D-Day 76 Years Ago

[gamboolman]

76 years ago on 6-Jun-44 the D-Day invasion in Europe began.

ms. gamboolgals father, Mr. Beam was in the 101st from the beginning of it at Toccoa Georgia. He was in the 501 Parachute Infantry Regiment Headquarters 3, 3rd Battalion.

Mr. Beam said that when they were in the plane over Normandy that the sky was bright as daylight from the German gunfire - and that all he wanted was to get out of the plane. He was in every major fight of the war and was never wounded. He never spoke of the killing to us but did say he had a pencil shot out of his hand all of his web gear shot off of him.

Mr. Beam had utmost respect for the German soldiers. He said they were excellent soldiers and would kill you in the blink of a eye.

He was on Eisenhower's Honor guard and was at Nuremberg. He walked Nazis to/from the trial and some of them to the gallows.

In about 1992 when our son was 7 years old Mr. and Mrs. Beam started taking him to the 101st reunions and our son got to meet all the old veterans and they of course took him in and treated him special. They went to reunions for several years. What a great experience for our son to have had and to meet these great men.

We lost Mr. Beam in 2008. I miss him greatly as he was a father to me. I would sit with him and listen to him for hours about the war and him growing up as a Sharecroppers Widow child with 7 children in East Texas. They were poor folks.

There were 5 boys and 4 fought in WW2 - all in combat and they all survived. One uncle had a glass eye from being shot thru the eye. When he died a old man he still had the bullet in his brain. He had a good job and family and you could not tell he had been wounded other than the glass eye.

We lost Mrs. Beam in Nov 2019. She was active in the 101st wives and families organization and thru her we were also.
End of an era....

Hats off and I'll raise a glass tonight to Mr. Beam, his brothers and to all the veterans who have served and are on active duty to this day. Thank you all for your service.

Mr. Beam is pictured in the lower right pic

[Ronstar]

^ Thanks to Mr Beam, his brothers and all veterans and current service people.

[Mr._Graybeard]

Ike had prepared a statement taking full responsibility if the invasion had failed. Obviously he never had to issue it, but it says something about the man.

[CardsFan]

Hat's off to those in service then. Dad was in the Pacific. He rarely talked about it, and we knew not to ask. Occasionally he would mention losing buddies. He was not "in combat". He was rebuilding air fields and roads.

D-Day is a reminder of how many people can lose their lives in in one day, to save the world.

Thank you to Mr. beam, and all the others, many who did not make it.

Solemn prayers.

[cbo111]

The Greatest Generation is rapidly going extinct. My grandfather had 15 siblings and lost 3 brothers in the war. They were dirt poor as well.

[aja8888]

Dad was in the South Pacific on a Minesweeper During WWII. Somehow, they didn't get blown out of the water and finished his tour. I was in the Air Force from 1964 to 1968, overseas.

Here's the only picture I have of Dad when he was in the Navy (he's on the left with his commanding officer to his right).

Dad_Navy With Commander - Edited.jpg

[Gumby]

I salute Mr. Beam and his brothers for their service and their sacrifice for the good of all mankind. I have serious doubts that this nation could replicate today what they did then.

[Dash man]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby I salute Mr. Beam and his brothers for their service and their sacrifice for the good of all mankind. I have serious doubts that this nation could replicate today what they did then.

I don’t. There were many back then that were also against entering the war, just as there are today who would be against any war. But there are more who would stand up to serve. Remember, those who would defend our country are often the silent.

[candrew]

My grand uncle, Henri Laussucq was an agent with the OSS helping the Free French Resistance. Henri was placed ashore via submarine on the Normandy coast approximately 6 months in advance of D-Day along with Virginia Hall Goillot. Recognized today as America's greatest female spy, she had many aliases, including "Marie Monin", "Germaine", "Diane", "Marie of Lyon", "Camille" and 'Nicolas." The Gestapo nicknamed her "Artemis" (Greek goddess of the hunt) and considered her "the most dangerous of all Allied spies".

