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K5DH · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:00 pm

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

May we always remember. . .

rwdfresno · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:26 pm

Glad to post for all to remember.

A few more of the days following the invasion when the soldiers finally got to rejoice in the fact that they were still alive. As evidenced by the rest of the pictures there wasn't much time for play. There was still a big effort to make it to Berlin which meant bringing in millions of tons of fuel, oil, tires, food, rail cars, building supplies etc as well as building rail roads, docks, bridges, and air strips. They shipped in entire railroads days after the invasion to rebuild all of the infrastructure that was destroyed. You can see how completely destroyed much of the country was. It must have been a horrifying for all involved especially the displaced civilians.

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2007 8:20 am

What kind of aircraft is this?

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:54 am

The photo sequence set my heart racing, then my right hand saluting.

TimAPNY · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2007 12:26 pm

Rob Mears wrote:

What kind of aircraft is this?

Looks like a mock up of a Me-108, at least tha is my guess. It doesn't look real to me.

Great pictures!

Tim

John Beyl · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2007 12:47 pm

The first thing that always comes to mind after looking at pictures like those is, "Thanks guys. I'm here today because you were there and willing to put your life on the line back then."

The only way we can repay a debt like that is to do our best to remember the sacrifices they made, keep America the great country it is, and never let something like WWII happen again.

John
CAF P-51C
CC

WWW.redtail.org

Greg87 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2007 10:28 pm

Wow. Great pictures, both sets. Hard to believe that a lot of the people in those pictures were my age (19) or close to it, I can't imagine how I'd be in their situation. I think this picture struck me the most

rwdfresno wrote:

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These guys have just been through total hell, they have been in a situation I'm glad I'll never have to face which is kill or be killed, they have lost their friends, family, and here they are taking part in a church service, seems kind of ironic, to me at least.

rwdfresno · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:06 am

Risking turning this into a political debate (and if it does I will just delete the pictures because I don't want to get in a conversation of that sort in a tribute to these men), for someone with deeply held religious beliefs this is the exact time when you sit down and have a conversation with your maker. You want to make things right now because there may not be a tomorrow. "Praise the lord and pass the ammunition" was the old saying.

muddyboots · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:16 am

there should never be anything political about faith and there is not here. These men are using their faith to strengthen themselves, and for comfort. Nothing to apologize or explain.
Ryan, thank you for posting these.

airnutz · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:17 am

TimAPNY wrote:

Rob Mears wrote:

What kind of aircraft is this?

Looks like a mock up of a Me-108, at least tha is my guess. It doesn't look real to me.

Great pictures!

Tim

Maybe more exactly a decoy Me-109 Emil, Tim? Not too real looking on the ground, but
to a fighter pilot on a sweep it may appear real enough to expend valuable ammo
while the real bird is hidden behind cover, or a row of them may be convincing enough to fool
Allied Intell or act as bait for a AAA trap. We used similar ruses before and after D-Day.

I'll never spell or speak the word Grunt without insisting it's spelled with a capital G.
Anyone who live in the mud, heat, cold, bugs n' bullets, crap your brains out because of the water purification
malaria tabs and fear...AND carry the battle to the foe...has my utmost respect!!!
The fact those Grunts did so and WON!! is mind-boggling and awe-inspiring!

Great photos..thank-you! Lest we forget!

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:04 am

in ww 2 my dad was an army infantryman in the pacific. when the movie saving private ryan came out my mom wanted to see it. my dad said no, he had already saw it. thats as cut & dry as it gets.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 1:06 am

by the way....... very poignant d day pics...... some i've never seen. thanks.

JDK · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:56 am

airnutz wrote:

TimAPNY wrote:

Rob Mears wrote:

What kind of aircraft is this?

Looks like a mock up of a Me-108, at least tha is my guess. It doesn't look real to me.

Great pictures!

