De notre cœur un mot jaillit: MERCI.

Above the cliffs and beyond the beaches of Normandy stands one of 14 American Military Cemeteries built on foreign soil. A 22-foot bronze statue entitled “The Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves” stands at the center of a semi circular colonnade. Stretched out before it are the the remains of 9,387 servicemen and women who would rise only to meet the judgment of their God.

Among those graves are 307 who remain unknown and an additional 1,557 have their names engraved among The Missing on the walls of the memorial.

Four years ago, a musical composition was composed for the 60th anniversary of the landings. From Beyond Time:

To the boys who came from the West,

To return to us our dignity as free men

From our heart springs - THANK YOU.

And where do we stand today as the survivors of this great crusade for freedom slowly fades from our midsts? The Europe they fought for also slips away - first into the soft totalitarianism of a socialist bureaucracy and then into a harsher future where the rising tide of Islam replaces the values of the liberal democracies.

And the America that they came home to build also slips slowly away, convinced by opportunistic, slick talking politicians that half the dead of Normandy is too high a burden for another man’s freedom and a vision of a world where democracy thrives instead of Mohamadean theocracy. A brave nation, sure in it’s beliefs about individual liberty and responsibility has given way to a people looking for a nanny state to cradle them into a collective stupor, providing them with every need.

Sixty-four years from this date will anyone look back at this generation and say, “Thank You” or will they lament, “Why did you throw it all away?”

An impressive and moving documentary.

S.L.A.Marshall's account of the first hours on Omaha is availabel on the Web, by the way. It is beyond grim.

Thank you Kate. God Bless all those who took part and shame on those who today denigrate or disparage all those times like this that forged our nations and gave us the freedoms that we no longer have the intelligence to support nor the courage to maintain.

And today the Liberals and the NDP want our military to serve only as a source of cheap labour in the event of some natural disaster. While we keep them at home in sub-standard housing we can use them to fight forest fires, fill sandbags during floods, and clear the streets of Toronto after a snowstorm.

Why do some have such short memories ?

Great short film. There is hope indeed.

Ron in Kelowna asks "Why do some have such short memories?" It's not a case of "short memories", but more likely a case of "false memories". Consider that many Canadians parrot the nonsensical Lib/left slogan that Canada is and always has been simply a nation of "peace-keepers", not warriors. The true history of Canada simply has not gotten into their heads in the first place.

I have mixed views on this generation.

On one hand, they valiantly fought off the Nazis. The balls it took to do so put us in their debt.

On the other hand, they came back and raised the baby boomer generation (badly,) voted in Trudeau, raped the future by racking up the debt and creating the monster that is the overbearing state, destroyed our culture and put us in the spot we find ourselves today.

I'd have to say the balance has shifted to the other side.

The best book that I have come across on D-Day is Stephen Ambrose's http://tinyurl.com/3ppfkc

It does an excellent job of illustrating what a huge logistics feat it was in the age before computers. IMO it is the single greatest achievement of the USA. The other Allies obviously played a significant role but it was the massive application of US economic power and frankly, courage - Churchill was terrified of a channel crossing invasion - that made it work.

Over at Michelle Malkin's there's a priceless parody of how today's mainstream media would have covered the event:

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/06/06/how-todays-media-would-have-covered-d-day/

I'm wearing my Spitfire t-shirt.

Warwick, there's been nothing done a tax cut can't fix. So far, anyway. I'm on the blower to my MP today re the HRC show trial in BC, gonna shake that tree.

I encourage everybody who knows what D-Day was to do the same.

Recall:

"VICTORY IN EUROPE

PM, rivals honour veterans

May. 10, 2005. 09:29 AM

Canada's four feuding federal leaders finally showed up here to honour Canadian veterans and celebrate VE Day — a day late and in obvious damage-control mode. Neither Prime Minister Paul Martin, nor opposition leaders Stephen Harper, Gilles Duceppe or Jack Layton could avoid the fact Ottawa politics is what caused all parties to call their MPs off VE Day celebrations here last week."


Gee a grade 8 kid gets it, but our leaders managed to miss the 60th anniversary of VE-Day. I guess the WWII wasn't that important? A day late and a dollar short, impressive.

