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D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.
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D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 5, 2019, 10:29 PM

I’m 33 years old. The harrowing specter of an earthly enemy so heinous that the death of 70-85 million human beings would be required to propel the world beyond it is almost inconceivable to me, and that’s coming from somebody who’s likely more aware of history than many of my peers. The gravity of that reality has been largely lost on this generation, I believe. There are still members of Tigernet and our local communities with real, first-hand experiences one of the darkest times in world history - it was merely a few decades ago, folks.

Get around these men and women and receive their wisdom born of incredible triumph amid senseless tragedy. They have lived it, endured it, and have fought and died for a posterity who now cannot even imagine the costs necessary to secure the “blessings of liberty.” They are the greatest generation. They should be venerated as such. May God bless them and the America they have preserved.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties


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GO TIGERS


"Man's inhumanity to man."


Jun 5, 2019, 11:09 PM

The saddest thing is that the NEXT one will make those numbers look small.

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I wonder about that


Jun 6, 2019, 10:48 PM

This might sound ridiculous but I think the next big world war will be over technology.

I've read accounts of WW2 soldiers, and quite frankly a lot of their motivation was simply boredom. Not so much American soldiers but British and German ones in particular almost were excited about going to war in "exotic lands".

Nowadays we have smart phones and infinite technology to occupy our boredom. We fight on twitter more than in person. "Trigger fingers turned to twitter fingers" some may see this as people getting "soft" but hey it's reduced Petty crime. murder rates and abject poverty are all down around the world.

People now are used to comfort more so than any time in history. Comfort didn't exist for many in the 40s. Going to war would disrupt all that and does anyone want that? I feel like the only way we go to another huge world war (in well developed countries) is if catastrophic technology failure of some type forces us too.

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that is because american people are SOFT..***


Jun 7, 2019, 1:24 AM



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You are exactly right BB!! Good point! I


Jun 7, 2019, 6:52 AM [ in reply to "Man's inhumanity to man." ]

Like how you expressed this as well. "Man's inhumanity to humanity." I couldn't agree more, unfortunately, plus that thought is well expressed.
I will definetly "borrow" that line at the next Rotary meeting I speak or when I'm trying to impress the Mrs with my "smarts."
Feel free to pontificate further because I have a wife and two teenage boys so I'm obviously the idiot of the family now. I could use the material.
Seriously though that is well put. Sadly you are correct too.

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 5, 2019, 11:41 PM

Nice post - bdrechs ... The greatest generation is amazing !! Freedom is definitely not free !!

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If people were as good as their obituary - and products were as good as advertised - this would truly be a wonderful world !!


Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 6:50 AM

While it may seem that D-Day wasn't that long ago, what may be lost on many is that the youngest of those "Heroes" were 18 at the time, which now would make them 93+ years old.
According to statistics, in Sept of 2018, there were 496,771 W W II veterans still living. Those same stats show that approximately 348 die every day.
A decade ago, a mere 10 years, I knew of 11 of those men. One, in particular, was a survivor of The Battle of the Bulge who lost comrades in the "Malmedy Massacre"(Dec. 17th, 1944)and who would never discuss anything that occurred at Normandie or in the subsequent months ahead.
All of those men are now gone, including my Dad who enlisted in 1944, when he was 18.
My Dad was "lucky" in that he was spared the agony many of those young men went through, but it did give him, and all the others some great benefits, among them the G.I.Bill of Rights.
The last time I had a chance to speak to any veteran was after watching 'Saving Private Ryan'(1998)
I actually spoke to two men, one an army private, the other the Coxswain in charge of the landing craft that hit the beaches this very day.
That was 21 years ago. I doubt now that either are still with us.
Good Post.

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my Grandpa was in the battle of the bulge and he's a hero


Jun 7, 2019, 1:26 AM

IMO.. he saw some terrible things and was reluctant to tell stories about it

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 7:09 AM

My dad was in the Navy and drove the transport vehicles that delivered troops and equipment to the beach at Omaha on that day. He was on LST 2 (AKA "The Deuce"). He lost a lot of friends on that horrific day. Oddly enough, he almost never talked about that day, and usually it was just funny stuff he did while in the Navy. I lost my dad several years prior to learning enough about that war to ask him a lot of questions about that day. Perhaps that was for the best as he probably preferred not to be reminded of it.

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 8:52 AM

Good post.Sorry about your Dad, but I suspect he and a lot of his fellow soldiers in arms didn't want to be reminded of it.