Tim

Maybe more exactly a decoy Me-109 Emil, Tim? Not too real looking on the ground, but
to a fighter pilot on a sweep it may appear real enough to expend valuable ammo
while the real bird is hidden behind cover, or a row of them may be convincing enough to fool
Allied Intell or act as bait for a AAA trap. We used similar ruses before and after D-Day.
...
Great photos..thank-you! Lest we forget!

Veeeery interesting. It's clearly a decoy 109; however what's odd is a decoy being made to accurately represent an early 1930s Bf-109 - B, C or D being made or used in 1944. At the least, were it an old one, you'd expect them to change it to a three bladed prop. Sure it's a decoy, but why make it accurate for the wrong period? Even the Swastika on the tail is the pre-war position (on the hinge line, rather than on the fin).

109B. Note the wide radiator and two-blade prop.

109 V7 (prototype)

109Bs with metal and wooden props.

Something doesn't add up there. Intriguing.

airnutz · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:00 am

JDK wrote:

airnutz wrote:

TimAPNY wrote:

Rob Mears wrote:

What kind of aircraft is this?

Looks like a mock up of a Me-108, at least tha is my guess. It doesn't look real to me.

Great pictures!

Tim

Maybe more exactly a decoy Me-109 Emil, Tim? Not too real looking on the ground, but
to a fighter pilot on a sweep it may appear real enough to expend valuable ammo
while the real bird is hidden behind cover, or a row of them may be convincing enough to fool
Allied Intell or act as bait for a AAA trap. We used similar ruses before and after D-Day.
...
Great photos..thank-you! Lest we forget!

Veeeery interesting. It's clearly a decoy 109; however what's odd is a decoy being made to accurately represent an early 1930s Bf-109 - B, C or D being made or used in 1944. At the least, were it an old one, you'd expect them to change it to a three bladed prop. Sure it's a decoy, but why make it accurate for the wrong period? Even the Swastika on the tail is the pre-war position (on the hinge line, rather than on the fin).

109B. Note the wide radiator and two-blade prop.

109 V7 (prototype)

109Bs with metal and wooden props.

Something doesn't add up there. Intriguing.

James..only you could come up with that, you anal-retentive old Git! No 3-blade prop,wide lower cowl..no Emil. Perhaps some poor beleagured German
supply sargeant finally cleared-out some New Old Stock he'd been carrying on the
shelves since the Spanish Civil War? Might not add up for you and I but maybe
he was able to finally clear his books in'44!!!

airnutz · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 4:17 am

airnutz wrote:

JDK wrote:

airnutz wrote:

TimAPNY wrote:

Rob Mears wrote:

What kind of aircraft is this?

Looks like a mock up of a Me-108, at least tha is my guess. It doesn't look real to me.

Great pictures!

Tim

Maybe more exactly a decoy Me-109 Emil, Tim? Not too real looking on the ground, but
to a fighter pilot on a sweep it may appear real enough to expend valuable ammo
while the real bird is hidden behind cover, or a row of them may be convincing enough to fool
Allied Intell or act as bait for a AAA trap. We used similar ruses before and after D-Day.
...
Great photos..thank-you! Lest we forget!

Veeeery interesting. It's clearly a decoy 109; however what's odd is a decoy being made to accurately represent an early 1930s Bf-109 - B, C or D being made or used in 1944. At the least, were it an old one, you'd expect them to change it to a three bladed prop. Sure it's a decoy, but why make it accurate for the wrong period? Even the Swastika on the tail is the pre-war position (on the hinge line, rather than on the fin).

109B. Note the wide radiator and two-blade prop.

109 V7 (prototype)

109Bs with metal and wooden props.

Something doesn't add up there. Intriguing.

James..only you could come up with that, you anal-retentive old Git! No 3-blade prop,wide lower cowl..no Emil. Perhaps some poor beleagured Germansupply sargeant finally cleared-out some New Old Stock he'd been carrying on the
shelves since the Spanish Civil War? Might not add up for you and I but maybe he was able to finally clear his books in'44!!!

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