June 6: 65 Years
Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, wades out of the Higgins boat and into Hell to drive the Nazi scourge out of France. Photo by Robert F. Sargent. Click for bigness.
I don't know why I make this post every year; my grandfather was in the Pacific. I guess I have a thing for D-Day like chikkiboo has for the Great War. Or maybe I just think it's awesome that everybody said "Y'know, we're tired of this Nazi bullshit. Let's invade Europe." and then went and did it. A tiny island nation got together with their colony and former colony half a world and a whole lot of U-Boats away and rescued an entire continent (with a bit of help from la résistance). Outnumbered by well over two to one, we got almost as many of them as they did of us, and began the end of the (second) war to end all wars.
Hats off to Ike, Monty, le Grand Charles, and all those who served under them, with a nod to the rank-and-file German soldier too -- piss-poor management, but the average conscript was just doing his job on pain of death, after all.
Please excuse the lateness. I've had a long day.