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 8:55 AM [ in reply to Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me. ]

My Dad was on LST 1065 in the Pacific. Left high school in his last year when he was 17. Didn’t even weigh enough to enlist, was told to go eat some bananas and drink some water and come back and weigh in again. Went to radioman school in Auburn, Alabama. In from April 44 until summer of 46. Same as your Dad, he always spoke of funny experiences of his days and the guys he served with aboard ship. The only time he spoke of any dangerous days was, when they were fully loaded with supplies including ammunition. They were tracked and followed by a Japanese sub for 3 days. He said the crew thought that they must have been out of torpedos. Lost him a few years ago, but not before I got to go along with him and 3 other sailors as a guardian on an Honor Flight to Washington. One of my greatest days, up there with marriage and children being born. Took me to my first Clemson game in 59, the Last Big Thursday Game. I was 8 years old. Miss him and all the others who answered the call when the country needed them. I pray that future generations might acquire just a sliver of the courage they had at that time.

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 9:00 AM [ in reply to Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me. ]

my dad wasnt in ww2 but korea....he talked about the good times he had in his 2 years in military but very little about what he saw in korea....think about it, these americans lived through the depression right into ww2....thats 15 years of your life....heres another interesting dad story....my father was from jersey and a die hard democrat....considering im guessing most people are conservative on this board my dad every memorial day july4th and flag day would proudly put the american flag up on house....something thats lost on this generation of dems unfortunaly....

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 10:19 AM

In my opinion the Korean War Memorial in Washington is the most moving of all (next to the Lincoln Memorial) It depicts the soldiers walking in the frigid weather with icicles literally hanging from their uniforms. Such a horrid, brutal war!

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 1:43 PM

Having served in both WW2 and the Korean War, I can attest to the cold weather in Korea. That was the first time I had encountered minus 35 F. temperatures. I thought Europe was cold but I never saw temperatures that even came close to the temperatures in Korea. In Europe, we could at least find some shelter. In Korea everything had been destroyed.

The Korean War Memorial in DC is very moving. The Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA) is in the process of raising funds to construct a Wall of Remembrance (WOR) to list the names of our military who lost their lives in that war. In South Carolina, thus far, we have raised about $116,000 of our goal of $200,000. The government has approved the project but all funds must come from public support.

There have been a number of posts by children or family members of WW2 veterans 0n this board who stated the veteran did not talk about some of their war time experiences but usually limited their remarks to their buddies or comical situations. From my standpoint, this is true. Being in a support outfit during WW2, I was not on the front line, but saw enough horrors of war that I have talked about only one time and that was with a cousin in England many years ago. He and I were alone and he began talking about his experiences while leading his regiment of British troops in the liberation of Italy, Anzio being one of their brutal battles. We were enjoying our adult beverages in his courtyard on an unusual sunny day. There are some things we want to forget, but can't. Some defy description and some are best left unsaid.

Message was edited by: Joe21®


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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 1:47 PM

You’re a patriot, Mr. Joe. Thanks for all you’ve done and continue to do.

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GO TIGERS


Where can we go to donate to this wall?***


Jun 6, 2019, 2:17 PM [ in reply to Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me. ]



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Joe I love hearing the adventures you share!!


Jun 8, 2019, 1:49 AM [ in reply to Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me. ]

Thank you and Go Tigers!

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 12:07 PM [ in reply to Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me. ]

Why would a Democrat be any less likely to display an American flag than a Republican?

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 1:45 PM

It’s a valid question, but the swelling undercurrent of globalism among Democrats in the past few decades has resulted in a general sentiment that American patriotism is culturally insensitive and “aggressive,” as this article demonstrates. The flag now represents oppression rather than liberty in their estimation.

This does NOT describe all Democrats, but there is a growing radical contingent within the party that would minimize symbols of national pride.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2019/04/15/aggressive-flag-design-on-police-cars-divides-california-town/amp/

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GO TIGERS


Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 7, 2019, 7:20 AM [ in reply to Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me. ]

I think it is lost on a lot of pubs as well.

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 9:56 AM

My father was wounded four times during WWII, the final one almost severed his right hand and sent him home in 1945. He arrived in the states and flew over DC as Roosevelt's funeral procession proceeded down the street.

He seldom talked about the war publicly, partly because some ridiculed him for his rank after his return. He entered as a 2nd Lt in 1940 and left as a Lt. Col. in '45, but he'd tell you quickly that it was mostly because those in front of him were killed and someone had to take their place.

