Today is the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, the invasion and battle that started on 06 June 1944, lasting until 19 August 1944. In the news today is a story of a GI’s dogtag that finally made it home from Omaha Beach.
From the Dong-a Ilbo: “President of the Families of Abducted and Detained in North Korea, confirmed yesterday at a press conference, ‘A former South Korean soldier surnamed Kim is currently staying in a third country. He crossed the North Korean border at around 10 p.m. on June 14. He joined the South Korean army in August 1951 at age 17. He is now 74 years old.’”
- #GI Korea has an excellent and lengthy post on the background, events, and aftermath of the 2002 accident where a U.S. armored vehicle killed to schoolgirls. I arrived in Korea a few days after the accident, but things didn't start to heat up until two months later, as I was returning to the States.
- #Via Reuters: “…there was strong suspicion a huge shipment of methamphetamines seized at the former U.S. navy base of Subic north of Manila this week came from clandestine drugs laboratories in North Korea.” The Joker took over Batman’s abandoned cave.
- #From TimesOnline: "THE first case of murder and suicide caused by North Korea’s new food crisis has emerged with the account of a man who killed his hungry wife and children and then took his own life in despair." This report can't be confirmed, but it is entirely plausible.
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June 6th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
Denizens of Itaewon’s Seoul Pub can occasionally run into an 82 year old Irish-Brit (now a bloody Yank!) who was there. Ben can usually be spotted wearing his glider regiment association sweater. If you spot him, take the oportunity to shake his hand. Anyone who piloted a glider into Normandy (I believe if was Juno beach for the Brits) on 6 Jun 44 has my vote for the largest stainless steel testicles, however they may have aged.
June 6th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Imagine how today’s press would have reported this! They probably would have tipped off the Germans on exact time and location prior to the invasion. Your linked article has some useful information:
“Clark was one of more than 4,000 American and Allied soldiers killed during intense fighting on D-Day, a crucial turning point in the war. The D-Day Memorial is in Bedford, Va., because that town lost 19 soldiers, the highest per capita loss from any single town in the United States.”
In one day, more Allied casualties than in 4 years in Afghanistan and Iraq. Today’s press would go bonkers!
June 6th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
While stationed in Germany, my drinking buddy and I went to Normandy in 1994 for the 50th anniversary of D-Day. We stayed three days in a several centuries old villa in Colville-Montgomery, of Sword Beach (the town officially appended its name in honor of General Montgomery). As some of the only Americans on a British beach, we were extremely popular, and we were in uniform.
The group of high school kids that latched onto us nearly killed us with drink over three nights. At one point we found ourselves at the home of the grandmother of one of these kids, drinking coffee from an enormous cup at 0400, with the grandmother was chatting us up! When my German landlord saw me shortly after arriving back in the vicinity of K-Town, he said I looked like I’d been in a fight. It took us both awhile to recover, and the drive back was hell.
If Ben ever makes it back to Sword on an anniversary, I’d be willing to bet he’d be treated very, very well.
June 7th, 2007 at 3:28 am
Lirelou,
FYI: It was the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division that landed on Juno. The Brits landed on Sword and Gold.
June 7th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Angus, rrright on yer, laddie! I should gave googled to make sure. (flagellate self with epee and hang head in shame).
June 7th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Lirelou,
If it’s any consolation, I did take a quick look at the beaches before saying I was at Sword in ‘94, and didn’t catch it either.