Omaha Beach, June 6 1944, 1st Wave - Would You Do it?

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At 18, I would have, no doubt, joined. Would have loaded on that landing craft. But, I have no clue how I would have reacted to the carnage that took place. I can try to convince myself of my heroics and my bravery...but I wasn't tested...so I really don't know...And no one else does either that missed it....God Bless those that were there.........Especially those that paid the ultimate price........
 
Having a choice I would rather be one of the 101st guys the real first wave. Remember had it not been for them and the French partisans going to town that night we would have have an even higher casualty rate.
 
I'm 17, able-bodied, and I guess brave enough.
I might piss myself, but I hope I'd have the balls to go.
I can't say, though. I'm not in the moment, so I really can't say.
I'd sign up, though.
 
I would probably find God a few moments before the gang-plank dropped, and hoped that I wasnt in one of the boats that ended up dropping right in front of an MG nest, like in "Saving Private Ryan". Knowledge or not, the carnage would be unavoidable and scare me to death.

as for going, sure. I probably wouldnt have much a choice. I know that I can, but if I had a choice, I'd rather not.
 
The carnage was avoidable

In hindsight, it is obvious that with better coordination between the bombers and fighters, the navy and the army that the German's beach defenses could have been neutralized prior to H-Hour. That our men had to land with such little close air support, virtually no armor, and often in water over their heads was criminal.

It is one thing to die for freedom, another entirely to die due to poor planning, incompetence and limited vision.
 
Probably not, but if I had to I know I wouldn't last too long.
What amazes me is those that did and not just the Normandy invasion, but all the other 'D' days from island hopping to Africa, Sicily, and Italy.
 
d day

this may sound corny, but i have aways had a sick feeling in my gut, that i was there in a previous life....and never made it to the beach, dying a meaning less death...when i see a picture, or the subject comes out, like now, i get that feeling ... funny that it is happing today, my birthday...gpr
 
The actual causality quotes earlier are not correct, or even close to reality. 34,250 Troops landed on Omaha beach on D-Day, the 1st and 29th Inv Divisions suffered about 2,000 causalities. That is no where close to the 40-50% quoted earlier in this thread. (remember, causalities include wounded, missing (many were lost and returned to their units) and of course dead.) Don't let the numbers from single companies or units cloud the overall picture of that day.

http://www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/faq.htm
 
I couldn't have. I wasn't born yet.
During the era when I might have been of some use to the military; I chose to plant trees and fight fires in our Nat'l Forests.
What I don't understand is how is watchin' a 30' tall wall o' fire climbin' the ridge your standin' on any different than savin' school kids in Grenada or maintaining a "presence" in Somalia?
 
I don't think anyone, including those that were there, would do it voluntarily unless they HAD to.

Thing is, in June of 1944, they HAD to.

God bless them all.
 
That's an odd form of tourism.

Going back in time and risking life and limb to "experience" that doesn't make sense. With the outcome already known? I don't think so.

Remember the question is "Would you get into a time machine and go back...". We're here now and the heroes then and up until VE day did the job already. You contribute nothing by going back.
 
believe me....they knew,

Ike reviewed the 101st Airborne on June 5th and when he got into his car afterwards he was overcome......he'd just reviewed and exchanged pleasantries with the some of the finest men is an army of fine men, knowing the casualty estimates were for up to 80% to be lost.

I'd like to hope that I would have signed up and not been called up....
and I hope that I would have gone where I was told without whining...
and done my level best every day without quiting...

But why live in the land of "what if"

Why not instead, look at the countries needs today and step up to the plate.

No need to wonder about it...duty is still calling....our country still needs men of valor.

If you won't do it today (under arguably much better circumstances), I think you have your answer about June the 6th, 1944
Click to expand...

I really want to join the Marine Corps and have done some looking into it. Hell, I'm even running almost every day trying to get back into shape. I made 2 miles in 23 minutes yesterday, way down from the 30 it took me when I first started--but I know it's still not good enough. However, being 26 and married...the wife doesn't like the idea at all. :(

My grandfather was already IN Normandy when everyone else hit the beach(Pathfinders).
 
who today would without hesitation take part in the undertaking?