A kick in the posterior, to do their duty? Had it coming I would say.

Today Walter Natynczk was designated as CDS to fill CDS Hillier's shoes. It appears PM Stephen Harper gets it.

Cheers

Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht
Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”

Per Mare per Terram (by Sea and by Land)

Well done. I salute you, indeed.

I would like to hear Jack Laytons take on this incursion onto foreign soil so many years ago with non-union troops.

THE CANUCKS had the highest kill ratio per soldier on D-Day. Sadly, many history books have us listed as "British" troops. We're still kicking ass in Afghanistan, but ssadly, Canadian networks don't show that side of the story. I recently watched a Canadian Army raid in an Afghan village, on an American videi under "Military.com" It nevewr appeared on CBC, they were too busy filming gay weddings and sob stories!!

THE CANUCKS had the highest kill ratio per soldier on D-Day. Sadly, many history books have us listed as "British" troops." We're still kicking ass in Afghanistan, but sadly, Canadian networks don't show that side of the story. I recently watched a Canadian Army raid in an Afghan village, on an American video under "Military.com" It never appeared on CBC, they were too busy filming gay weddings and Liberal sob stories!!

Well, they would certainly be proud of the young people who put that documentary together.

Good news is sparce these days, but this gives me hope.

Onya, mate.

bobzorunkle, your link is very worth while and very, very revealing !

Before the Internet, this would never have seen the light of day. thx

http://michellemalkin.com/2008/06/06/how-todays-media-would-have-covered-d-day/

Not taking anything away from D-day and the importance of that front, but the comment that the Russians had been going it alone up to 1943 is false. Sir Winston Churchill in his World War II series points out that the campaigns in the Africa and Italy tied up a large number of divisions and air forces and supplies. As well, the threats of invasion in the Balkans and in France and Norway tied large numbers of divisions. Tying up these divisions was as effective as additional fronts as they prevented their deployment east. Additionally, the bombardment of Germany and various supply efforts were of direct benefit to the eastern front.

That said, Uncle Joe had some nerve saying they were going it alone as we really had to go it alone while they were making footsy with the Nazis.

This is so very sad. Those that fought and died to protect our freedoms are being acknowledged today at the very same time those very freedoms are being taken away by the BCHRC.

And at the same time, Google (who chooses to commemorate lesser events such as hot-air ballooning and the ascension of Mt. Everest regularly) has decided that D-Day ISN'T worthy of remembrance; today, their masthead commemorates the birth of the Spoanish painter Villegas. (puke)

On a trip to France last month, my wife and I spent a day visitng three of the five Normandy landing beaches and the Canadian Beny-sur-mer military cemetery at Reviers. It was heartening to see how the French people keep alive the memory of those who perished to free their country from Nazi tyranny. French kids visit the allied military cemeteries and leave small remembrances they have made in school, so they do not forget.

In the mid-1980s we visited the Vietnam memorial wall in Washington D.C. and felt like intruders on private grief. Walking along the ranks of pefectly aligned headstones at Beny-sur-mer, each displaying carefully-tended flowers, we felt we belonged. These were our countrymen buried there in a small corner of foreign soil that will forever be part of Canada. It was the same feeling when we visited Vimy Ridge a few days later.

Have we earned these sacrifices? We are still a free country and we are still willing to bear arms in defence of our freedom. So I think the answer is yes. Hopefully our willingness to stand up and be counted today means that we will never have to ask another generation to do what my father's and my grandfather's generations did at a cost of so many lives.

The 8th grader is a home schooler, yes?

I wonder how the young are going to defend themselves when they will have no chance to learn how to shoot in shooting ranges in Toronto.

I also wonder how many young people sign up for cadets these days. I have to say in my son's cadet squadron it is mostly immigrant children and girls who are signing up - the former because their parents think it is good discipline and a chance to integrate into Canadian society and the latter because they want to kick ass.

It is my inability to erase mental images exactly like these that make it impossible for me to "calm down" when discussing those lesser men, that would make what these brave soldiers did for us irrelevant.

