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D Day Landings
By Mark | June 7, 2008
Image via Wikipedia
64 years ago today, on 7th June 1944, thousands of young British, American & Canadians lay dead or dying on or near the beaches of Normandy, France.
The D Day landings of 6th June had been a success!
The beaches had been secured and progress had been made towards the initial target city of Caen as the allies commenced the offensive against the Germans to recapture Europe.
As I was thinking about Guru Fodder yesterday and the battles we face to avoid getting at worst scammed but more likely parting with a few £ or $ for a product we don’t really need, the thought of those young boys 64 years ago started to haunt me.
Many were still in their teens, barely out of school and during the night of 5th June they were transported, afraid and alone with their thoughts, towards enemy lines and a battery of guns ready to greet their arrival on the beaches of Normandy. The sea was rough following a storm and many were sea sick as they ventured into the unknown.
So many didn’t even reach the beaches as their landing craft, no doubt operated by young frightened soldiers, lowered their ramps in deep water only for those poor souls inside to leave the craft with heavy backpacks and guns to drown in water too deep for them to stand.
Many young men died as they attempted to reach the beaches, shot down as they waded through water up to their waists with no place to hide from the enemy guns.
Total allied casualties for the first day are estimated to be 10,000 of which some 2,500 lost their lives. A further 9,000 Germans are believed to be killed or injured.
THE EXPECTED LOSS OF ALLIED TROOPS LIVES WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER.
Despite 10,000 casualties in just one day, the landing operation was deemed a success.
Imagine being one of those boys who was a casualty, a mother or father to one of those boys, or a comrade in arms. Would you see that as success? Knowing that you were expected to be maimed or killed? I guess that’s cannon fodder.
So today, when you receive an email from some guru promoting a product and targeting you as guru fodder, spare a moments thought to those events 64 years ago.
Those poor guys were the real fodder.
Mark
Topics: General Guru Fodder | 4 Comments »
June 9th, 2008 at 4:15 am
This is so touching an article Mark. We forget sometimes how lucky we are for those that gave their lives for our freedoms today.
Some of us take it all for granted that we live yet another day and our follies are inconsequential to what others have sacrificed.
War is not the answer, it never was and never will be and yet it is declared so freely. Both our countries- Canada in Afghanastan and yours in Iraq fought and are continuing to fight bravely.
But war is not the answer. I once saw my cousin’s son wearing a tee-shirt that said ” War is the answer”. I just looked at him, and said ” no its not, and it never will be”. He just didn’t know because maybe he was too young to realize what war was really like”.
Thanks for the reminder for those soldiers that fought bravely. They will always be remembered in our hearts.
Teri’s last blog post..Hidden Drugs in a Dog’s Drinking Water
We never learn. Sometimes we need to fight for a cause but it is the cavalier attitude to human life by those who are “safe” that is the biggest sin. I used Us & Them by Pink Floyd as a parallel with guru-fodder but in this instance it applies directly to the post:
“Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
General sat, as the lines on the map
Moved from side to side”
And then the politicians don’t know what to do because war isn’t the answer! The fighting goes on but the outcome becomes less and less clar and lives continue to be lost – for what?
Thanks as always Teri
June 8th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
This is so touching an article Mark. We forget sometimes how lucky we are for those that gave their lives for our freedoms today.
Some of us take it all for granted that we live yet another day and our follies are inconsequential to what others have sacrificed.
War is not the answer, it never was and never will be and yet it is declared so freely. Both our countries- Canada in Afghanastan and yours in Iraq fought and are continuing to fight bravely.
But war is not the answer. I once saw my cousin's son wearing a tee-shirt that said ” War is the answer”. I just looked at him, and said ” no its not, and it never will be”. He just didn't know because maybe he was too young to realize what war was really like”.
Thanks for the reminder for those soldiers that fought bravely. They will always be remembered in our hearts.
Teri's last blog post..Hidden Drugs in a Dog’s Drinking Water
We never learn. Sometimes we need to fight for a cause but it is the cavalier attitude to human life by those who are “safe” that is the biggest sin. I used Us & Them by Pink Floyd as a parallel with guru-fodder but in this instance it applies directly to the post:
“Forward he cried from the rear
And the front rank died
General sat, as the lines on the map
Moved from side to side”
And then the politicians don't know what to do because war isn't the answer! The fighting goes on but the outcome becomes less and less clar and lives continue to be lost – for what?
Thanks as always Teri
June 9th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Great article Mark and thanks for reminding us to continue to pray for our troops who are fighting so that we may have freedom. What really bothers me is that many soldiers gave their lives to free France and their attitude towards America (I can only speak about America here) is horrible.
I have never been to France, but as was told to me by family members and friends who were there, the French look down at Americans and treat them poorly. What a shame that is! Only God knows where they would be if the Americans, British and Canadians did not step up to the plate to free them from the Germans.
About Afghanistan and Iraq, I can only say that after seeing what the terrorist did in New York, the city where I went to school, grew up, worked and lived nearly all my life, it is necessary for America to fight those countries. Again, brave soldiers fighting to preserve our freedom and I am so grateful to them for their sacrifice.
Diana
Diana’s last blog post..Crepe Myrtle – the Southern Belle
The English and French have a very strange relationship. Thousands of years of war, allies at other times, as a race they seem to dislike us and as a race we seem to dislike them. BUT, as with everything in life it’s really all down to individuals and I have met some really cool French people. I guess most of the population now only know about the 2nd WW through books etc and conveniently forget who liberated France.
I agree you cannot ever allow bullies to get away with it. But, I’d like to think there was a long term plan for dealing with matters – thought out to the conclusion, I’m afraid I don’t have that much faith in any politicians.
And the end result? Brave young men and women are left in the front line while those responsible sleep soundly in their beds. Mark
June 9th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Great article Mark and thanks for reminding us to continue to pray for our troops who are fighting so that we may have freedom. What really bothers me is that many soldiers gave their lives to free France and their attitude towards America (I can only speak about America here) is horrible.
I have never been to France, but as was told to me by family members and friends who were there, the French look down at Americans and treat them poorly. What a shame that is! Only God knows where they would be if the Americans, British and Canadians did not step up to the plate to free them from the Germans.
About Afghanistan and Iraq, I can only say that after seeing what the terrorist did in New York, the city where I went to school, grew up, worked and lived nearly all my life, it is necessary for America to fight those countries. Again, brave soldiers fighting to preserve our freedom and I am so grateful to them for their sacrifice.
Diana
Diana's last blog post..Crepe Myrtle – the Southern Belle
The English and French have a very strange relationship. Thousands of years of war, allies at other times, as a race they seem to dislike us and as a race we seem to dislike them. BUT, as with everything in life it's really all down to individuals and I have met some really cool French people. I guess most of the population now only know about the 2nd WW through books etc and conveniently forget who liberated France.
I agree you cannot ever allow bullies to get away with it. But, I'd like to think there was a long term plan for dealing with matters – thought out to the conclusion, I'm afraid I don't have that much faith in any politicians.
And the end result? Brave young men and women are left in the front line while those responsible sleep soundly in their beds. Mark