OT D-Day question

From

"When someone wrote to General Eisenhower in 1964 asking for an explanation, his executive assistant Brigadier General Robert Schultz answered: "General Eisenhower asked me to respond to your letter. Be advised that any amphibious operation has a 'departed date'; therefore the shortened term 'D-Day' is used." (p.146)

Brigadier General Schultz reminds us that the invasion of Normandy on June

6, 1944 was not the only D-Day of World War II. Every amphibious assault-those in the Pacific, in North Africa, and in Sicily and Italy-had its own D-Day. The National D-Day Museum's opening exhibition explores the history and lessons of the Normandy invasion. In 2001 a special exhibition will highlight the D-Days of the Pacific Theater, North Africa, and the Italian Campaign."

Read the whole page.

Lane

No comment.

Regards,

Robin

I'm here to help.

The term D-day is still used in military parlance. Nowadays it stands for the day of execution of an operation, amphibious or not. Loosely the D stands for day, and days before and after are noted with + or -. Thus D-7 would refer to 7 days before execution and D+5 is 5 days after execution. Similarly, the term H-hour is used for the time of execution on D-day. Both terms help to synchronize timing in relation to a specific event.

The National D Day Museum is well worth the trip from just about anywhere. Very beautiful and moving.

I would not recommed going there is the summer however. Hot as the hammers of Hell the day we were there in July of last year.

Why you might wonder is this National Memorial in Bedford VA. Because Bedford had the highest per capita losses on that day of any city in the nation.

On Wednesday this week my work partner was slacking off and the sub that was in to keep an eye on his students is the most wonderful gentelman. We got to talking and turns out he was in the Marine Corps, on GuadalCanal (long after the fighting was over). He was trained as an electronics technician and saw only one Japanese during his time in the Pacific. He was never under fire.

After discharge he attended Case Western Reserve University in OH followed by graduate work at R.P.I. in NY, all on the GI bill. He went on to work on many well known projects including the U.N. building and the Walt Whitman bridge in Philadelphia.

Since it was just after Memorial Day I thanked him for his service to our country. His reply was that the GI bill was enought thanks from a grateful nation. He never could have afforded his education otherwise.

Best regards to all and again, many thanks to all veterans.

Errol Groff Instructor, Machine Tool Department H.H. Ellis Tech

613 Upper Maple Street Danielson, CT 06239

860 774 8511 x1811

From

:

"The terms D-day and H-hour are used for the day and hour on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. They designate the day and hour of the operation when the day and hour have not yet been determined, or where secrecy is essential. The letters are derived from the words for which they stand, "D" for the day of the invasion and "H" for the hour operations actually begin. There is but one D-day and one H-hour for all units participating in a given operation. It is unnecessary to state that H-hour is on D-day."

R, Tom Q.

Remove bogusinfo to reply.

Allow me, please, to once again reiterate what Errol said about the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans.

I was in New Orleans (which, btw, is French for 'smells like urine') for SigGraph in 2000 or 2001. My week long conference was being held in August and during a break I heard someone mention the museum. Turns out it was a pretty far from our hotel but, being young and stupid, my wife and I decided to save a few bux and walk. Quite a long walk in

100+ heat but well worth the effort.

The museum had just recently opened and didn't have all the displays yet but there's one sticks in my brain. It was a exhibit of a French field just before sunrise as if you had just parachuted in. It was cold, dark and smelled of grass and dirt. In the background you could hear some shouting in German and some small weapons fire. Seemed very realistic to me and it made the hair on my neck stand on end.

They also have the original hand-written speech that FDR gave to congress announcing the war complete with corrections. Outstanding.

I have no use for the city of New Orleans. It's dirty, smelly, and over crowded but that day at the museum sure put a lot of things into perspective for me.

You owe it to yourself to go there. If nothing else, visit the website: