6th of June 1944 ''D-Day''

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Alex

what's the purpose of looking backward EVERY SINGLE YEAR at the same date ?

Because if people choose to commemorate a particular event that happened on a particular day, it is only natural to do so on the anniversary of that day, which - the concept of "anniversary" being what it is - comes around every single year on the same date.

One might just as well ask, what's the purpose of celebrating a birthday every single year at the same date.

[AVGWarhawk]

Looks like it's fashionable nowadays to play the sheep toeing the all hail the US line.

[Alex]

@ FK : Conforming to that way of thinking, then everyone in your country should be celebrating the US defeat in Vietnam each and every year, the death of everyone's great-granduncle, and basically everything not worth celebrating, just because the calendar is your friend.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Alex

@ FK : Conforming to that way of thinking, then everyone in your country should be celebrating the US defeat in Vietnam each and every year, the death of everyone's great-granduncle, and basically everything not worth celebrating, just because the calendar is your friend.

These would be days of mourning/rememberance. Not celebration.

[Alex]

Don't be picky about my basic English language, not my native one after all.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Alex

Don't be picky about my basic English language, not my native one after all.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Alex

@ FK : Conforming to that way of thinking, then everyone in your country should be celebrating the US defeat in Vietnam each and every year, the death of everyone's great-granduncle, and basically everything not worth celebrating, just because the calendar is your friend.

The calendar is your friend because it can remind you that the anniversary of a particular date has arrived or is coming up soon.

Whether or not that particular date is worth commemorating because of some particular event that once happened on it, is a completely subjective thing both for individuals and societies as a whole. Commemorating one event that is important to you, or to your nation's history, does not obligate you to commemorate every other event that ever occurred in the history of the world and was important to somebody somewhere. If that were the case we would be having National Sweden Day parades here in Ohio today and fireworks on Bastille Day and something else going on every othe day of the year because every day of the year is the anniversary of something important to someone.

I consider the birthday of my sister worth commemorating. I do not consider the anniversary of the death of some miscellaneous stranger's great-granduncle worth commemorating. It may be so for those who knew and loved him, but it is not so for me. Nor do I consider them obligated to commemorate my sister's birthday simply because they choose to remember the "special" days associated with their own loved ones.

People are going to remember and celebrate and commemorate things that are meaningful and important to them. More often than not, they will do so on the anniversary of the date(s) on which those events occurred. Sometimes - gasp! - they will actually do so in a public setting, and share their memories and feelings and appreciation and whatnot with others who are doing the same. If you don't feel it's worth commemorating or talking about, that's your prerogative. No one's requiring you to take part, bake a cake, wave a flag, or march in any parades.

[August]

"Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely.
But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!
I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!
Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."

~ Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower




Ghosts of the past.

[nikimcbee]

Just for you August:

Don Malarkey, from a BoB reunion I was able to attend.



Forrest Gueth

[Alex]

@ FK : Thanks for letting me know about your subjective way of thinking, FK, which I value a lot of course.

But if we switch temporarily to a collective way of thinking, don't you think we can say that caring not only about our present, is like making a speech to worms ?

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Alex

@ FK : Thanks for letting me know about your subjective way of thinking, FK, which I value a lot of course.

But if we switch temporarily to a collective way of thinking,

I don't know what you mean by "collective thinking" in this context, especially as an alternative to subjectivity. The reason D-Day or other events are collectively commemorated is that they still have a lot of meaning for a lot of different individual people, and to several different nations. But whether it's one person or a million, one nation or a dozen, it's all still subjective.

don't you think we can say that caring not only about our present, is like making a speech to worms ?

I have no idea what you're trying to say here. Lost in translation, I guess.

[mookiemookie]

Those guys were made of some sterner stuff indeed.

[Sailor Steve]

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
-Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, commonly known as George Santayana

Time for my annual viewing of The Longest Day, whether I'm alone or not.

[Lord Justice]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

No one's requiring you to take part, bake a cake, wave a flag, or march in any parades.

No one is requiring you act so expeditiously either! Your comment I must confess, strikes me so. As for request to one taking part , no one is given the choice either not to, when a post is placed within a thread to be observed, albeit if one chooses to read or simply step aside, It is an obstacle none the less. That said, I should advise freedom of speech, expression of opinions carrys much weight with me.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by 4Para

No one is requiring you act so expeditiously either! Your comment I must confess, strikes me so. As for request to one taking part , no one is given the choice either not to, when a post is placed within a thread to be observed, albeit if one chooses to read or simply step aside, It is an obstacle none the less. That said, I should advise freedom of speech, expression of opinions carrys much weight with me.