Further I believe that the mushy socialist liberal movement so fear our heroic history, they find themselves compelled to do what they can to destroy, denigrate and re-write it.

The torch is ours; thanks to this 8th grader for lifting it higher.

And to think that all along, Hitler is alive and hiding in Argentina!!

I'm very proud that my father was part of the force at Omaha Beach. We must never forget what those brave men, from whatever country they came, did.

Stephen Ambrose does not, and I repeat, does not have the best book on D-Day. From a Canadian perspective it is the worst.
I saw Cronkite's interview with Eisenhower yrs after the event, and if I could have replaced the TV, I would put my foot through it.
Rarely (read never) do Americans give justice to Canadian participation.
The Canadian and British cemeteries are kept beautifully by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Local residents are hired to maintain them. The CWGC take the job seriously as is evidenced from the beautiful attention paid to each grave. The sad one I saw was in the graveyard of a 14th C church. One downed air crew in one grave, burned beyond recognition. The cemetery in dreadful condition and I felt they had not been done justice.
They were a generation who asked very little, and would not have expected anymore out of us than we have given. Which does not excuse us for not living up to the terrible sacrifices they made.

Not mere a mention of this on Canada AM but lots of blathering about the biker babe, talk about screwed up priorities.

This line comes to mind: In times of war and not before God and Soldier man adore, in times of peace with all things righted God is forgotten and soldier slighted.

Those that sacrificed so much would be so ashamed, the rise of communist ideology under the guise of Social Liberalism will be the death of Democracy. One only has to look across the pond to see Nazism being replaced by Socialism the same beast with a different name.

Gellen: Admittedly Ambrose's book is from the american perspective - he says as much in the book. He devoted an entire book to one British action on D-Day - Pegasus Bridge. So, if it isn't the best in your opinion which book is? Surely it isn't the dreary, tight time-lined Longest Day?

What makes Ambrose's book so compelling is the amount of background he provides on the build-up required to achieve the scale of the landing and the personal accounts of those who participated in variuos facets of the assault.

(He also documented that the British and CDN forces actually stopped for tea on d-day rather than press their advantage as hard as possible. It was plodding like that that got the CDNs and Brits into so much trouble around Caen.)

"Witness to [censored]

Broadcast Date: [censored]
Swimming with his pack and waterproof typewriter, Matthew Halton navigates the rough, rising tides to the beach. Around him, the [censored] troops swim forward and land on the shell-swept [censored] beaches. They move through curtains of [censored censored censored]. Today is [censored censored censored], and the campaign to [censored] [c.....e.....n.....s.....o.....r.....e.....d.....].
Halton takes note of the military barrage, bombing, assault and retreat. He describes the precise order and organization of the attack and the courage of the fallen men. But with deft skill, Halton manages to bridge the dividing line of despair and hope. He tells of [censored] families emerging from their homes with roses and strawberries for the troops. He observes another Normandy woman placing roses on the face of a dead [censored] soldier. This is, he describes, a [censored.]"
(reports from [censored])

Is it time to dump Google yet?

On the anniversary of D-Day, their "special" logo commemorates Diego Velazquez, a somewhat well-known Spanish painter from 500 years ago.

Anybody got any good advice for a search engine to use? I'm really getting sick of the leftie wack-jobs running Google.

the Canadian soldiers went further inland and faster on that day than the brits or the yanks. esp the yanks what with their difficulties breaching omaha defenses.

I call it payback for Dieppe, no doubt that was the sentiment in some corners at the time.

Canada has NEVER lost a war in which we have been officially involved. we started the trend in the 1812 - 1814 conflict and have stayed that way since. afghanistan will be no exception; we are winning there because our methods and motives are correct.

Richfisher, I was searching for the words you have written and posted here. Thank-you.

