First hand account on the beach...D-Day
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DeerHunter53
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Amazing day and Amazing generation a lot of them died for our freedom....RIP
eelgrass
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All that guy did was let the door down on the LCI.....16 different times and send those kids to their death. I bet that would leave a few scars. I can't even imagine.
When my dad landed on Utah Beach he told the guy running the boat to get in a little closer because the water was too deep. He told my dad he was turning the boat around right now and dad could either get off or stay on the boat, his choice. Dad jumped off.
OutdoorWriter
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My dad didn't land on D-Day because he was already somewhere in France. BUT...one of my uncles --mom's brother -- did land and got wounded. Two weeks after D-Day, his mother -- my grandmother - went to a movie theater in Passaic, NJ. In those days, they showed a newsreel between features. On this particular day, a Pathe Newsreel showed the invasion, including a close-up of my uncle being carried on a stretcher and waving to the camera. It was the first time my grandmother knew he had neen wounded.
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hossblur
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I consider myself pretty tough, and tough minded. Ive worked with broken bones, nearly cut off several fingers which I've glued and taped back on. My trailer is full of back braces, knee braces, tape, gauze, glue.
But I can't ever wrap my head around jumping out of one of those boats and running into machine gun nests. That's a level of grit, that I don't have.
That first part of Saving Private Ryan should be mandatory viewing for High School. All these spoiled kids and their micro aggressions have zero clue what aggression is.
And the fact that their answers to everyone and everything wasnt I ran up ________ beach, what the hell have you done", and they came home, and built a nation? That's grit
But I can't ever wrap my head around jumping out of one of those boats and running into machine gun nests. That's a level of grit, that I don't have.
That first part of Saving Private Ryan should be mandatory viewing for High School. All these spoiled kids and their micro aggressions have zero clue what aggression is.
And the fact that their answers to everyone and everything wasnt I ran up ________ beach, what the hell have you done", and they came home, and built a nation? That's grit
OutdoorWriter
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My dad -- holding the carbine-- was corporal serving as a member of a half-track crew in the 7th Armored Division. He received a Purple Heart when a piece of shrapnel tore through his rear pocket and removed his wallet and a chunk of his a$$ at the same time.
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2lumpy
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So cool. Liberators!
I worked with a Dutch immigrant that was 15 year old boy in Holland when the American and Canadian soldiers liberated them. He said the America soldiers were crazy fearless. One day he watched an American leap out of a tree, on to a rapidly moving German tank, throw a grenade into the hatch and leap to the ground before it exploded.
My father in law fought the Japanese, hand to hand, through the islands of the Pacific. My wife has a Japanese regimental flag he cut down when he and his companions overran one of many strong holds. They were hero’s beyond anyone understanding except for those that were liberated, by their sacrifice.
Henry Knox and his men moved the 58 cannons 300 miles in fifty-six days with the help of oxen and ice sledges and arrived outside Boston on January 25, 1776. That’s 6 weeks, and they had to build the road while they came. When powder for the cannon finally arrived, the Americans began firing on Boston on March 2, and on March 4 mounted the largest gunson Dorchester Heights.
Knife fighters are our history!!! Your Father was one of them, as are our young men and women today, when lead by knife fighters.
May they forever be our gradians.
I worked with a Dutch immigrant that was 15 year old boy in Holland when the American and Canadian soldiers liberated them. He said the America soldiers were crazy fearless. One day he watched an American leap out of a tree, on to a rapidly moving German tank, throw a grenade into the hatch and leap to the ground before it exploded.
My father in law fought the Japanese, hand to hand, through the islands of the Pacific. My wife has a Japanese regimental flag he cut down when he and his companions overran one of many strong holds. They were hero’s beyond anyone understanding except for those that were liberated, by their sacrifice.
Henry Knox and his men moved the 58 cannons 300 miles in fifty-six days with the help of oxen and ice sledges and arrived outside Boston on January 25, 1776. That’s 6 weeks, and they had to build the road while they came. When powder for the cannon finally arrived, the Americans began firing on Boston on March 2, and on March 4 mounted the largest gunson Dorchester Heights.
Knife fighters are our history!!! Your Father was one of them, as are our young men and women today, when lead by knife fighters.
May they forever be our gradians.
hossblur
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Glad to see you back. We don't always agree, mainly because I'm always right?
But I recognize the generation before me, has more insight than I. Glad your here again
feddoc
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Half ass...
Back in the 90s I took a class on Coronado Island. One of the students was a Warrant Officer SEAL. His name was 'half a$$ McCarthy'. He was in the row ahead of me in class and I could clearly see that his left (I think) tricep was sorta missing and he had some obvious surgical repair scars.
I asked him how he got his name of 'half a$$'.
