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I am oft seen criticizing our cousins who live in the Colonies.
But not today.
Whilst I remember and thank all those who took part in the D Day Landings, I am thankful for the bravest and most worthy of them all.
The young American soldiers who landed on Omaha Beach had the worst of it.
This is not 'Saving Private Ryan', this was 8 hours of hell.
If any deserve a salute for sheer bravery under fire it was they.
1500 dead, 3000 injured, 2000 missing.
It was hell, and still they fought and won.
To those still alive I say thank you, to those that died that day, your life was not lost in vain.
Victory was assured and the war was turned by the actions of those scared young men on that lonely beach.
I do not often dwell on such things, but this was a time when courage was plentiful and despite the fear and the stench of death, the job was done.
One can only hope that such a thing is never going to be necessary ever again.
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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Quote: This is not 'Saving Private Ryan', this was 8 hours of hell.
And some of the participants had a lifetime of hell afterwards, nightmares, injuries etc.
Quote: One can only hope that such a thing is never going to be necessary ever again.
Amen to that.
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I believe the actor Audie Murphy (the most decorated solider by the US) slept with a loaded gun under his pillow,
a friend of my Dad's a Lancaster navigator kept the map table from his Lanc and slept on that as the only way to cure insomnia...really I think it's good today such things as PTSD are recognised...
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PTSD Would have resulted in a firing squad in the First World War.
The Generals forget the horrors of battle and sometimes the human mind cannot deal with them.
At least we recognize it today and can treat it, somewhat, and help the poor bastards move on.
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Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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Hmm, makes you think. My Dad had many friends who were involved who are now no longer with us, one his of friends Fred, was 6 months (my Dad was stuck in a Maths exam on June 6 1944) ahead of him and got called up, hit sword beach, got three mile inland got invalided back to UK due to an accident (not moving his arm fast enough!). His views on modern day politics were an eye opener. Particularly on how the middle east were our fault, why didn't we listen to T.E. Lawrence...
Really quite odd. What do you make of the view the invasion was more to stop the Russians marching over Europe,
as the Nazi's (Germans, Hungarians etc.) were beaten after the battle of Kursk ?
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It was necessary for several reasons.
However it was definitely in the minds of Churchill and Truman that the Russians would need to be stopped from over running Europe.
It was also previously agreed that the Satellites of the USSR would be held under Soviet Control.
The Cold War was a scam perpetrated on the world to ensure peace.
And it did.
It was only after the USSR collapsed that we have seen wars and terrorism in the West.
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Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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Well that's really what I though. The mess in Yugoslavia is evidence... really a good thing
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Dalek Dave wrote: It was only after the USSR collapsed that we have seen wars and terrorism in the West.
You're kidding right?
The troubles.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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To quote my Mum "The IRA were our terrorist, you knew where you were, they build the bomb, set the bomb and run away"...
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Dalek Dave wrote: One can only hope that such a thing is never going to be necessary ever again.
Well.[^]
Sure, you don't have 30000 casualties in 8 hours, but you'd easily reach that amount if you count all these conflicts together. Who lives in a country which is presently not involved in a war somewhere on the globe ? (Marco, do not answer or you'll ruin my point).
~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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Oh I completely agree and understand.
But there are differences between small scale civil wars or series of skirmishes between neighbouring states and the utter madness of WW1 and WW2.
The one's quoted in your link all have one thing in common though.
Religion, and specifically one religion.
My view, as an ex-soldier, is that war should always be the last resort as it is an awful thing.
However, I dare anyone to say that Britain should NOT have fought in the second world war.
It was an honourable war for us to fight, and one in which we would have held our heads in shame had we not.
And of course we won. Just. Eventually.
---------------------------------
Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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Perhaps it would have been more honorable to treat Germany with respect after WWI, and then WWII wouldn't have been necessary?
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Don't think soldiers in WWI found the reason for being there[^] (or here) either.
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Most of that was down to The French [Insert Musical Sting : Ddun Dun DUUUUN!]
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Obscurum per obscurius.
Ad astra per alas porci.
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur .
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That doesn't eliminate all of Britain's responsibility in the matter: link[^]
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Well, I do 
(Sorry for ruining your point  )
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~RaGE();
I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus
Entropy isn't what it used to.
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Well, your original logic applies to the Vatican also, even though they have a Swiss guard (this almost sounds counter productive  )
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Kenneth Haugland wrote: even though they have a Swiss guard (this almost sounds counter productive )
Fun fact: The Vatican's swiss guard is paid by the Swiss Defense Departement, IIRC.
The console is a black place
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There are more than just Switzerland. According to Wikipedia there are 13 neutral countries[^], even though Neutrality doesn't mean the countries aren't involved in conflicts. Switzerland, for example, isn't involved in any war but part of the KFOR[^] and has a 60 years lasting presence at the North-South Korean border[^]. Even though no soldiers have died and these conflicts are not considered "wars" in a traditional meaning I just added up to your point.
The console is a black place
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Norway tried to remain neutral in WW2 but that didn't quite work when Germany invaded. The reason Switzerland can remain neutral is that no one is interested in Switzerland, and there isn't enough resources or people for anybody to actually care
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Kenneth Haugland wrote: Norway tried to remain neutral in WW2 but that didn't quite work when Germany invaded.
Was almost the same for Sweden, except that the Nazis only invaded Kiruna (or was it Narvik?).
The Nazis thought that they can invade Switzerland "on the way back", but that didn't work out since they were too busy fighting the allies. Switzerland was bombed several times during the war, mostly by allied bombers who mistook it for germany 
Kenneth Haugland wrote: no one is interested in Switzerland,
Hey, at least the EU is interested in us
Kenneth Haugland wrote: and there isn't enough resources or people for anybody to actually care
Ooh, try to explain the austrians that you carry all the goods over the Brenner once the Gotthard is closed
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Quote: at least the EU is interested in us
Hey, Switzerland and Norway is in union together. EFTA[^]
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Wooho, we're already 4 members
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