The world is forgetting..

[MoA]

Today was D-Day.
No mention in any of the press in Europe.
When we forget history it tends to repeat itself.

[Steve007]

Can't speak for Europe, but the US remembers. Good mention of it on non-left wing news shows and newspapers, in churches and conversations.

I note also genuine news coverage in Canada.

[Vikram]

I was thinking the same.Not even BBC was making any audible sounds about it.Strange.

I always reminded of 'The Longest Day' and I still rate it as the best WWII movie.

Best-
Vikram

[Virendra S Rathore]

That is strange .. wondering if was done deliberately .. but for what reasons

-- Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:58 --

Has anyone seen "The Pacific"?
Its an HBO production .. ten movies .. 50-60 minutes each ... its about the US-Japan conflict in the pacific ocean during WW II.
http://www.picktorrent.com/torrents/1f/the-pacific/

[xl_target]

Embarrassment?
Having to be liberated twice by the US in space of one century, it would make the current European governments seem ungrateful when they make political points by criticizing US policies and "American Imperialism". They probably think its best not to bring it up so people will forget about it.
There was plenty of coverage in the US.

Here is a statement attributed to Gen. Colin Powell (link):

When in England at a fairly large conference,Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building by George Bush. He answered by saying that, "Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return." It became very quiet in the room.

I don't know if he actually said those words but the words themselves do ring true. The numbers of US servicemen who died in Europe in the two World Wars is staggering.

The U.S. cemetery in Cambridge, England, contains the remains of 3,812 of American war dead from World War II.


The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorialin France contains the remains of 6,012 American war dead


U.S. cemetery in Normandy, France. The cemetery is situated on a cliff overlooking the English Channel. The 172-acre cemetery contains the graves of 9,387 U.S. servicemembers, most of whom died on D-Day, June 6, 1944.


There are many more like this one at Verdun. Some 14.246 US soldiers are buried representing about half the US servicemen killed at Verdun (WW1)


Links:
American Battle Monuments Commission. For WW2 History buffs, the videos here are worth watching.
Fallen but not Forgotten
DDay revisited

[nagarifle]

BBC did do some stuff about the retreat of Dunkirk 2 weeks back. otherwise not much was said apart from small boats going to France etc

[xl_target]

Lest anyone misconstrues my post, soldiers from many of the Allied countries took part.
While American soldiers made up the bulk of the forces spearheading the attack, on DDay, there were large numbers of British and Canadian forces taking part too.

[Steve007]

Embarrassment?
Having to be liberated twice by the US in space of one century, it would make the current European governments seem ungrateful when they make political points by criticizing US policies and "American Imperialism". They probably think its best not to bring it up so people will forget about it.
There was plenty of coverage in the US.

Yep. Good post, xl_target.

I will say that Sarkozy of France appears to be a topflight stand-up guy who understands history and has a sense of gratitude..unlike many of the rest of the Euro-weenies..but the French media is a different story. You can sort of understand little coverage of this in Germany and Italy.It's called guilt.

[MoA]

Lets not forget the Indian contribution as well. It is almost as if we were not there...

[xl_target]

Lets not forget the Indian contribution as well. It is almost as if we were not there...

While Indian soldiers fought in large numbers during WW1 and WW2, I don't believe that there was a single Indian unit in the actual assaults on Normandy during D Day.

[MoA]

there was on Juno I think.

[Virendra S Rathore]

Indians were the largest 100 % volunteer army in World War I

[prashantsingh]

Indians were the largest 100 % volunteer army in World War I

And their contribution was no less in the 2nd World War.

And they were fighting a war which was not really theirs.

[xl_target]

there was on Juno I think.

MOA,
I know several Indian units fought in Europe proper (not counting the Italian campaign).
Some Hurricane pilots of the Royal Indian Air Force operated out of RAF Kenley. Once again I cannot verify if they participated in the actual (aerial) DDay operations.

I have looked and cannot find any Indian troops in the first wave on D Day. Juno was basically a Canadian beach along with the Royal Marine Commandos. No Indian Troops operated with the Royal Marine Commandos.
The Units listed in the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade all seem to be of Canadian origin. These units were constituted in Canada. I cannot find any Indian units in their makeup.
I would love to be proven wrong.

Juno Beach
3rd Canadian Infantry Division,
2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade and No.48 (Royal Marine) Commando from Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer to Courseulles-sur-Mer.[9]
No. 46 (Royal Marine) Commando (part of 4th Special Service Brigade) at Juno to scale the cliffs on the left side of the Orne River estuary and destroy a battery. (Battery fire proved negligible so No.46 were kept off-shore as a floating reserve and landed on D+1).

From Wikipedia

[MoA]

XL not sure.. I did say I thought it was juno. I stand corrected.
BTW my Uncle did get an MC for action in the Arakaan. And I think another one lost his life in Italy or scicily.