He was on a PBR in the Mekong Delta when a B90 rocket ripped through the boat darn near killed him and took off a significant part of his butttt cheek.
OutdoorWriter
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Later today, I'll write a humorous tale about my dad's time in Europe. It's basically the only "war story" he told me.
OutdoorWriter
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Below in red is from a written record I once located online of those in the 7th Armored Division who had received the Purle Heart medal. It was prior to his promotion to corporal.
Private First Class Anthony J. Mandile (Army Serial Number 42186208), Infantry, 23d Armored Infantry Battalion,(my note: this was part of the 7th Armored DIVISION) United States Army, for wounds received as a result of enemy action on 4 April 1945, in the Birnbach Area, Germany. Entered the military service from New Jersey.
So here's the rest of the story...as told to me and recounted here as best I remember 60 years later.
While in Germany, my dad's platoon had separated from the main force and came across a huge hunting lodge that had recently & hurriedly been abandoned.
The lodge supposedly had several gun cabinets with expensive looking firearms in them. In the cellar was a large room with floor to ceiling shelves filled with bottles of wine. They decided to use the lodge as a base for a couple days.
Now, consider that my dad was raised in an Italian family that made its own wines by the barrel. It was always available for every meal except breakfast, and my dad drank a lot of it.
They actually wound up staying at the lodge for nearly a week, and every night was a wine-tasting orgy of sorts. On the last night they were there, he got so drunk & sick that he thought he was a goner.
He never touched another drop of wine to his death at 79 two decades ago.
And now you know the rest of the story.
Private First Class Anthony J. Mandile (Army Serial Number 42186208), Infantry, 23d Armored Infantry Battalion,(my note: this was part of the 7th Armored DIVISION) United States Army, for wounds received as a result of enemy action on 4 April 1945, in the Birnbach Area, Germany. Entered the military service from New Jersey.
So here's the rest of the story...as told to me and recounted here as best I remember 60 years later.
While in Germany, my dad's platoon had separated from the main force and came across a huge hunting lodge that had recently & hurriedly been abandoned.
The lodge supposedly had several gun cabinets with expensive looking firearms in them. In the cellar was a large room with floor to ceiling shelves filled with bottles of wine. They decided to use the lodge as a base for a couple days.
Now, consider that my dad was raised in an Italian family that made its own wines by the barrel. It was always available for every meal except breakfast, and my dad drank a lot of it.
They actually wound up staying at the lodge for nearly a week, and every night was a wine-tasting orgy of sorts. On the last night they were there, he got so drunk & sick that he thought he was a goner.
He never touched another drop of wine to his death at 79 two decades ago.
And now you know the rest of the story.
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OutdoorWriter
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His officers wouldn't let them keep any of the long guns, but he brought back two German lugers and later sold them before I was old enough to protest.
eelgrass
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That's a funny story Tony. It reminds me of a story my dad told me. He was an engineer and they were held up at a river in Germany waiting for supplies to put a bridge across. The house they occupied had a wooden barrel full of pickles. Everybody wanted to eat some but they were afraid they might be poisoned, so they all had to take turns guarding the pickle barrel until they got tested. It came back that they were safe to eat.
I used to tease him. If someone asks "What did your dad do during the war?" "Oh, my dad was a pickle guard." That's just great, dad!
I used to tease him. If someone asks "What did your dad do during the war?" "Oh, my dad was a pickle guard." That's just great, dad!
OutdoorWriter
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That one is funnier than mine. Reminded me of the movie, 'Mr. Roberts,' where the captain, James Cagney, made someone guard his sacred palm tree.
I guess I coud say mine was a wine taster.
I guess I coud say mine was a wine taster.
Hey guys.
My grandpa landed on Omaha beach. He was an engineer. He never really talked much about the war, but he had numerous funny stories about his battle buddies.
My grandpa passed away this past Tuesday, June 7, 2021. Ironically, June 7 is the day I shipped out for basic training many years ago.
He died on D-Day +1. I guess June 6 wasn't going to get him then or now.
RIP Grandpa.
My grandpa landed on Omaha beach. He was an engineer. He never really talked much about the war, but he had numerous funny stories about his battle buddies.
My grandpa passed away this past Tuesday, June 7, 2021. Ironically, June 7 is the day I shipped out for basic training many years ago.
He died on D-Day +1. I guess June 6 wasn't going to get him then or now.
RIP Grandpa.
OutdoorWriter
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Man, he sure had a long life. RIP
My dad, who died 20 years ago, would have hit 100 this Sept.
My dad, who died 20 years ago, would have hit 100 this Sept.
feddoc
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Sorry about your grandpa. Maybe you could repeat a couple of his stories here.
