D-Day Landings Anniversary

Nice scene Firewood.

 

 I "remember" often.

I have a 75mm Pack Howitzer shell Gramps brought home sitting next to the bed to remind me. 

The load (sand) is from the beach

Yes, we owe much to our military who served at the landings and to all the people who have served or who are currently serving.

 

I totally forgot it was June 6th.  DDay.  Thanks for the reminder.  I always thought if I had to do it,  I would be one of the top guys in my group in basic training, and dead within two minutes of actual combat.  I don't know why I think that, but I am darn glad I never had to test it in reality.  I love heroes and heroism.  I can only imagine what it took to be in a landing craft heading into France with the mission to kill or be killed.

"Landing" had some different meanings too.

Currrr Rah Heeeeeeeeeeee

 

Thanks for posting Firewood.  June 6, 1944 my father landed on Omaha Beach with the First Infantry Division.   In 1999 I went back to Omaha Beach with him..... a VERY PROUD moment standing on that beach with my father!  During out stay many French people who were alive during the occupation personally thanked my father for what he had done in June of 1944.

 

I gathered some stones off of Omaha Beach and created a park, named Freedom Park, on my layout.  Those stones are the center piece of the park.  A sign reads "The Stones of Omaha Beach - Dedicated to Les Whitehead and all the men who participated in the invasion of France June 6, 1944."

 

It took a lot of courage to be a GI storming the beaches during D-Day.

 

My daughter, who turned 21 today, was born on the 50th anniversary of D-Day, so even though I don't have any family members who were part of the invasion forces, I have an interest in the history of these days.

 

I have military train containing vehicles that were used during D-Day.  Here's a few pictures of some of my flat cars.  I had thought that amphibious jeeps were used during the invasion, but this was in error, so I have since replaced the amphibious jeeps with 3/4 ton dodge trucks.

 

 

 

 

 

Jim

Thanks for the postings and touching remembrances, everyone. The layout in the pic is called "Overlord" after the D-Day operation, and is British 00 scale. Locomotives marked "W.D." were the ones taken over by the British War Department during WW2. If anyone has a souvenir WW2 British jerrican, you will see the WD stamp with the same arrowhead seen on the locomotive tenders.

Nice one trumptrain.  Great story.  The Big Red One.  First on the line in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and France!  All of them!  They also took part in the Battle of the Bulge, the largest land battle ever fought by American forces, and were the first over the Rhine at the bridge at Remagen!  Nicely played boys! 
Unbelievable.  Some guys made it all the way.  The percentage sadly has to be pretty low.  What a legacy and what a sacrifice.  I am humbled to think of it.