I grew up with the vets of WWI and WWII and I remember their capable, protective love. I always felt safe because I knew that my Dad and my uncles knew how to do everything required to keep my Mom, me and my brothers from danger. Dad had a loaded shotgun in the stairwell and he was a good shot, he knew how to start the truck when it was -40 below (and we did not have electricity), he knew how to get us home in a blizzard when you could not see 5 yards in front of the car (he got out and walked beside the car and my mom drove 4 miles and hour), he knew how to take care of our cows and plant our crops and fix broken machinery and bikes. He knew every country and capital city in the world. The men of the Greatest Generation were capable and humble as only great men, who have earned the right to be humble (because they are not intimidated by anyone), can be...this was perhaps what allowed this nation to grow some mushy descendants. My parents generation had lived through the Dirty Thirties and fought and won a war; the sons of these men had mighty big boots to fill and many of those boys had doting rebellious Moms who did not want to talk about the war and did not want their precious children to hear about that 'old war'. The men who stayed home (like Turdo) did not want to talk about the war either because they did not have any war stories...so some of the stay-at-homes and some of the women marginalized the soldiers. The soldiers humility allowed the weak to win the day.

My Mom was in the RCAF, in London, during WWII and I remember her saying to me, not too long ago, when I asked her how she found life after the war; she said she found it pretty dull - maybe that is the reason the vets often spent more of their spare time in the Legion than they did at home.

It is time to turn the table for these soldiers - I think that this video is an indication that the proverbial table is turning right. About time.

It helps that we have a Prime Minister who honors, instead of denigrates, the deeds of our soldiers; of yesterday and of today.

Good morning, Gord.

Agree that Ambrose used lots of anecdotes (similar to the movie The Longest Day) and another author who uses anecdotes is Max Hastings (a journalist). He's very good and if you haven't read any of his books you might want to. He also goes into detail with explanations that give a full picture.

John Keegan is a classical historian and doesn't add anecdotes but he's good at analyzing, giving credit to the Polish units as well. Keegan explains the impact of the Russian front on Normandy which is sometimes forgotten and should be credited.
U.S. created a problem for themselves on landing when they refused the special landing craft that were built to float and the ones with flails, ridiculing them. Thus, they landed without support and while some used by the Canadians and British sunk, enough survived that it helped them move forward. The U.S. had no tanks on shore so had no guns. What a position to be in.
I also viewed their beaches and the men have to be given full credit for managing to scale them. But let's not diminish, nor ignore, the tremendous accomplishments of the Canadians. Believe me, the Germans remembered their reputation as storm troops from the first world war.

If you haven't read his books, I highly recommend George G. Blackburn's trilogy, and the Guns of Normandy is a tremendous first-hand account. He was a FOO so you get a complete picture of the artillery as well as the infantry. Our local lads were in the regt to the right and know his account to be completely accurate.

After getting a dish and PBS Buffalo I watched a series they purchased on the Canadian contribution and their comments were that they didn't even know the Canadians had fought with such distinction. Not sure that they even knew the size of the units. It was pathetic, but understandable if U.S. writing and movies are your only view of the war.

For all the American friends on board, we're your humble cousins, only we carry what is a desirable and honourable trait to an extreme. Possibly we were well-taught that pride goeth before a fall.

Also, let's not forget that many of the units sat on board ships for weary weeks waiting for the beaches to clear so they themselves could land and take up the fight. A hat off to them all.

Phantom. YDA and (U?)DR, nice choice if that's what you're wearing. I had my Mossie one on, YPN. Great way to remember. Thanks.

Oops, "sank"? not "sunk"?
And, of course, it was the cliffs they scaled, not the beaches.
A minor point but since I'm doing another post, a friend who landed with the Queen's Own Rifles said everything was chaos on the beaches. Not as orderly as depicted. They had orders not to stop and help any wounded, but he felt compelled to drag a friend up to shore so he wouldn't drown.
My 98 yr old cousin still can't talk about his experiences in the Regina Rifles, which is most likely why he's 98.

If it were not for all those who gave their lives during WW II we would all be german subjects and we would have a dictator and us conservatives and perhapes liberlas as well would all be in concentration camps or dead or wouldnt be here i had a father and three uncles in WW II and they all came back alive they gave their all to allow these ungreatful little snots to ignore their sacrifice

Yes, gellen, John Keegan is an excellent historian and a good writer to boot. I recommend his "Six Armies In Normandy", in which he not only gives a full account of the Canadian Armny's herosim, but gives a rare and valuable account of the Free French and Free Polish Armies too, as well as a good examination of the German side.