D-Day

I had no idea what the Allied invasion of Normandy was actually like until I saw the opening scene from the film Saving Private Ryan. I warn you if you haven't seen it before - it's shocking ....



These kind of examples of how cheap life can be are why I'm pretty much a pacifist, but the sacrifice those real-life soldiers had the courage to make on D-Day should be remembered.

[...] Allied infantry and armoured divisions began landing on the coast of France at 06:30. The target 50-mile (80 km) stretch of the Normandy coast was divided into five sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Strong winds blew the landing craft east of their intended positions, particularly at Utah and Omaha. The men landed under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beaches, and the shore was mined and covered with obstacles such as wooden stakes, metal tripods, and barbed wire, making the work of the beach-clearing teams difficult and dangerous. Casualties were heaviest at Omaha, with its high cliffs ...
- Normandy landings