D Day was 73 years ago today

[Orlantina]

I still can't imagine what was going through people's minds that day. The troops on the landing craft approaching the beaches with gunfire bouncing off the ramp.
The troops jumping out of planes with flak all around.
The families at home waiting.

So brave.

My great uncle was there

He is another one who refuses to talk about it

There were some lovely ceremonies on the landing beaches today. We live in Normandy and many little churchyards around us have carefully tended war graves. Nobody forgets here.

It made me cross that Google didn't put anything on their sign in page - they must have forgotten...

Some of the people who were piloting the landing craft were so young. There was one who was 16. They had to deliver their troops, turn round pick more up and do it again and again. That must have taken so much courage.

Neither my granddads were involved directly in D-day.
My paternal dgf was in the middle east.
Maternal dgf was more involved earlier in the war-he was in the Battle of Britain and by the time D-day came around he was too high up. I have a suspicion he might have been involved in intelligence, but I can't find any direct evidence for this, other than he had a transmitter radio he built himself.
3 months after D-day he came home for leave and said to dgm that the end was there and it was almost certainly just a matter of time. Dm was the result of the 48 hour leave.

My GF was in a reserved occupation - train driver - so didn't do military service. However he often talked about realising that something significant was happening prior to D Day as his duties were switched from freight (munitions etc) to transporting personnel down to the south coast. He said he wondered what happened to all the young soldiers.

Thank you OP for reminding us all of this incredibly important, and significant date.

We have our freedom because of these incredible men, and we should never forget them and their sacrifices.

We find ourselves in very challenging, frightening times, but we must never give in to terror, and those who seek to divide us, just as those courageous gentlemen did in WW2.

My deepest respects to all who fought for all of us, and also to those who suffered in other ways at that time (mothers, land girls, home guard etc).

Thank you OP for reminding us.

None of my family were involved, as some were in the Navy and others living under the occupation which the landings were the beginning of the end of. We should all be remembering both those who died.