# 80th anniversary of D-day is June 6th, 2024 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 3, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440 "2024-06-03T15:44:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/1 "2024-06-03T15:44:17Z")
The largest sea landing ever and nearly all of the participants are gone now. Maybe the most important battle in history. Some readings > **[Normandy landings](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings)** > > Airborne assaultBritish Sector > American Sector > **['I thought, my God, they're ready for us. They know we've arrived' – How...](https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240531-how-ww2s-d-day-began-with-a-death-defying-mission-in-a-wooden-aircraft)** > > Eighty years ago on 6 June, the largest land, air and naval operation in history was unleashed. In 1984, the man who led the mission gave an extraordinary account to the BBC. Some of the notable actors and Celebs that were part of D-Day. Google must know me, the first to are Yogi Berra (Hall of Fame Yankees Catcher) and James Doohan (Scotty of Star Trek), J.D. Salinger, David Niven, Alec Guinness, Charles Durning, Henry Fonda (I didn’t know that), Richard Todd, Bobby Jones (The Golfer), ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/2 "2024-06-03T16:23:22Z")
As an aside, I went on a transatlantic crossing last week (New York to Southampton) and the ship had several men on board who were veterans of the D-Day landings and they gave talks on the ship. Very cool seeing them and listening to them. One was even a Medal of Honor recipient. It was even more poignant to me when I realized that chances are there will be no living vets from that day left within the next few years. That made it even more cool being able to see them. Note: I did not take the trip to see them. That was a surprise to me and a happy one. They were there, on this particular trip, because of this anniversary. AFAIK the ship sponsored the trip for them (at least as far as the voyage went). ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/3 "2024-06-03T17:50:04Z")
The last Pearl Harbor survivor died just a few months ago. We are quickly losing the last of this generation. The youngest person there would be maybe 97 now. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/4 "2024-06-03T18:01:32Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > The youngest person there would be maybe 97 now. Indeed. I did not see all of them (there were not many on the ship…maybe five or six…I didn’t see them all) but IIRC the ages of the three I did see were 97-104. > **[Denver charity returns Normandy survivor to France for D-Day anniversary](https://kdvr.com/d-day-anniversary/normandy-survivor-france-d-day-anniversary/)** > > Some 80 years after he first shoved off for Europe, Steven Melnikoff, 104, is headed back to the battlefield. What a massive effort the D-Day landings were and how critical it was to succeed. Had the landings failed the war and maybe the world would be very different today. It was no small thing. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/5 "2024-06-03T18:16:22Z")
Not to yuck anyone’s yum, but I think it’s a stretch to call D-Day the most important battle in history. Heck, I don’t even think it was the most important battle in WWII. From everything I know about the war (mainly from listening to the _We Have Ways_ podcast), the Axis was 100% going to lose by 1944. If a bunch of things go wrong and D-Day fails, all that does is delay Hitler’s inevitable downfall. (I mean, I guess you could argue that without D-Day, what ends up happening is that the Soviets end up getting to Germany way before the Western allies, and maybe they end up “liberating” much of Western Europe, with massive implications for the postwar years.) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/6 "2024-06-03T18:32:57Z")
I doubt D-Day was the “most important” battle in history (which I interpret as having the greatest impact on the how the world changed because of it). And, of course, we can only ever guess what might have happened had they failed. Almost certainly the war is longer and more people will die as a result. Enough that Germany can get a negotiated surrender instead of an unconditional one? What would that look like? Would the Soviets have gotten Germany on their own and, with no US/GB presence taken the opportunity take Western Europe? It was Stalin and I see no reason why he would not try. They were on a roll at that point. Does the US/GB then continue a war against the Soviets? Imagine it goes on longer and we defeat the Soviets. No Cold War. The world would be very different now. It was definitely a big deal battle. Certainly up there with other important ones. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/7 "2024-06-04T07:01:44Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Enough that Germany can get a negotiated surrender instead of an unconditional one? What would that look like? No, that had been ruled out by all the Allies. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > the Soviets have gotten Germany on their own and, with no US/GB presence taken the opportunity take Western Europe? It was Stalin and I see no reason why he would not try. Quite possibly, as the quickest route to unconditional surrender, but they possibly wouldn’t have been able to maintain substantial control of much of western Europe, or not for long. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/8 "2024-06-04T14:33:21Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Heck, I don’t even think it was the most important battle in WWII. I’d opine that was Midway. The Japanese lost the war at that battle, but just didn’t know it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/9 "2024-06-04T17:04:21Z")
