The Cost of Freedom – June 6, 1944
Normandy , France. 9,387 unapologetic Americans rest here.
June 6, 1944 saw my father go ashore in the 3rd wave at Omaha Beach. He was a Combat Engineer, and they had been told this beach would be a “cake walk”. The Combat Engineers went in on the 3rd wave because it was felt the first two waves would have cleared all resistance (Omaha Beach was thought to be only lightly defended) and they could work unimpeded to prepare the beach for heavy equipment to be landed.
My father got the first of his 2 Purple Hearts that day…the 2nd a few months later after he returned to the front lines and wound up at the Battle of the Bulge. I used to kid him that he should have ducked more!
He lost his best friend at Normandy…”Tex”. A big raw-boned Texan who was indirectly responsible for my father and mother meeting right before my Dad shipped out for England in February, 1944. “Tex” is buried in that cemetery pictured above.
When Obama apologizes for America I remember the well over 100,000 Americans who are buried in Western Europe…having given their lives to defeat tyranny in 2 wars…and my blood boils! America could have conquered the world…but chose to free it! Never in the history of the world has a nation with the power to dominate, opted to liberate instead. Never! Barak Obama can, quite frankly, kiss my ass! I and the rest of America have NOTHING to apologize for…now or ever!
My father, and hundreds of thousands of other Americans were prepared to pay the full Cost of Freedom on June 6, 1944. Thousands did pay the full cost, my Dad, thank God, did not (though he made a decent “down-payment!”). We don’t yet know the date that future generations will look back on as the date OUR “Cost of Freedom” payment came due…but it will be soon.
![](http://www.parentalrights.org/vertical/Sites/%7BC49108C5-0630-467E-9B9B-B1FA31A72320%7D/uploads/%7B3EA8D754-D841-4FF4-882C-32895D89991D%7D.PNG")
[1]
A fine post – a moving tribute.
Thank you for sharing of your father’s sacrifice.
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Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
Jesus Christ and the American Soldier.
One died for your soul; The other for your freedom.
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I just got back home and find a gem. Great post, JustRand.
This tearing down of American can’t, nor won’t continue for much longer. Someday soon the masses are going to wake up and take the country back.
One thing is certain though, and that is if the country SHOULD survive 4 or 8 years of the willful, outright attempt at destroying Her from within, then we are indeed, as President Reagan once said a “Shining city upon a hill.”
Be tough, everybody and endure.
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If I am choked up reading that, I can only imagine that you got choked up writing that, Dad. Thank you. That was beautiful.
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Splendid. I honor the memory of your father this day, JR and hope to visit Omaha Beach with you one day.
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Nice post and thanks for sharing on this day of remembrance JR.
Sort of related story from my flight this morning.
We had a fallen soldiers on our flight back today, but we weren’t informed until we landed. I had the pleasure of educating what that meant to the woman next to me when she looked around and asked what that meant and what was delaying her getting her off the plane. Gave her the 1 minute version of ‘Taking Chance”, and pointed out the escorts (we had two) waiting near the door, she was all like “Oh gosh I’m such an idiot I had no idea, I had thought someone had fallen and hurt themselves on the flight, I’m so embarrassed”. I was like look don’t be embarrassed, you didn’t know, but you do now, so next time you hear that take a minute and reflect during the few minutes you feel inconvenienced and explain what’s going on to those around you who appear not to know. Good news is this sort of antsy dude that was sitting in front of us I think overheard cause he quickly stopped sighing and shifting and otherwise acting impatient and walked over to the other side to watch out of one of the emergency exit windows. I was a little surprised, kind of expected better out of first class passengers since they tend to fly more, but I guess thankfully it’s not so common that everyone knows what’s up.
Pretty sure it was the two guys who died in a training ‘crash’ at Wheeler while I was there and they were still in transit to Dover.
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Hey, can we have an open thread too, because I don’t want to ruin these important threads with other news.
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Brandon…I’ll put one up right now…good idea
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I tried not to make this D-Day “Cost of Freedom” column too personal…but quickly gave up.
D-Day was my father’s first action…and th first action of hundreds of thousands of other men. The war had been raging since September 1, 1939 for the Europeans, and since December 7, 1941 for us.
The “Peace in Our Time” that Neville Chamberlain “secured” by selling the Czechs out to Hitler had already consumed over 10 MILLION combat & civilian deaths worldwide (NOT counting the concentration camps) by the time the D-Day landings occured.
History is patient, and knows that it will be repeated until and unless people learn from it…and REMEMBER what they’ve learned. The lessons of World War II are all but forgotten…
[10]
A wonderful remembrance. Thank you for sharing.
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JR,
Very good piece. Glad you posted it. Thx.
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I read your piece to my husband, Justrand, and he listened intently, and was very complimentary of it.
He was in the military, and I think, as it is with most people who have had some experience in a war zone, appreciates the efforts of being a soldier in a different, more personal way than most “civilians” do.
Thinking about all the individual sacrifices puts one in kind of a mediative state of gratitude for so many events that normally escape our awareness, but that indirectly continue to affect our daily lives.
Thanks for an appropriate, well written post today!
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thx janzam, and to all BJG’ers.
The brave men & women who have served this country to well, and who continue to do so, deserve our respect and support. I found Obama’s “moment of silence” on Memorial Day while on a GOLF COURSE to be somewhat less than respectful, btw.
I hope to travel to Normandy someday (as booshkindoggin mentioned above) and pay my personal respects to those who breached the wall of “Fortress Europe” that day.
The Greatest Generation is leaving us all too swiftly…we may never see their like again.
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A pictorial tribute to D-Day, courtesy of the Hedgehog Report:
Captured Photo Collection – The 65th Anniversary of D-Day on the Normandy Beaches Photos
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wonderful, janzam. thank you so much for the link!!
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That would be a great family trip, Dad…..just sayin. 😉
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I agree, dear daughter…what’s the Lottery up to? 🙂 (and would I have to buy a ticket in order to win??)
Still, worth cogitating on!
[18]
Thanks for sharing, JR, wonderful remembrance
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Justrand – thank you for sharing. And a big thank you to those who served to keep us free. We owe them more than we will ever know.