D-Day celebration

[Irwink!]

What a lot of you seem to be forgetting in the contest of Brit vs. American. vs. French in the opening of the second front is the overwhelmingly bigger burden borne by the Soviets throughout the period '41-'45 in terms of the war on the ground despite what you might think of Stalin or the Soviet government. The war was fought by grunts, not Chuchill, not Roosevelt, Hitler, Stalin or DeGaulle. One Soviet vet I've seen interviewed said, "thanks for the help but we would have prevailed anyway". I believe him. Of course they probably couldn't have done it without the materiel support of the western allies at least but that will never be known with certainty.

People need to get over the misplaced nationalism. All concerned together defeated the forces of Nazi Germany. I agree that Hollywood is going to concentrate on the American contribution. Go figure!? Where the hell is Hollywood anyway? Last time I checked it wasn't in Great Britain or France. They're welcome to spin their versions of history as well. The victors get to write the history after all. Hasn't that always been the case? Hasn't that history  always kinda varied a little bit from the real truth? In this case we have several allied victors pointing to themselves as the driving force behind the ultimate victory without which all would have been lost. Out of all concerned the only one of the allies involved that I believe had even a chance of pulling it off all alone was the Soviet Union.

I wonder what the Polish vets would have to say about this whole discussion so far? If I recall correctly quite a few nations contributed to the D-Day landings and the war in general beyond the U.S./Britain/France and get scant credit for it.

[Dago]

What a lot of you seem to be forgetting in the contest of Brit vs. American. vs. French in the opening of the second front is the overwhelmingly bigger burden borne by the Soviets throughout the period '41-'45 in terms of the war on the ground despite what you might think of Stalin or the Soviet government. The war was fought by grunts, not Chuchill, not Roosevelt, Hitler, Stalin or DeGaulle. One Soviet vet I've seen interviewed said, "thanks for the help but we would have prevailed anyway". I believe him. Of course they probably couldn't have done it without the materiel support of the western allies at least but that will never be known with certainty.

People need to get over the misplaced nationalism. All concerned together defeated the forces of Nazi Germany. I agree that Hollywood is going to concentrate on the American contribution. Go figure!? Where the hell is Hollywood anyway? Last time I checked it wasn't in Great Britain or France. They're welcome to spin their versions of history as well. The victors get to write the history after all. Hasn't that always been the case? Hasn't that history  always kinda varied a little bit from the real truth? In this case we have several allied victors pointing to themselves as the driving force behind the ultimate victory without which all would have been lost. Out of all concerned the only one of the allies involved that I believe had even a chance of pulling it off all alone was the Soviet Union.

I wonder what the Polish vets would have to say about this whole discussion so far? If I recall correctly quite a few nations contributed to the D-Day landings and the war in general beyond the U.S./Britain/France and get scant credit for it.

I think you are getting a little off track on your reply.

[Irwink!]

I think you are getting a little off track on your reply.

How so, in light of the previous comments? The Queen being "snubbed" because she wasn't invited? Stupid squabbling over imagined slights. Who else was officially invited or not invited? How many people from what nations invaded how many beaches opposed by what degree of defending forces? You don't see the point?

[Furball]

And how do you think the real events regarding the invasion differed from the American version?  Most Hollywood versions focus on the American part of the invasion, but they never say it was only Americans, it's just Americans are going to tell the story the way it affected their countrymen, with no requirement to tell the story from the view of any other nation.  If the Brits and Canadians want to tell the story of their landings, they are free to make movies about it.

Do you think the Americans didn't come ashore at two of the five beaches?  Do you dispute that Omaha was the worst beach, with the most concentrated German defenses?  Americans did suffer 5000 casualties on the first day, and the Rangers did climb, under stiff fire, Pointe Du Hoc.

What do you dispute about "Hollywoods version of events"? 

What a lot of you seem to be forgetting in the contest of Brit vs. American. vs. French in the opening of the second front is the overwhelmingly bigger burden borne by the Soviets throughout the period '41-'45 in terms of the war on the ground despite what you might think of Stalin or the Soviet government. The war was fought by grunts, not Chuchill, not Roosevelt, Hitler, Stalin or DeGaulle. One Soviet vet I've seen interviewed said, "thanks for the help but we would have prevailed anyway". I believe him. Of course they probably couldn't have done it without the materiel support of the western allies at least but that will never be known with certainty.

People need to get over the misplaced nationalism. All concerned together defeated the forces of Nazi Germany. I agree that Hollywood is going to concentrate on the American contribution. Go figure!? Where the hell is Hollywood anyway? Last time I checked it wasn't in Great Britain or France. They're welcome to spin their versions of history as well. The victors get to write the history after all. Hasn't that always been the case? Hasn't that history  always kinda varied a little bit from the real truth? In this case we have several allied victors pointing to themselves as the driving force behind the ultimate victory without which all would have been lost. Out of all concerned the only one of the allies involved that I believe had even a chance of pulling it off all alone was the Soviet Union.

I wonder what the Polish vets would have to say about this whole discussion so far? If I recall correctly quite a few nations contributed to the D-Day landings and the war in general beyond the U.S./Britain/France and get scant credit for it.

Rant rant rant.  I can't even be bothered to reply properly, both of these are going off way off track and assuming a lot from the point i was making.  You win by default, enjoy the cookie.

[Dago]

Rant rant rant.  I can't even be bothered to reply properly, both of these are going off way off track and assuming a lot from the point i was making.  You win by default, enjoy the cookie.

More like you have been caught in a really stupid statement and now realize you can't explain or justify it, so you will try to deflect and make it about someone else.   

[BnZs]

I don't think it is surprising that after centuries of fighting each other, having common cause in two wars isn't enough to completely erase antipathy between the French and English.

That said, all sides should shut up and just honor the dead for Pete's sake.

[Anaxogoras]

I remember visiting Denmark and a number of people joked with me "those swedes still hate us for beheading their king! hahaha!"  I was very confused at first because I didn't understand the point of crowing about something that happened hundreds of years ago.