_We won’t forget the force that fought To free foiled France from fascist heel. Such sacrifice shan’t be for nought Won’t win the war, but lose our zeal._ Something can be extremely important and momentous. It doesn’t have to be the _most_ important thing to be appropriately remembered and to be an appreciative reminder. The values that triumphed after D-Day made our country strong. They must not be diminished or forgotten now. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/10 "2024-06-04T17:55:22Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > (I mean, I guess you could argue that without D-Day, what ends up happening is that the Soviets end up getting to Germany way before the Western allies, and maybe they end up “liberating” much of Western Europe, with massive implications for the postwar years.) Well, no, maybe not. D-Day and the Soviet 1944 summer offensive, Operation Bagration, were deliberately timed in the hope German formations would be taken away from the Eastern front immediately prior to the Soviets launching the attack. It worked. If Operation Overlord is a failure - or doesn’t happen - Nazi Germany swings a huge amount of men and materiel back to the East. It’s a bit incorrect to call the _battle_ D-Day. D-Day was just the first day in Operation Overlord; that was the western offensive, the equivalent to Bagration, and to say it went badly for Germany would be a gross understatement. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2024, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/11 "2024-06-04T21:54:19Z")
I still have two commemorative “Debarquement 1944” bottles of wine from the 50th Anniversary. Wonder what they would taste like if I opened them, ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/12 "2024-06-05T00:53:30Z")
Canadian D-Day vet dies the night before he was to leave for Normandy. > **[Canadian veteran dies night before he was set to leave for D-Day anniversary...](https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-d-day-veteran-dies?utm_source=newsshowcase&utm_medium=gnews&utm_campaign=CDAQmJP1k4WkwM0XGOGuosXdkOu_vAEqDwgAKgcICjCZ1o4IMOP7dQ&utm_content=rundown&gaa_at=la&gaa_n=ARTJ-U-8g0M6aEx3YeZWVI60jD_xDs0dUZP247IMJtTBUZVET7KMl1JGSaNfWdkuayRfm5CbXrVmA4UDF5U2&gaa_ts=665fc307&gaa_sig=N1Aoj557mi0lUUcKomuIYKC_MszXkq-x96ztftfdFcjJZIZpcQJiB4zwdz0R-ZEqDOI9tJ8Yp7F3JBirGxP2rw%3D%3D)** > > Bill Cameron's death leaves the Canadian delegation to France with just 13 veterans, between the ages of 99 and 104 ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/13 "2024-06-05T02:50:36Z")
Here’s a gift link to today’s Washington Post article on the weather decisions made at the time. D-day might have been June 2nd, or ended with the fleet and soldiers lost in a huge storm. I found it an interesting read. > **[Opinion | ‘Almost terrifying to contemplate’: Why D-Day nearly didn’t happen](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/06/04/d-day-weather-world-war-ii-oral-history/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzE3NDczNjAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzE4ODU1OTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MTc0NzM2MDAsImp0aSI6IjJmNDM1NTFkLTBjNmYtNDczNC1hNGRjLWNkMTkyMzViMmM4ZCIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9vcGluaW9ucy8yMDI0LzA2LzA0L2QtZGF5LXdlYXRoZXItd29ybGQtd2FyLWlpLW9yYWwtaGlzdG9yeS8ifQ.yAOuI8IyykbydrBnM47ReWSj5-JyKoJLyZkfdSkqgF4&itid=gfta)** > > In early June 1944, poor weather conditions plagued Allied invasion planners. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/14 "2024-06-05T13:21:59Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Would the Soviets have gotten Germany on their own and, with no US/GB presence taken the opportunity take Western Europe? Yes, they’d have absolutely conquered Germany on their own. The Germans still had the bulk of their forces deployed eastward even after the Falaise pocket battle, and after the Battle of the Bulge. They fought like hell to slow the Russians, and while they fought the Allies, it wasn’t quite as vitriolic as the Eastern Front fighting. I don’t know if they’d have gone on to occupy France and the Low Countries. D-Day was definitely a big important battle, but hardly the most important one. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/15 "2024-06-05T14:44:32Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I’d opine that was Midway. The Japanese lost the war at that battle, but just didn’t know it. Many historian put Guadalcanal and the associated naval battles as the turning point of the Pacific War. That’s where the Allies started to go on the offense, and the attrition war really began. I don’t know if you can pick just one battle or campaign as the most important of the whole war. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/16 "2024-06-05T14:51:40Z")
Some personal recollections. Gift link. > **[‘It’s the invasion! It’s D-Day! At last!’ What Canadian soldiers saw on Juno...](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/2c74378c75ce69f3bd05148883e9aa787edbcaa15de44e8517335ccc76bfb73e/5MGPWLLUBVAGVEWUYEC25OSCOE/)** > > Eighty years after a pivotal battle of the Second World War, few of those who fought there are alive to describe what it was like. But by piecing together their accounts from the time, a remarkable story emerges ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2024, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/17 "2024-06-05T16:18:04Z")
This has been playing on BBC TV this week: > **[D-Day: The Unheard Tapes](https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001zg8f/dday-the-unheard-tapes)** > > The story of the biggest seaborne invasion in history, told through rare recordings. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2024, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80th-anniversary-of-d-day-is-june-6th-2024/1002440/18 "2024-06-06T13:31:15Z")
From NPR: > **[Reflections on war past and present permeate D-Day's 80th anniversary](https://www.npr.org/2024/06/05/nx-s1-4993711/d-day-80th-anniversary-world-war-ii-france)** > > Reenactors and world leaders converge this week for World War II commemorations in Normandy, where Ukraine looms large.