OT D Day UK TV cov.

I enjoyed the coverage carreied, mix of bbc, sky and itv, Sat i had tears in my eyes and Sun i was so proud.

I noticed Spelberg and Hanks attend the US part, the comentator said Hanks was there due to the film SPR, and that his grave was there, surley he meant the person Hanks played, not Ryan, or was the film wrong?

Only part i didnt like was at the time no mention was given of the 1 minutes silece, oh and the Germans attending, personally i found that a disgrace and it showed you a German soldier about 80 in full 40's uniform laying a reefer for his side.

Reply to
JULIAN HALES
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I guess they meant the graveyard shown in the film, if you recall there was a "present day" sequence where 'grandad' (from memory Private Ryan himself?) had returned to Normandy with his family.

Not sure I agree about the Germans, the "re-enactors" left me a little cold, though I personally (and I stress personally) have issues with re-enactors of conflicts in living memory.

The TV coverage did live up to "The Longest Day"....

JH

Reply to
Polo Player

A reefer? Do you mean a wreath? Or have things gone totally surrealistic over there? (American slang -> reefer: cigarette of marijuana or a mix of marijuana and tobacco).

As for the memorial to the German soldiers, it seems to me to be valid to celebrate the sacrifice of men who had no choice but to do their duty despite the bad policies of their leaders. This is exactly the same as honoring Vietnam veterans even though that war was wasteful and mostly a mistake. I would feel different about an SS memorial because of the noisome political dimension.

Mark Schynert

Reply to
Mark Schynert

oh that makes sense.

Reply to
JULIAN HALES

i thought it was spealt reef, but no thats benthonic.

A lot of Brit old soldiers took insult, cant blame them. it seems like the same as someone killed today and then the murderer is let out of jail to attend the funeral, dead persons family would go crazy.

Reply to
JULIAN HALES

I haf der munchies- vere is der bratwurst??

Kim M

Reply to
Royabulgaf

Being a soldier, sailor or airman is a strange thing!

The various German battleship groups meet up for dinner and drinks with their British opposites and an example is of the Scharnhorst sailors who speak in awe of the British sailors they fought, the British Flight & (IIRC) Aeroplane magazines in 39-45 have very respectful obituaries to dead German pilots with a page or two of pictures and an editorial, if the pilot was well-known.

Then there's the SS!

Richard.

Reply to
Richard Brooks

Hey! That's my ex-wife that you're talking about! When I think about her, I need a HOT shower.

-- John The history of things that didn't happen has never been written. . - - - Henry Kissinger

Reply to
The Old Timer

I beg to differ with you here.

I love ya, and respect ya Al, but there were a LOT of SOLDIERS who wore the SS uniform who fought bravely, and gave up their lives in WW II. For better ot worse, they were fighting for their country too....

More importantly, history involves them, and trying to write them out of it, or only protray them in an evil light dosnt do justice to history...............................................

Taking it all in your view, we had better not go near a LOT of red army soldiers as well !! Fighting in the east was just that brutal. Neither side can claim all of it's soldiers were honerable men......................

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588

Since when is the massacre of millions of civilians bravery? Lidice coes imediately to mind.

Of course there were two different SS organizations, the Waffen SS being mostly elite troops rather than a gang of mass murders.

As far as fighting bravely, too bad they didn't all die, bravely or otherwise.

Tom

Reply to
Maiesm72

Then again most SS men believed in the Nazi doctrine,and had their racial history profiled...they generally were the thugs...the average member of the Army was your "everyman"...

Reply to
Eyeball2002308

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones !

I've seen photage of American soldiers shooting surrendering germans.

You read some of what Patton wrote about the war, and he too noticed that quite a few captured germans didnt make it to POW camps.

I am NOT defending the SS as a whole, but I know that not all SS (Waffenn SS was the military war fighting arm of the SS) were as evil as is commonly protrayed.

Only a fool would think that Americans, and UK troops didnt engage in atrocities. But since we wrote most available history about WW II, it was convienantly left out....

No question tho, the germans, and japanese systematically commited atrocities on a large scale. This dosnt mean that all fighting men under arms for either country were evil.............

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588
Reply to
Digital_Cowboy

i like the bob vet explaining his regrets at not mg'ing a

109 pilot in his 'chute because, "he was back up and shot down a few more of our lads."
Reply to
e

I didn't say they weren't brave....

Reply to
Al Superczynski

Or a refrigerated cargo ship.

Reply to
Edwin Ross Quantrall

Read Thomas Blackburn's book, "Jolly Rogers" (he was commander of the first Marine squadron carrier qual'd with F4U's) Shooting enemy pilots in their parachutes was an expected given from his pilots.

I actually think that is the best idea too ! The A/C is easilly replaced, the enemy pilots are what are really doing the damage, hence the need to take the pilots out should have been of primary importance !

Same as Americans, and UK troops learned in europe concerning german tank crew. Is was of equal importance to the troops to kill german tank crews escaping from damaged/imobolized AFV's to keep them from just getting into a new tank after they escaped their damaged one........................

And lets not forget what happened to the vanquished in ancient times....... Wars were fought for the extinction of the other side. There was almost no such thing as an atrocity then................

"Only a Gentleman can insult me, and a true Gentleman never will..."

Reply to
Azzz1588

I heard this subject addressed by a former U.S.A.F. pilot at a seminar many years ago. He said such a "stunt" as he characterised it was plain damn foolish. To hit a guy in a parachute hanging in space you have to slow down and usually throw away any altitude advantage you may have. If there are any friends of the guy in the chute around you have just made yourself "low and slow" and a perfect setup for them to plow your ass. "It's just plain stupid" was his verdict. Memory is a funny thing, I don't remember the pilot's name any more but I definitely remember he was a 357th Fighter Group veteran.

Bill Shuey

Reply to
William H. Shuey

prolly true. but i think this guy threw away a perfect chance and regretted it.

Reply to
e

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