If you were in one of the units that landed there is no choice if you would or you wouldn't. That's what soldiers do.

See Hairless' post.
 
When I was 18, I thought I was immortal, but now I know I'm not, so I really don't know what I would do. Thanks in large part to the people who died in that war, I've never had to find out.
Something to ponder: the troops at Omaha landed at low tide to avoid Rommel's beach obstacles which had mines attached. That meant they had to cross about 300 yards of open beach under fire befire reaching any kind of cover. If they could have landed at high tide, it would have been 100 yards.
 
i would be honored to serve along those brave boys that day.
i say boys because most were 12-15 years younger than i am now. boys turned MEN in the blink of an eye.
they were heroes. heroes of another time, another kind of USA.
America was different then, it was a nation who rallied for a cause. those who served were PROUD to fight the good fight. the enemy had a face, a name, and threatened all that this country stood for.
even knowing what i know now, my answer would be a resounding yes.

watch "Band of Brothers" and tell me that there isn't a little piece of you that wishes that you could have been there to fight amongst those men.
just my $.02
 
I'd like to think I'd do it (scared spitless, I'm sure), so that my kids or grandkids wouldn't have to.

What those men did in those bloody first hours demonstrated courage to the highest magnitude.

<><Peace (with honor)
 
I'm MOS 11B, Infantry. I go where they send me.

I have no problem with the US Rifle, M1, Caliber .30. As long as I'm not the Squad Automatic Weapon for my fire team, it will serve just fine by me.
 
dakota said:
who today would without hesitation take part in the undertaking?
Click to expand...

I don't think this question could be honestly answered by those of us who sit today behind our computer monitors, comfortably basking in the freedom that those men fought for.

I'd like to say I'd go at it... I've certainly risked my life for the benefit of our society in the past. But, honestly, no one can say for sure until they are placed in such a situation.

I don't mean to undermine any of the missions that have been undertaken by our military in the past 6 decades, but lets face it... A lot more was riding on that war than we have seen since then!

We'll always need brave soldiers to march into combat, and I'd like to think that my generation is up to the task that my grandparent's generation was. Still, it really requires that you are forced into that corner before you know if you'll sink or swim.

They did what they had to, and their sacrifice has been to our benefit!
 
I suspect the GI's on the beach would question my sanity for choosing to go, then shoot me themselves when they found out I had a time machine and the best thing I could think to do with it was come back and get killed. There are certain times when a time machine and a single rifle could have done some real good, but D-Day was NOT one of them.
 
My Dad did and I would hope that I could follow his foot steps.
A little story from him just before he died in 2003.
We were in the back yard just talking and the subject got onto his pending demise.
He got that thousand yard star and said
"ya know, when we pulled up to that beach at Omaha and I could hear those bullets hitting the front end of the craft I didn't think my odds were to good that day. There were 50 of us on that boat and only three left standing at the end of the day. I got 60 years out of it and those other boys didn't. I can face death again"

I have always remembered those words of bravery. I would like to think that dad raised us boys that way.
I think he did
Both brothers to Nam. I spent 25 years in a squad car Cowards dont last that long in the squad.
 
Yes, freedom is not free.

It would be an honor.

I've known a few men that were there and a few miles inland.

I would be honored to serve in such company.

That being said I often wonder what was going through my Dad's head when his landing craft beached at Cam Rahn in July '66.

He talks more about what was going on later building the base but that landing had to have been pucker factor 9.0

from the pics the beach is surrounded by high cliffs/hills, mortar paradise.

r
 
I'd like to sound tough and say I'd go - but it's different when you have the hindsight of knowing how slim their chances were. It'd be suicide. A fine physical specimen I am not - had I been born before WWII as early as I was I'd have died within minutes.

I'd rather not know the odds. :D
 
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