What Does The D In D Day Mean?

2015-06-05T19:44:33-04:00

OIF ’06-’07-’08 reminds us that tomorrow is the 71st anniversary of the invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe. Some notable historical figures have things that they want to add to the discussion this weekend;

George Patton on June 5th; “We want to get the hell over there. The quicker we clean up this Goddamned mess, the quicker we can take a little jaunt against the purple pissing Japs and clean out their nest, too.

Dwight Eisenhower said; 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….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.”

From Stephen Ambrose’ Band of Brothers; Lieutenant Welsh remembered walking around among the sleeping men, and thinking to himself that ‘they had looked at and smelled death all around them all day but never even dreamed of applying the term to themselves. They hadn’t come here to fear. They hadn’t come to die. They had come to win.

In 1984, Ronald Reagan said; These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.

In 1994, Bill Clinton said; We are the children of your sacrifice. We are the sons and daughters you saved from tyranny’s reach. We grew up behind the shield of the strong alliances you forged in blood upon these beaches, on the shores of the Pacific, and in the skies above.

In 2004, George W Bush said; Generations to come will know what happened here, but these men heard the guns. Visitors will always pay respects at this cemetery, but these veterans come looking for a name and remembering faces and voices from a lifetime ago. Today we honor all the veterans of Normandy and all their comrades who never left.

In 2009, Barack Obama said; It is a story that has never come easy, but one that always gives us hope, For as we face down the hardships and struggles of our time, and arrive at that hour for which we were born, we cannot help but draw strength from those moments in history when the best among us were somehow able to swallow their fears and secure a beachhead on an unforgiving shore.

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D-Day Weekend Open Thread

OIF '06-'07-'08 reminds us that tomorrow is the 71st anniversary of the invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe. Some notable historical figures have thing

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 7:44 PM

2015-06-05T19:44:56-04:00

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Jun 5 at 2015 7:59 PM

2015-06-05T19:59:34-04:00

Roughly, "Go time", Start day". Similarly, H-Hour. Hence D+1, H-1, etc.

A marker that time periods are measured against D-Day is day 0, the start date, H-Hour is hour 0.

Response by SSG (ret) William Martin made Jun 5 at 2015 8:53 PM

2015-06-05T20:53:00-04:00

It is somewhere between 1 and 7.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 5 at 2015 10:43 PM

2015-06-05T22:43:06-04:00

A day of all days that we will all remember, June 6, 1944. Especially the Greatest Warriors and brave men and women from this Generation. The D stands for Deployment and is the fourth letter of the English alphabet. Also in Roman characters, the symbol for 500. I myself have never been to Normandy, but I have been to Wake Island, Midway Island, and Iwo Jima Island. S/F, JK

Response by PFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2015 7:19 AM

2015-06-06T07:19:36-04:00

M month, D day, H hour. The exact moment a military operation is to kick off according to the old WWII standard of establishing a date. That is why the 505th PIR of the 82nd Airborne Division is known as H Minus...referring to the fact they jumped in before before the actual D Day Invasion seaborne invasion happened.

Response by Cpl Jeff N. made Jun 8 at 2015 6:42 AM

2015-06-08T06:42:38-04:00

SGT Private RallyPoint Member . I always found it interesting that Eisenhower had drafted a letter in the event the invasion failed. It read:

"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."

Can you imagine the responsibility of putting this entire event together and launching it with the full knowledge it could fail and the fate of Europe would be sealed.

Response by SGT Lawrence Corser made Jun 8 at 2015 4:15 PM

2015-06-08T16:15:23-04:00

Date of action?

Response by Capt Phil Williams made Jun 11 at 2015 4:05 PM

2015-06-11T16:05:16-04:00

In 2013 I visited 3 of the D-Day beaches at Normandy as well as participated in Morning Colors at the American Cemetery. It is a very humbling experience. In addition, I visited the American Cemetery in Luxembourg. American Cemeteries around the world are a true expression for the world to see that "Freedom is not Free" and Americans have gone that extra mile with the spilling of their blood so that others may enjoy the freedom that they have today. Unfortunately, many in the world do not realize the price that Americans have paid.

I would suggest that you take the time to view this short Youtube video to get a better understanding of the sacrifices we have made. Many have been to Arlington Cemetery or to Punchbowl in Hawaii, but these are not on US soil. As General Colin Powell said when challenged about America being a imperialist nation...he said that the only foreign soil we ask for is to bury our dead.

URL "Here's To The Heroes Who Never Came Home" (Time: 3:42)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWB5RXnAecE

Semper Fi
Phil Williams - USMC

Here's to The Heroes Who Never Came Home

A visit to American Military cemeteries around the world

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 6 at 2019 2:21 PM

2019-06-06T14:21:39-04:00

The response that MAJ. Robert Petrarca, is correct. Many have said that the ‘D’ in D-Day means Departure Day or Debarkation Day. But to me it’s the start of a military operation.