OT: did your local news mention D-Day?

JDP

JDP

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I was amazed, but not surprised, how little mention there was of June 6, 1944 in the local rag. I would expect no recognition of such an awesome and important military accomplishmnet here in this enclave of ultra liberals, but was wondering how much was covered in other parts of the US?
 
I don't read the local newsrag..helps me maintain what little serenity I have.
But I will never forget my father's stories of landing in the second wave on Omaha beach. It seems all the Germans were 10 feet tall and they were all shooting at him! He was a brave man...and never really hated Germans, even though he probably shot more than a few.

--Mike L.
 
No mention of D-Day up here either. The Canadian government and media try very hard to convince everyone that Canada is a nation of "peacekeepers"(!?). They especially don't like being reminded of WW2, since it resoundingly proved that pacifism and appeasement only encourage aggression.
Cheers, Mark
P.S. One of my uncles was at D-day. Different beach, though.

Edited for spelling
 
MadMark,
Take it easy on your Canadians!!Some of your boys served in the toughest unit ever!"THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE"!Look them up,be prepared to be AWED!!Those guys would be among the toughest at any time in history ANYWHERE!They mentioned D-DAY in Miami,also any paper that has PEANUTS,shows SNOOPY in the water,on a D-DAY BEACH!
THE SAINT!
 
It's the government of Canada I'm fed up with, not the regular folks. I have two books on the "Devil's Brigade". A great story, and true to boot.
Cheers, Mark
 
Well, it was mentioned over here - and I am glad it is widely recognized as the beginning of liberation not only for France, and the BeNeLux but for the Germans too. I had a grandfather who fought in a Waffen-SS-Division on the German side and he was full of respect. He was a Nazi when he joined as a jobless Sudeten-German in 1938 but changed his mind when he learned more about the Hitler regime in the early 40s.-
Sad so many brave men, women and children had to die because of German militarism and Nazi-terror. Thank god and thank America they liberated what is now called "old Europe". A chapter of glory in the books of the British and the US.
Andreas
 
Thanks for the thanks, Pan Tau.

When I was stationed in Germany in 1979-1982 I lived with an old couple who thought Hitler was a wonderful man. Their kids and grandkids thought diferently, but it was interesting to talk to Oma and Opa and hear their side of a story I had only heard one side of.

I've learned to try to find out all the sides and then make an educated decision. Sometimes I'm wrong in my first ideas.....(but not often:rolleyes: :D)and need to make an attitude adjustment. And sometimes I have my beliefs even strengthened.

Living in Germany opened my eyes to a whole new outlook and I've been better for it ever since. Wish I could go back!!
 
Thanks for the German perspective on this topic, Andreas. It must have been hell for the average citizen to live under Nazi tyranny.
Cheers, Mark
 
It must have been hell for the average citizen to live under Nazi tyranny.
Click to expand...

... depends on what you see as the "average citizen". Too many were glad to have the new power and "progressive" politics to be proud of after the Versailles treaty.
The problem is that Germans seem (seemed?) to like the extremes. The worst of the fascist or autocratic regimes (compared to Mussolini, Franco, Pilsudski or others) and from 1953 to 1989 a country that was more communist than the USSR (the GDR). It is hard to find a level of "normal" patriotism as the leftists will call it nationalism and the rightists will claim it as a part of their ideology. There is no "normal" right-of-center political party here. Everything that is right of the conservatives is extremist. That is a problem.

Mamav, until the late seventies lots of Germans considered the time from 1933-1938 the luckiest of their lives. The great depression of the 20s had ended. Many were Teenagers during that time and could hide all the problems of the adolescent age behind a Hitler-Youth uniform. They could stick together and feel important (... give someone unimportant a nice uniform and watch the effect..)- this was it what lots of them remembered I think. They learned to be good Nazis as a kind of side-effect in their eyes. That was the "bright" side of the medal.
Three years ago while I was studying history in Bayreuth I worked in the archives of a "Hilfsschule" (do not know the English word - a school for hard to educate and handicapped pupils) and found out that many teachers made "intelligence-tests" with their pupils from 1934 on. They recommended them for sterilisation when they were 12 years, some of the pupils were later murderd in the "euthanasia-programme". This was not well known in Bayreuth at the time when I found it out and not everyone wanted to know. These children did not have the bright childhood memories like many of the others... not to mention the millions that died during the holocaust. This was it what we were liberated from.

Still too many Nazis here (even one is too many). The old ones die out but the new ones are a problem (they are not many but they make the headlines). Most of them are quite stupid and do know nothing about history, they are "proud to be German" because they have nothing else to be proud of, are jobless or wanted to join a "cool" group of skinheads. :barf: - But this does not make any difference for their victims, often asylum seekers, people of different colour or handicapped.
D-Day was the beginning of a better time for Europe - and Germany belongs to Europe, no doubt.
Sorry, long post
Andreas
 
great info! You can post long anytime. I may have to use some of this for my daughters school this year. Thanks.
 
Good post, Andreas. I've met Germans who remember Hitler as Germany's saviour, too. Like you say, these people weren't thinking about the atrocities committed. Instead they were thinking of the power and glory of the Third Reich.
What are your thoughts on the EU? More of the same, if you ask me.
Cheers, Mark
 
What are your thoughts on the EU?
Click to expand...

The EU is a different chapter I think. It is an European attempt to deal with European affairs. The US always wanted the Europeans to be more independent and this is a great step towards that goal. One danger is that the stronger powers (France, Germany and Great Britain) make up a class of its own - that would cause envy in the smaller countries especieally the ones from the former eastern bloc. I life near the Czech border here, not too far from the Grafenwoehr Training Area some may know - and I can see that the economic quality in the Czech-Republic is quite a bit lower - even worse in Poland. Small shops, farmers etc. will not survive the EU, that is even a problem here in Germany. Too much is centralized in my eyes. Besides this I think the EU is a good thing if it allows the regions of Europe to keep their identity. The aim of "United States of Europe" will not be reached I think, but since we have had the beginning of the EU in the 50s and 60s people of different nations get to know each other and forget inherited hostilities (look at the French-German-history :rolleyes: ). Even if their united position (like the one against the war in Iraq) is sometimes questionable I think the EU is the chance to realize a real post war Europe - and this is especially important for the Germans because too many especially in GB and France still refer to the Germans as "Nazis". We should get to know each other. Of course a united Europe will be an economic concurrent for the US but that is business and freedom - the transatlantic friendship should be stronger.

I may have to use some of this for my daughters school this year.
Click to expand...

thanks mamav, feel free to ask if you need information on German or European history or the status quo (maybe via e-mail)

Andreas
 
Thanks Pan Tau. I'm facilitating a German Language class this year for the local Homeschoolers. I know enough to get myself in trouble:rolleyes: , but that's more than anyone else, so I got the job. I think it will be a lot of fun and I'll be able to brush up on my German along with the kids.

We have some projects we have to do for credit. I will keep you in mind.
 
Appreciate your coments on the EU, Andreas. I agree that people should get to know each other better. My concern with the EU is that it is undemocratic and as you said too centralized. Free trade is a good thing, a zollverein is not. Sovereign nations can co-operate and live in peace. There is no need to create a huge and unaccountable supranational bureaucracy to achieve that goal.
Cheers, Mark
 
Mamav, nice to hear someone is still learning German - quite difficult to learn I guess. As a German literature and history teacher I dislike the americanization of my language very much. A hundred years ago we found words in our own language to name new inventions that came from abroad - now some use "Denglish" (for example "hast du das schon downgeloadet?" - English word mixed up with German konjugation :( - or the `s - genitive that does not exist in German (we simply ad a "s" without apostrophy) is quite common - not to mention the plural with ´s (Video`s zu mieten" - wrong in English as well as in German) - hard time fore teachers I guess...

I see your points Mark. Maybe the USA should be a model for the USEu - but then I wonder if this could work over here. I do not think the EU will be a thing to bloc free trade with non EU-countries but it will make free global trade more difficult - however the customs on steel-import from the US (including Harleys and HI-Khuks :mad: - but we are back on topic :cool: ) were a bad idea. Those little "economic wars" suck. Thanks for your interest.
Andreas
 
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