Pocketfisherman's D-DAY 65th anniversary trip

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Pocketfisherman

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Lots of stories from 65 anniversary events, stay tuned! Back from France tomorrow, 700 plus pictures. I will offer a full report in a couple of days. I liberated 2 1911 mags and original GI issue belt and pouch from a French dealer. Canada Customs should be fun...
 
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This will be great! My wife and I were on Omaha Beach at 6am on June 6th in 2002...it was literally filled with reenactors and vets. We walked the beach with a US Navy demolitions man whose job it was to clear obstacles for incoming craft and tanks. What an experience!
 
Pocketfisherman said:
Lots of stories from 65 anniversary events, stay tuned! Back from France tomorrow, 700 plus pictures. I will offer a full report in a couple of days. I liberated 2 1911 mags and original GI issue belt and pouch from a French dealer. Canada Customs should be fun...
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Just got back from Normandy myself. Spend a week at a French chateau very near Ste Marie du Mont from June 4 - 11. Was at Juno Beach on June 6th for the ceremony there. Toured the general area as well. Also liberated some US kit from various locations in the vicinity.

Wonder if we were at Ste Mere Eglise or Dead Man's Corner at the same time & didn't know it?
:eek:

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NAA.
 
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That's very cool NAA, we should have meet there!

I was in Ste Mere Eglise the morning of June 6th and at Ste Marie Du Mont in the afternoon.

I may go back next year again. I am still going through all of my pics and writing a short report, it was a very emotional and exciting time as it was my first time in Normandy.

Here are some teaser shots until I can get organized.

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NAA said:
Just got back from Normandy myself. Spend a week at a French chateau very near Ste Marie du Mont from June 4 - 11. Was at Juno Beach on June 6th for the ceremony there. Toured the general area as well. Also liberated some US kit from various locations in the vicinity.

Wonder if we were at Ste Mere Eglise or Dead Man's Corner at the same time & didn't know it? :eek:
Click to expand...
 
I visited Normandy 21 yrs ago and spent time on the beaches,but quite a bit more inland re-walking the various Cdn/UK/US battlefields ending up in the Caen-Falaise area.

I was on leave from a long UN tour in Syria at the time. Our PK force included a contingent of Polish troops.There was a Polish armd div under command of the Canadian Army in Normandy and I made a point of visiting and photographing the Polish memorial on Mt Omel in the Coudhard area where the Poles had a very tough fight to keep the Falaise gap sealed. When I showed the photos,complete with plaques in Polish,to the Poles on my return it was a complete surprise to them.They had been raised under the communist regieme and thought that all of their fighting had been done beside the Russians.

Normandy is a must see for any Canadian,especially a student of our military history.I had my 16 year old daughter with me and she was overwhelmed on seeing the grave markers of the 18-19 year old dead in our cemetaries.
 
PF - Very cool pics. I checked the one from Ste Marie du Mont but didn't see me in it...lol...

But in your 4th pic the 82nd airborne vet is Bob Bearden, 507 PIR. I met him at the paradrop site just south of Ste Marie du Mont on June 5th. He signed a copy of his book "To D-Day and Back" for me. Also saw him and his wife visiting at the American Cemetary again on June 7th.

I will post some of my pics when I sort through them..... took about 2,800 pics over 3 weeks of touring Holland, Belgium and France.

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NAA.
 
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Great photos - you really have an eye for interesting and varied shots. I felt like I was right there with your crowd / people photos.

Thanks for taking the time. I look forward to any other photos you or others might share.

I need to go over there sometime myself. Maybe in the next 2 years.
 
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