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that’s amazing, dw I won’t tell stone. Is Shadow with you guys in France, though?
He is. I don't know where he came from, but he was wrapped in a blanket. I'm pretty sure he WAS at Sonic's before he kind of just showed up.
Whatever, Stone took him out to see some stuff before we leave. I think they're in Normandy now. He texted me a photo of Shadow soaking wet laying on the sand. I think he tripped on the shore.
-- Robotnik
Survivor Willys MB at Normandy
“Today marks the 77th anniversary of D-Day and the Normandy landings.
To mark the occasion, here’s one of the most powerful items in our @/raunerlibrary Special Collections: a helmet belonging to Clinton Gardner in ‘44, which remains the most damaged helmet whose wearer survived his wounds.
On June 6, 1944, Gardner, a Lieutenant in the artillery, found himself digging a foxhole on Omaha Beach during the initial invasion. The landing area was strewn with bodies and the Germans were raking the incoming allied forces with artillery and machine gun fire.
An incoming round suddenly exploded in front of Gardner. His head snapped back and then a curtain of blood blinded him. When he reached up and felt his helmet, there was a gaping hole large enough that he could get two hands into it. Gingerly, he felt around and found that he could feel a soft, mushy surface that he assumed must be his brain. Unable to walk or speak properly, Gardner watched as his unit packed up and began to move inland. The other officers told him that they would send medics back for him.
After 23 hours wounded on the beach, a group of medics finally arrived and moved Gardner and the others to a field hospital. There, Gardner made the happy discovery that what he had felt through the gash in his helmet was not his brain, but badly lacerated scalp tissue.
Though his skull was scarred, it was not broken. Getting the helmet off was another matter. It took doctors and a fair amount of pulling and twisting as the edges had curled in and were embedded in his scalp. Eventually Gardner was sent back to England to recover, but that was not the end of the war for him.”
Via @/dartmouthlibrary on instagram.
NatGeo's Eyewitness D-Day Review
My review of National Geographic's Eyewitness D-Day Narrated by Qarie Marshal, written & produced by Paul Olding, and Directed by Hereward Pelling. And a look at D-Day in media.
NEVER FORGET D DAY June 6 1944...Freedom isn't free!
I have the honor of knowing Lt. Col. David Hamilton USAFR (Ret.). He is a sweet and humble man who will turn 100 years old July 20th. He also is the LAST surviving Pathfinder pilot. They flew the first Pathfinder paratroopers into Normany during World War II and were critical to the success of the invasion. He is pictured with his ADT C-47 “Boogie Baby”. He credits his longevity to "Good genes and crappy German anti-aircraft fire."
If you would like to know more about this fascinating gentleman, here is a fun local flavor article as well as a military-based one.
A ‘Pathfinder’ All His Life “What is Your Secret to a Long Life? Good genes — and lousy German anti-aircraft
We are spotlighting veteran, Dave Hamilton, a decorated pilot in the Army Air Force who is traveling on the Commemorative Air Force 75th Ann
Behbeh
Landfall
Fire all around us
Pressures closing in
What should we all turn to,
When the world's devolved to sin?
Some of us are angry
Some of us are grim
But more of us are choking
On the fears that live within
When landfall is upon us
The lives we live stretch thin
Pray for me, my brothers,
When the light we chase grows dim
Looking out over the peaceful sands of the French beaches today, you'd call them many things: beautiful, serene, calm. But on this day, 75 years ago, they were anything but that.
On this day, back in 1944, young men far from home staged the biggest land invasion in history. They were the spearhead of the Allied forces. Failure was not an option.
Many arrived by boat, others arrived by aircraft. Jumping off of the ramps as soon as they opened. Many were cut down by German ammunition, but many others made it far enough to give the German army a taste of our own. Paratroopers leapt down from the skies, landing behind the lines and watching out for the foot soldiers on the beaches below. It was a team effort, and all the players played their part perfectly.
That perfection became one of the very many steps towards a liberated France, a free continent, and a safe planet. Those men were many of a tough generation. They carried the weight of the world on their shoulders, and any slip could result in failure. They never slipped, and they never backed down.
And today, those few are amongst us. Spreading their story of how the landings on Omaha, Utah, and all the other beaches took mankind forward into a lifetime of peace. They exist amongst us as the few of a great generation. And looking out over the white markers of those who lost their lives in the name of freedom, you realize they, too, are heroes. They died, far from home, all in the name of protecting their homes, their loved ones, and nation. Be it from Britain, Canada, the US, or any other allied nation, they gave their lives for a cause that would end up great to man.
And today, as you look out over the sands of the beaches, remember that no matter how tranquil they may be, the silent air and the rolling waves, the brave young men that landed there 75 years ago have made that possible. The freedoms we have today wouldn't be here if not for the souls lost in Normandy, and for those that fought their way to Berlin. Remember the cost of freedom on this day, the day that changed history, and always remember the sacrifice of few, that lead to the liberation of many.
Thank you to those brave men from 75 years ago, whether they shed blood or not, for keeping the world free.
🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇵🇱
