SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - The Great Crusade: 70 Years after Normandy

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I have been reading a book containing the accounts of members of the 101st Airborne(entire division) during the Battle of the Bulge it is actually a 3 part series Normandy,Holland and Bulge. But reading it just makes me realize just how strange things turn out for one person to another in combat.

I saw a Marine officer who had been in Afghanistan say that war is all about centimeters and millimeters just a little difference one way or the other is the difference between surviving and dying victory and defeat.

Every major battle in history could have gone either way.

One of the most interesting aspects of D-Day was the general scattering of the airborne forces this was actually not the plan at all but in the end it worked out for the better that they did get scattered because it confused the Germans to some extent.A good fighting force can adapt when things do not go according to plan. which is about 75% of the time.

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Originally Posted by Stealhead (Post 2214337)

Pretty sure he means to say that he enlisted in the USMC and is going to boot camp some time this summer.

Probably did like me graduated high school and went to boot camp a few days later.

He is not there yet though he'd not be posting here if he where. He is regretting choosing to enlist at a point which requires attendance of basic training during the summer.

Actually this is a benefit as in the summer portions of days will assuredly get black flagged due to heat index in other words a little bit less PT still it will suck but it is what it is.

No, just in Devil Pups. If I had joined, I would not be looking forward to Parris Island this summer. Add the fact that I'll be trying for the SEALs first, I won't be going to that island.

Not that I disrespect the Corps.

From the other side..

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The German soldier 'liberated' by D-Day

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27730193

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The events of D-Day are often recounted by Allied troops who took part in the invasion. But what was it like for a German soldier surprised by the sudden - and completely unexpected - arrival of the enemy?
Eighteen-year-old Private Helmut Roemer was the first German soldier to face the Allied invasion of mainland Europe. He was not on the beaches on the day itself, but inland on the night before, when the first airborne British troops attacked.

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Then Roemer and his comrades were shipped across the Atlantic to Halifax, Nova Scotia before being taken across Canada by steam train to a camp near Calgary.

This, Roemer says, was marvellous - like being on holiday.

I doubt many allied prisoners thought similarly.

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Originally Posted by Jimbuna (Post 2214436)

I doubt many allied prisoners thought similarly.

I don't want to derail this but my grandfather almost starved as an American POW some time after D-Day so the feeling might be mutual.:-?

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Originally Posted by Schroeder (Post 2214440)

I don't want to derail this but my grandfather almost starved as an American POW some time after D-Day so the feeling might be mutual.:-?

Herr Roemer appears to be the exception.

Funny old world, part of my great-grandfathers duties when he (finally) got to Africa, was, as a MP to work at a POW camp, he wasn't there long but somehow he managed to get a Hitler Jugend knife and a Luger pistol which he brought back with him.

I just found this whilst reading up on POW camps in N.Africa, un-sure how true it is, but one of those interesting little tales, although I suspect the gentleman in question has since died:

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There is today in England an extraordinary case of Fallschirmjäger Obergefreiter Hans Teske who still remains a PoW to this day! He was taken prisoner in Tunisia in 1943 and imprisoned in HillHall Camp (Camp 116) near Epping, Essex and during his time there made several escape attempts. At the war's end he did not want to return to Germany as his home was now in Soviet held territory so the British allowed him to live outside the camp on a 12 monthly parole basis. In June he applied for a transfer to Kent and the officials removed his name from the list in Epping but for some reason did not put his name on their records in Kent. When he discovered the error he asked for his name to be put on the repatriation list but was refused. He continued his protests and lobbied his local Member of Parliament and several German ambassadors but to no avail and in 1970 decided not to pursue the matter so technically he is still a prisoner of war to this day!

Oh, and to keep the thread on topic, here's a picture I found on my twitter today:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bpd8VCkCAAACtMX.jpg
Gliders passing over HMS Ramilles and Warspite

This is what I dislike about history. When the war is won and the treaty signed, few think of the defeated sides' account, and, though unbiased writers do it, the History texts I read glorify the 'good guys' or victor's wins, and the loser's (aka, 'bad guy') are simple two sentence paragraphs.

As Treyarch put it:
"History is written by the victor."- Capt. Price.

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Originally Posted by Kaptlt.Endrass (Post 2214370)

Well first you have to complete Navy or Marine Corps Basic before you can try out for BUDs so that would be your second step.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stealhead (Post 2214507)

Well first you have to complete Navy or Marine Corps Basic before you can try out for BUDs so that would be your second step.

Another thing is...living out on the West Coast he wouldn't go to Parris Island anyway.

MCRD San Diego is where he'd go. Parris Island is for the guys East of the Mississippi River.

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Originally Posted by u crank (Post 2214322)

Alex, could you provide some proof for these claims. Links to credible and non biased sources if you please. If you can't some people might think you are making this stuff up.

:(

http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/4016284328.jpg

▶▶▶▶ http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=mary%20louise%20roberts&sprefix=mary+loui se+r%2Caps%2C421 :yep:

@ Alex. Thank you for that link.