Rhineland with the 309th Med. Batt. 84th Inf. recieving a Bronze Star as his discharge papers state. He also made it back.

I had the honor of knowing them both well for many years. My Great Uncle passed away in 1986 while having surgery.

My Grandfather,Grandmother,and my faithful dog of 15 years "Hutch" passed away in a propane gas explosion in 1993.

"God Bless our Veterans"
 
116RCT stands for 116th Regimental Combat Team.

"D-Day", 06 June 1944, found the 116th Regimental Combat Team spearheading one of the greatest military operations in history - - the assault landing on the German held coast of Normandy. The 116th Infantry, assault regiment of the Division, suffered 341 casualties on Omaha Beach.

The entire Omaha beach debacle has been a study of militarists for well over 50 years now. The author of Band of Brothers states that the beach being mainly shale would not support the DD tanks or other funnies, Percy Hobart invented/created for hard beaches to conquer. Unfortunatly the beaches at Omaha were basically no different from the beaches at Sword, Gold and especially Juno which had exactly the same kind of beach as Omaha.
Whether opologists or military, so called experts say different, Bradley made a huge mistake by not incorporating the funnies on that beach. And it is very unfortunate because Bradley was an excellent Commander who was unfortunatly given the wrong info on how to tackle the beach. The Canadian's at Juno were up against at least the same amount of resistance and many historians believe it was actually worse. But they succeded with half the American casualties because they used every Percy Hobart invented funny they could get their hands on
 
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