thedrifter
06-05-09, 11:00 AM
D-Day anniversary: Learn, remember
By Fannie Flono
fflono@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Friday, Jun. 05, 2009
A couple of years ago I got a letter from Frank Swenson of Charlotte. He was responding to a column I had written about World War I.
I wrote that “the horror and destruction of World War I have been eclipsed by the memories of living soldiers of the wars that have come after, especially World War II. Those who fought during the second world war, and those who helped the war effort, have been enshrined in American imagination in recent years as the ‘greatest generation.'”
Swenson replied: “I am a veteran of World War II but I'm afraid that this war will be forgotten in the same way [as World War I].”
Sure, Swenson acknowledged, “many actions” have been taken over the last few years to keep that from happening. Books, television documentaries and movies have personalized and illuminated World War II for many.
But, Swenson noted, “I have asked several of my grandchildren what D-Day was and they really didn't know. … This is sad.”
Truth be told, most of us don't really know what D-Day was. Many don't care.
But what happened on June 6, 1944, enabled the freedom we enjoy today. Historians say the invasion – the single largest amphibious assault in history – eventually led to victory in 1945.
Saturday, the 65th anniversary of D-Day, is an opportunity to remember, learn and teach about that seminal event. On that day about 10,000 U.S. and other Allied troops were killed or wounded landing on the Normandy coast in Northern France. The aim was to free Europe from Adolf Hitler's Nazi army. By the campaign's end, 3 million Allied troops were involved and more than 200,000 were killed or hurt.
“With the success of the D-Day invasion, the tide of the war swung in favor of the Allies,” U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday. “Today's soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines inherit a proud legacy from those who stormed the beaches of Normandy: a legacy of commitment to duty, dedication to freedom, and love of country. … Our nation has an obligation to remember.”
We do. You truly understand why when you hear what happened on D-Day from soldiers who lived through it. Bill McMahon of Conover is one.
I met him six years ago, and his story mesmerized me. He was only 20 when he saw combat on D-Day, but the memories were still vivid.
McMahon was one of the first American soldiers on the ground in Normandy but he didn't come by water. He parachuted in with thousands of others to cut off German positions and secure causeways for the U.S. and British troops landing later.
McMahon made only two jumps during the war – one on D-Day, and it was scary, he recalled. The plane “ran into fog, but didn't slow down… Quite a lot of men got hurt, drowned.” A third of his division was killed during the drop and battle.
The vagaries of war haunted McMahon, as they do a lot of veterans. He missed death by minutes when he left a foxhole when summoned by his commander. The foxhole was bombed, killing the two men he'd left there. A friend was killed on D-Day in one of the first battles. Another was shot that afternoon, shipped home and saw none of the rest of the war.
McMahon never saw himself as brave or a hero. He did what he did to stay alive and help his buddies stay alive. Most didn't. Most of the regiment of about 1,800 died in the war.
I've lost contact with McMahon. But I've never forgotten him – or other soldiers I've talked to over the years. They remind me that freedom costs.
Too often we take that for granted. But I was personally reminded recently after learning a cousin in the reserves has been called up again for duty, this time in Afghanistan.
With most D-Day veterans in their mid-80s, this might be the last time many will get a chance to hear the words of gratitude they're due. Don't miss this opportunity to show it.
Fannie Flono is an Observer associate editor. Write her at P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, N.C. 28230-0308. E-mail: fflono@charlotteobserver.com.
Ellie
By Fannie Flono
fflono@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Friday, Jun. 05, 2009
A couple of years ago I got a letter from Frank Swenson of Charlotte. He was responding to a column I had written about World War I.
I wrote that “the horror and destruction of World War I have been eclipsed by the memories of living soldiers of the wars that have come after, especially World War II. Those who fought during the second world war, and those who helped the war effort, have been enshrined in American imagination in recent years as the ‘greatest generation.'”
Swenson replied: “I am a veteran of World War II but I'm afraid that this war will be forgotten in the same way [as World War I].”
Sure, Swenson acknowledged, “many actions” have been taken over the last few years to keep that from happening. Books, television documentaries and movies have personalized and illuminated World War II for many.
But, Swenson noted, “I have asked several of my grandchildren what D-Day was and they really didn't know. … This is sad.”
Truth be told, most of us don't really know what D-Day was. Many don't care.
But what happened on June 6, 1944, enabled the freedom we enjoy today. Historians say the invasion – the single largest amphibious assault in history – eventually led to victory in 1945.
Saturday, the 65th anniversary of D-Day, is an opportunity to remember, learn and teach about that seminal event. On that day about 10,000 U.S. and other Allied troops were killed or wounded landing on the Normandy coast in Northern France. The aim was to free Europe from Adolf Hitler's Nazi army. By the campaign's end, 3 million Allied troops were involved and more than 200,000 were killed or hurt.
“With the success of the D-Day invasion, the tide of the war swung in favor of the Allies,” U.S. Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday. “Today's soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines inherit a proud legacy from those who stormed the beaches of Normandy: a legacy of commitment to duty, dedication to freedom, and love of country. … Our nation has an obligation to remember.”
We do. You truly understand why when you hear what happened on D-Day from soldiers who lived through it. Bill McMahon of Conover is one.
I met him six years ago, and his story mesmerized me. He was only 20 when he saw combat on D-Day, but the memories were still vivid.
McMahon was one of the first American soldiers on the ground in Normandy but he didn't come by water. He parachuted in with thousands of others to cut off German positions and secure causeways for the U.S. and British troops landing later.
McMahon made only two jumps during the war – one on D-Day, and it was scary, he recalled. The plane “ran into fog, but didn't slow down… Quite a lot of men got hurt, drowned.” A third of his division was killed during the drop and battle.
The vagaries of war haunted McMahon, as they do a lot of veterans. He missed death by minutes when he left a foxhole when summoned by his commander. The foxhole was bombed, killing the two men he'd left there. A friend was killed on D-Day in one of the first battles. Another was shot that afternoon, shipped home and saw none of the rest of the war.
McMahon never saw himself as brave or a hero. He did what he did to stay alive and help his buddies stay alive. Most didn't. Most of the regiment of about 1,800 died in the war.
I've lost contact with McMahon. But I've never forgotten him – or other soldiers I've talked to over the years. They remind me that freedom costs.
Too often we take that for granted. But I was personally reminded recently after learning a cousin in the reserves has been called up again for duty, this time in Afghanistan.
With most D-Day veterans in their mid-80s, this might be the last time many will get a chance to hear the words of gratitude they're due. Don't miss this opportunity to show it.
Fannie Flono is an Observer associate editor. Write her at P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, N.C. 28230-0308. E-mail: fflono@charlotteobserver.com.
Ellie