June 6
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wrote on 6 Jun 2020, 12:13 last edited by
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wrote on 6 Jun 2020, 14:58 last edited by
Four percent of the sand on Normandy beaches is shrapnel that has been broken down over the decades into sand-sized chunks. See the smooth sphere? That's shrapnel, sanded down to a smooth, microscopic ball. #WW2 #HISTORY
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wrote on 6 Jun 2020, 15:53 last edited by
Had no idea. thanks bach.
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Four percent of the sand on Normandy beaches is shrapnel that has been broken down over the decades into sand-sized chunks. See the smooth sphere? That's shrapnel, sanded down to a smooth, microscopic ball. #WW2 #HISTORY
wrote on 6 Jun 2020, 16:23 last edited by@bachophile Wow. Interesting!!
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wrote on 6 Jun 2020, 19:17 last edited by
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wrote on 6 Jun 2020, 22:39 last edited by
Right after giving the go ahead, Eisenhower wrote this note and put it in his wallet. It was the statement he was to make if the invasion failed.
“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”
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wrote on 6 Jun 2020, 22:57 last edited by
Oh, wow. Thanks for sharing that, Jon.
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wrote on 6 Jun 2020, 23:02 last edited by
Eisenhower's note is well-documented, and chilling. I remember seeing that years ago.
I just saw that the number of attendees at the ceremony commemorating the invasion who participated was...zero.
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wrote on 6 Jun 2020, 23:12 last edited by
Is this the first year it was zero?
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wrote on 7 Jun 2020, 01:43 last edited by
Is this the first year it was zero?
No idea.
But, as long as we're talking about D-Day...
http://tomhawthorn.blogspot.com/2016/06/james-doohan-1920-2005-actor.html
Star Trek 's chief engineer, Lt.-Cmdr. Montgomery Scott, was irascible, excitable and prone to delivering dire warnings in a Scots burr. As portrayed by James Doohan, a Canadian, Scotty became a favourite of the cult television program's legions of fans.
Many assumed the actor shared traits with his character, but out of his red uniform Mr. Doohan was a serious actor with a substantial list of credits.
As a young man, he led soldiers as part of the D-Day invasion in an attack which he later described as "giving Hitler the finger."
Mr. Doohan's chief engineer character cursed dilithium crystals and coaxed power from overstressed warp-drive engines on the Starship Enterprise. The order to be beamed aboard was directed at Mr. Doohan; "Beam me up, Scotty" became a cultural catchphrase, as well as the punchline to innumerable jokes. Mr. Doohan became so associated with the command that he used it as the title of his autobiography.
Yet, the program's dedicated fans —their numbers legion and their allegiance bordering on the fanatical — insist no character ever uttered the phrase. "Beam me up, Scotty" is to Star Trek what "Play it again, Sam" is to Casablanca. -
wrote on 7 Jun 2020, 02:03 last edited by
Is this the first year it was zero?
This says - first time in 75 years
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wrote on 7 Jun 2020, 02:13 last edited by jon-nyc 6 Jul 2020, 02:13
Sounds like it was the Covid angle not the dwindling numbers of survivors.
Hopefully we have a few more years of veterans there.
Remember Harry Patch was still going to commemorative events at ~110