6th June 1944
 

At 00:15 hrs Double British Summer Time on the 6th June 1944 ( ie 23:15 BST, 5th June ) a glider, piloted by SSgt Jim Wallwark ( Glider Pilots Regiment ) landed 28 men from 2nd Ox and Bucks, 47 meters from Benouville, later Pegasus Bridge.

D Day had begun.

I know .... read about it .... lots of respect ....

er ... what was your point?

It was a spot of flying that is almost impossible to beat for a start. Followed up by a very gallant attack and defense of a critical bridge.

A great example of "ordinary" men doing "extra-ordinary" feats.

In our neighborhood, each year at this time, we stop to remember a Virginia National Guard unit that landed on Omaha Beach all those years ago.

"A" Co, 116th Infantry Regiment, formed from an area surrounding Bedford, Virgina was in the first wave of troops at Omaha Beach. They lost 91 KIA, 64 WIA out of 170 men in the Company, in the first fifteen minutes of landing, and had only 15 men fit for duty at the end of the day.

Bedford, a town of about 3500 people lost 21 sons that day, 19 crossing the beach and 2 more later that day.

SASless, an old school buddy of mine called Alex Kershaw wrote a book recently called the 'Bedford Boys' all about their sacrifice, have you read it?

Checked the date recently?

I will hit the book store tomorrow and see if I can find a copy. Thanks for the heads up. If I can find it...will donate it to the American Legion Post Library.

A bit like 11 November, I always think it's a day to stop and remember. Lots of individual acts of courage and skill, massive losses on Omaha Beach, and ultimately the biggest display of military might the world will ever see.

I suppose a_a's point was that this is the anniversary of the beginning of the end of WWII, thankfully. It should mean everything to all of us.