D Day merged threads

[figgy]

You only have to watch some of the true recorded footage to see men gunned down and blown up.

No wonder most cam home shell shocked and want to put a lid on the memories for most of the time.

[hedge]

11 hours ago, Mice! said:

Have you seen "Saving private Ryan" realise it's only a film but what you've said was the opening scene. I remember they showed it to veterans who were stunned by how realistic it was, hell indeed.

That was the first (and only) `war` film that made me realise that war was not exciting or fun. We watched it at the cinema with new surround sound and in that beach scene, were we are ducking and moving around in our seats, as you felt you were in the middle of it. It was graphic yet educational. Just about everyone left the cinema in stunned silence. A very profound and moving film. Spielberg and Hanks were so inspired by the D-Day stories that they'd heard when researching the film, that they decided to make Band of Brothers.

10 hours ago, figgy said:

You only have to watch some of the true recorded footage to see men gunned down and blown up.

No wonder most cam home shell shocked and want to put a lid on the memories for most of the time.

There are some very good D-Day books out there, that all give graphic detail in a very matter of fact `I was there` kind of way.

I could never have done half of what those people did. It's no wonder that they don't want to talk about it.

 

[Vince Green]

My Uncle Harry was a sapper in no3 glider at Pegasus Bridge. I didn't know until long after he died when his brother dropped it into the conversation quite casually. So I checked it out a few years ago with the Pegasus Bridge museum and sure enough it was right.

Because I have been in touch with them and I am a family member I was invited to Pegasus Bridge this week but I couldn't go.  

[RockySpears]

20 hours ago, RockySpears said:

" forty-seven immortals of Omaha "  Any one here heard of them?

  I can't believe it but I only get circular references to this search and all lead back to the Marshall article in The Atlantic.  I can find many people searching for them, but no answers.

Any one here do any better,

Thanks,

RS

  In case anyone was piqued, here is the best I have been able to find:

S.L.A. Marshall has been criticized for his methods by some modern historians. In light of this, I think this concept of the 47 immortals may have been a literary device (not saying it's an out-and-out fabrication) used to engage the reader and better describe the events of that day. 

If you consider legendary Japanese film director, Akira Kurosawa, many of his films served as inspiration for American films (Seven Samurai & The Magnificent Seven) and vice versa. Let me say, I'm not a military historian, but I have studied the history of Japan quite a bit. I suspect, and it's just speculation, that Marshall may have done something similar in "adapting" the Japanese legend of the "Forty-Seven Ronin" to the Omaha beach landing.  There are many parallels there, e.g. men fighting for a noble cause against overwhelming odds; Ronin were "masterless samurai" and those who made the beach outlived their commanders (i.e. masterless) both groups willing to die for their commanders' honor

 

If you want the whole story, here it is:  https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-06-06/churchill-ike-epic-human-tragedy-first-wave-omaha

Really puts our miniscule spats into some sort of perspective.  To think that  politicians would EVER want to go to war again just seems madness,

 

RS