June 6th--the 58th anniversary of the Allied landings on the Normandy Beaches--known as D-Day. May all the valiant soldiers of both sides who endured this terrible struggle who died for their beliefs--rest in peace. May all the survivors live in peace. This message is posted a few hrs in advance--due to my lack of time. [ 05 June 2002, 08:56 PM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]
Yes, yes it is. Dont forget the Paratroopers who went in today though. (Or would you call it tonight?). Oh...theres a D-Day program on the Discover Channel about the DD Tanks....didnt get to see it, wondering if anyone did though?
Yeah, I started watching the Longest Day at about 11pm last night, just so it would kind of spill over into June 6th. Funny thing is, here where I live we just got through a series of really foul weather, and this morning it's a bit overcast, but no more rain is expected for a couple of days. "I say GO!". I also wore my WWII boots and dogtags to work today. My own little rememberance, I guess.
Yep, today is the day to remember not only the vets from both sides on D-Day but also I believe the vets in Italy as they made their way through the outreaches and into the main part of Rome..... E
Quite, let's not forget the 'D Day Dodgers' as they were called in England; my father was one of them.
Sad in a way that the Italien campaign is almost forgotten. Would be interesting if someone would do a movie on Anzio, etc. or maybe one on the multi-battles of Cassino, now that would be something for a fact.......with all the bloodletting that went on the winter of 44 through spring and finally the almost walk-into Roma. E
Absolutely right....The MTO is very much in the shadows of ETO. I had a self-imposed rule to concentrate on certain aspects of the war (Air war and western Europe) but have found that rule impossible to quench my interest in all the other theatres, etc. Just bought Fred Majdalany's CASSINO - Portrait of a Battle.... Just went through a book/manuscript that I got from a 1st Armored Div. Sgt. He writes: " June 4th. We got the order to "Roll Them" this morning. Boy, did we roll! I had my H.T. going all out as we raced for the city. I almost turned the whole works over when I hit a big bump on the outskirts of Rome. I was still going like hell when one of the men yelled " Hey there is the Colloseum!" I just got a glimpse of it as we roared past it. We went about half way thru Rome and stopped at a city park. I found out that my H.T. was the third vehicle to enter Rome. It was also the first time in history that Rome was taken from the South." Very interesting read about this vet's war in North Africa and Italy.
Stevin : Maybe you and I could get together next year and do a video on the Cassino battles eh ? ..... I wish ! Ernie Pyle does a pretty neat work in one of his long out of print books on the Med/Italy , and North Africa from the US vets point of view. I can recall several times watching film footage of German Fallschirmtruppen heading out of Rome at about 50mph sitting on there small semi tracked vehicles and 7.5cm Pak guns and 2cm flak wagons for the next defensive line. As you said, in any case the Med theater of ops was just as important to throw the Wehrmacht totally off balance in the Western zone. E
Via another forum I found the following excellent Italian Theatre of War web site: http://members.aol.com/ItalyWW2/Menu.htm There are some great veteran memoirs for this theatre of war, and I think Ken Ford recently brought out a book on Cassino which has good photos and detailed uniform info etc. Although I haven't seen it yet and its quite expensive (£35 in UK).
Could I possibly be blind, but I don't see really any mention of the Gustav line and Cassino here ? Correct me and point me in the right direction gents !! E
I very much enjoy the site but couldn't find that much on Cassino either. Erich, I have been taping some shows Christa was in lately and am about to tape some interviews with vets. Must say that I like this filming business. So, if you're in for doing some filming on Monte Cassino and throw in some veteran interviwes for good measure, I am game! I am sure I can squeeze in one more project! (UGH! )
I tell ya, If could get away next year in the spring before the Italien heat sets in then I would say it would be a go. I can imagine getting to the base of the Monastery and panning footage downward slowly along the banks of the river and the city at least what oculd be recognized as old now, probably not a whole lot I imagine. Up Cavendesh road where the Shermans got hit poretty hard, that hasn't changed much from what I understand. Visiting the memorials/cemetaries would be quite stirring of course. So I think all and all there woulod be some great photo possibilites still although much of the area has been rebuilt. Watch out for those un-exploded mines and greandes though going up Castle hill...... E
I know....I'll bring my metal detector... That just reminded me of another manuscript I got from a A20 navigator in the MTO. His pilot was a 'hotshot' west point graduate who, against directives, flew during a night mission into a valley in Northern Italy and when he tried to climb out of it narrowly escaped the mountains. His plane completely iced up and became so heavy that it was going down and the crew had to bail into captivity. Never heard of such an easy 'kill' by the Germans. The Germans only found out the next morning when they found the wreck in a field.