He told us, his children, many stories of how the Lord spared his life through many near misses. One such incident was a sniper in a tree firing a shot that shattered the Jeep's front windshield and impacting such that it knocked my dad sideways in his seat. When the driver got the Jeep stopped out of sniper range, Daddy's tongue was swollen, he had cotton mouth, could hardly breathe for hyperventilating - all symptoms that he had experienced with other wounds. The driver rushed around the Jeep to help him as he continually yelled, "I'm hit! I'm hit!" But the driver found no blood. As they looked further, they found that the bullet had embedded in the handle of Daddy's .45 revolver that was hooked to his belt, and that impact had jerked him around in his seat. One of many stories of survival that to me, as a child, seemed very romantic....very "John Wayne-ish", but to Daddy, brought back such horrible memories of his buddies who lost limbs or lives.

I encouraged him to revisit Germany in the late '90's, and as he visited old battle sites, old vaults he had long ago locked away in his mind were reopened. Upon his return, he experience PSTD all over again because of that, leaving me sorrowful that I had convinced him to go in the first place.

But the number one reason that Daddy - and I expect, many other vets - didn't want to discuss the war was the "why me" syndrome. Daddy always felt so guilty that he survived, knowing that he was no different, no better than all those who fell. It was a great weight that those of the "greatest generation" carried with them until, at last, they also fell.

God bless them all, and may we find the courage to face the enemies of our nation - those from without and the more insidious ones from within.

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Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 10:33 PM

No doubt many accounts of that day have been forever lost thanks to this “why me” syndrome, but it’s the character that would support such a conviction that is more a blessing than the gory details could ever be.

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GO TIGERS


Re: D-Day wasn’t that long ago. That is nearly unfathomable to me.


Jun 6, 2019, 11:50 AM

6800 Americans died of Iwo Jima
12000 Americans killed on Okinawa
2700 Americans died on Omaha Beach on
D-Day.
God Bless the Greatest Generation !!

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And does Google do a doodle on this day?


Jun 6, 2019, 12:14 PM

No.

But they sell your data and promote every snowflake liberal cause there is.

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I don't know what weapons will be used to fight the Third


Jun 6, 2019, 1:58 PM

World War, but I know that the Fourth World War will be fought with sticks and rocks - Albert Einstein

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It's the scale that staggers me. History is a hobby of mine


Jun 6, 2019, 2:25 PM

and I'm always looking for ways to convert things into more familiar terms to get a grasp of the numbers. Take the Russian invasion for instance. If it had occurred in America, the Germans would have invaded on a front the size of the Atlantic Seaboard. In six months, they captured every city up to the Rocky Mountains. NYC, Boston, Charleston, New Orleans, Nashville, Chicago, St.Louis, Detroit...all under enemy occupation. The 2 month long Battle of Denver (Moscow) has more than a million men in combat on each side, and is only won by shipping troops from Los Angeles (Siberia) and the worst winter in 100 years. The fate of Europe was literally decided in the same month we were bombed at Pearl Harbor- December 1941. Over the next 3 years, The Germans are slowly dug out of their positions across the country, and back to the Atlantic and ultimate victory. Now, take 100 pennies. Place 2 on the table. That's America's casualties. Put the other 98 in a jar. That's Russia's casualties. 50-1. Death and destruction on a scale that's nearly unimaginable without some reference to scale it by. I just can't imagine what it would have been like to, without hyperbole, have the fate of the world as we know it in the balance and dependent upon your actions and participation. Terrifying.

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it would have been a little different scenario crossing the


Jun 7, 2019, 1:32 AM

Atlantic to do so. I welcome any foreign invaders luck coming through the south half of this great nation. Southeast, Texas and Arizona will be pure hell.

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I think back to all the tales of heroism people I knew


Jun 6, 2019, 2:56 PM

shared with me through the years. All passed now sadly. My granddad had the unenviable task of clearing the Philippines after the war. He told me how terrified he was of getting the bullet with his name on it trying to convince some crazy hold-out in a cave that the war was actually over. Fortunately he died in his peacefully in his bed. A family friend shipped supplies to Russia on the Murmansk runs. I asked him once if he was afraid of getting torpedoed by a U-boat. He said "son, the sea was our enemy. Jerry might or might not have been lurking out there, but we didn't think too much about him while we were fighting 10 foot swells in freezing rain all day and all night." My first Boss had the job of clearing Maginot line forts near the end of the war. He said "we liked fighting old men. They could be reasoned with and could imagine returning to their old life after the war. The young guys, teenagers, however, were absolutely fanatical and knew nothing but war and preparation for war. Those we usually had to bury alive in their tunnels because they never surrendered" Three amazing men. Three amazing heroes.

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