At 61 years of age, Henri (code name "Aramis" or swordsman) was the oldest agent placed in the field at the time. As a former French national who was born and raised in Brittany, and later emigrated to the U.S., Henri's cover was as a landscape painter. He helped secure safe houses in Nazi occupied France to be used by downed allied flyers seeking to escape. Virginia Hall worked the wireless set. A reading of Henri’s files – though incomplete - provided insight into his work with the OSS during his time in Paris just months before the invasion. Henri and Ms. Hall worked under the very noses of the German high command and the Gestapo, playing an endless game of cat and mouse with them during a time of extremely heightened security. The Gestapo had a price on the head of Virginia Hall. On at least several documented occasions, both Henri and Ms. Hall narrowly escaped detection and capture.

While there is little public documentation of Henri's exploits, his receiving a Silver Star for heroism (the first civilian to receive the award) and private introduction to President Truman by Major General Donovan suggests they were daring and significant. According to President Truman's daily diary, he met privately with Uncle Henri on 13 September 1945.

The OSS files of Henri Laussucq along with those of many other OSS spies were not declassified until 1980, 5 years after his death. My great uncle kept the secrets of his service to the nation to himself, only telling those who asked what he did during the war, “I was a painter”.

[Gumby]

I am, like Winston Churchill, half English and half American. Both sides of the family served in WWII and have a tradition of military service.

My English grandfather was in the ARP (Air Raid Precautions) service during WWII. He was in the Rescue Services division. During the Blitz, the nightly bombing of London by the Germans, my grandmother and the children would retreat to the subway tunnel under Waterloo Station. My grandfather would stay above ground and, with his crew, would attempt to rescue people who were trapped in the rubble of the bombed buildings (not everyone made it to the bomb shelters). One night, while he was digging for survivors, the entire building collapsed on his crew, and he was killed.

My American grandfather served in the US Army in France and Germany. When he came home from the war, he was suffering from what we now know as PTSD and could not reintegrate into society. He left the family and became a hermit in Mexico. I met him only once, in about 1965. I have a picture of me, my dad and my granddad sitting together on a couch. My granddad was in his mid-40s then, but he looks so much older. I recall that he seemed haunted.

Beyond my grandfathers, both sides of the family served in the War. To the best of my knowledge, all my great uncles served in either the English or American armies. One of my English great uncles was captured by the Japanese in Singapore and held as a prisoner for nearly 4 years. He also was never completely right after that.

And the history of service goes back even farther. One of my great grandfathers was in the Minnesota National Guard and was activated for service in WWI. I don't have more details as to what he did. My great-great grandfather fought in the US Army during the Civil War. Again, I lack more details about precisely where he was.

My dad served in the US Navy for 20 years, making 5 deployments to Vietnam. My aunt was a yeoman in the Navy in the early 60s. In the late 70s and early 80s, my brother and I also served in the Navy, as did one of our American first cousins. One of my English first cousins served in the British Army and deployed to Afghanistan about 13 years ago.

But, to date, that's where it ends. None of my nephews has served. My great nephews are still young, so I don't know how that will work out. But I doubt that they will ever serve.

[davebarnes]

If you have not been to the beaches, you should go.
Very moving.

[Elbata]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebarnes If you have not been to the beaches, you should go. Very moving.

Thank you for this.

And perhaps it's only me, but how you folks keep your restraint and not make this political, I salute you.

[braumeister]

A most remarkable generation of people, no doubt.

My father was in the 3rd Infantry and fought through north Africa, across Sicily, and up Italy until he was wounded near Naples and sent home. His brother had been killed in France just before that. While recovering at an Army base in Illinois he met my mother, who was a WAC and a driver in the base motor pool. They got married just before their discharge in 1945.

Mom's two brothers were both in the Navy and made it through the war OK.

My career was in the Air Force, so we have all three services covered in my family. DW and I had actually planned to visit some of the sites over there this year but our trip got canceled by the virus. Someday we'll definitely do that.

[DrRoy]

Appreciate this thread.

[eytonxav]

101st = screaming eagles, very brave division!!! I salute your father-in-law.

My dad was also in France/Germany in WW2, signal corps.

[Teacher Terry]

My dad was in the infantry in Europe during WW2. My mom said it was a miracle that everyone they knew survived the war despite being in harm’s way. My grandpa was in WW1. All 3 of my husband’s have served and my stepson is career military.