Now that is one heck of a retirement gift. Good call!

Is it easy to drive around that area? Which is the best town/ village for a base?

thank u for ur service

Thank you for your service!

Make sure you get back there again before the time passes. I try and go most yesrs, besutoful part of the world and I absolutely love it there.

I had a very similar experience. We ran into a French family at the bunkers below the American cemetery. The father talked to us about the veterans that he'd met over the years and told us that we are always welcome there. It's quite the place. Thanks for watching and for the extra insight.

@@TheHistoryUnderground ...thank you for creating this channel. In my opinion, WWII is the most important event in World History and you've inspired me to travel to these destinations to see history with my own eyes. I'm praying my wife will want to come along as well.

@@TheHistoryUnderground Experiences may differ ofcourse, but if you'd look up the bombing campaign leading up on D-day, you'd understand that some people who were there could have mixed emotions. Estimations of up to 50000 civilians casualties leading upto and after Normandy campaign.

Yes they do remember, and still have not forgotten the sacrifices that were made to liberate the French people from the tyranny of the German Occupation. I was privileged enough to have been a soldier with the 29th infantry division from 1989-2009, and walked along that very stretch of beach for the 60th anniversary of D-Day, it truly was a day that I will never forget.

@@dutchdelights unfortunately the civilian casualties were high due to the fact that no warnings of ANY kind could be given for obvious reasons. It has been said, and is true. The cost of freedom does not come cheap, a sacrifice in blood must be paid. The only prevention is the eternal vigilance of a people to never allow their freedom to be compromised by anyone from their own land or from another. Compromise now will be paid in blood at a later date. This is why it is so very important to honor and remember the events and sacrifice made by millions to stop the evil that descended upon Europe, and the world during WW2. As happens all to often with history, if it is forgotten we as a people will be DOOMED to repeat it. And in this case that can not be allowed to ever happen. As it would spell the end of civilization as we know it today.

It does give some perspective. Thanks.

My son turns 18 on Sunday and so many folks in my very upper middle class suburb are beside themselves that their kids won’t be able to have a graduation ceremony due to the lockdown this year, completely losing all perspective. I keep reminding my son what those 18 year olds had to miss out on to free Europe and, thankfully, he agrees that he is very lucky.

Yeah, but you also have to think of how some of the freedom they fought for has been lost to corporate greed and fear of terrorism. My father who was part of the greatest generation complained in his dieing days about how things are in this country, how there are no unions anymore, how almost everything is made in China, how the rich have gotten so rich, how there are so many homeless (many of them veterans which I sometimes helped on my lunch break at a veterans center near my former job) and how the government has been eavesdropping on all of our phone conversations since 9/11 due to the "Patriot" Act. All of this from a man who never complained and always told me to not complain, but instead work towards making things right. Which I continue to do despite taking some of my fathers complaints to heart, because I feel as though I have in some way failed to prevent some of these things from happening by not joining or starting a union, or not writing my Congressmen or President enough. Sorry if this was kind of long, but I feel strongly about how American workers are being taken advantage of, and the middle class seems to be disappearing especially with many right now being furloughed or laid off because of COVID 19, but still having to pay their mortgages which in many states UI does not pay enough to cover. Fortunately my father taught me to be a saver, because of what he went through during the Great Depression so I am personally getting by just fine.

Well said

I hated workimg until I became a multi millionaire

Yes the beaches were huge and far apart. Brave day.

Your grandfather must've been some guy I have been visiting the area since 2012 and still find things that amaze me and the courage and bravery of all the allied soldiers. You earn so much respect for their sacrifices and I have been very lucky to meet the veterans who took part the 75th Anniversary was something else 💕

@@PaulSpencerImages2012 Thank you, Paul. He was amazing, and I miss him so much. I must say that every time we visited France we were treated like royalty by the locals too, despite the carnage and their own losses involved in June '44, and often found our money was useless. I'll never forget parking up out little Golf convertible almost under the Eiffel Tower, and a Gendarme coming to move us on. Dad explained he was a D-Day vet, and he couldn't have been any more welcoming and gracious! I think we could've parked on the grass there that day! LOL

Oh wow. Hopefully this video could provide a few visuals to go with the stories.

Thank you for your families service. Yes it is hallowed ground.

Godspeed to your father.

I fully understand your feelings. My dad landed on Omaha that morning with the 147th combat engineers, 6th engineers special brigade. He told me many stories about WW2 when i was too young to understand the magnitude of what he & the world went through. He passed at the age of 90 in 2013. When he was alive I'd buy him a bottle of good Irish whiskey every june 6th. Now I can only put a flag on his grave every june 6th. You & I have much to be proud of.🇺🇸🇺🇸

Wow. Imagine the stories that he must've had. Thanks!

Pretty hard when you put yourself I. Their shoes. Must’ve been a tough time.

I'm Canadian as well. My dad's cousin James Machan was born in Saskatchewan but they moved to Washington state. He became a US Ranger and died at the Omaha area at Point du Hoc on DDay. So there was at least one Canadian born soldier that died in the Omaha section.

Very much so!

Thanks for those words. Can't imagine what it must've been like.

I made a mistake, Donald Burgett, not Robert

Thank you. That really does mean a lot. The original purpose of me doing these videos was to connect high school students with these historic places. Like you said, the experience is really sobering. Especially when you see families enjoying themselves on the beach and knowing what those men did in 1944 to allow that to happen.

Those guys are legends. Glad that the video was able to connect. I hope that your family enjoys it as well.

@@TheHistoryUnderground The Bedford Boys, as they have been called, 1-116th 29th Division. "29 Let's Go!"

SLA Marshall had an article in The Atlantic, November 1960 titled “First Wave at Omaha Beach “. Awesome read. About Able and Baker companies, 116 Infantry, 29th Division.

Everyone is an offspring of that generation

I wonder if he knew Russell Pickett! The only remaining member of Company A and a dear friend of mine!

Oh wow! Thanks!

Hard to believe, isn't it?

The History Underground Total respect for the Allied invasion. However, I’ve often wondered if we could have landed at a less fortified location a mile or so either way than at Omaha Beach. We knew that certain beach areas were less heavily defended than others. We knew in advance Omaha was going to be the worst area.

No one took into account the courage of free men that day

Dang! He sure saw some things then. Wow.

thank you...pass a great thank you to your dad if alive

Vance D. High Died 6/2004, at age 81.

@@johnmorris7209 sounded like a great guy

Ethan Walton - Bedford is pretty high on my list of places to go.

Amen

@@TheHistoryUnderground Hey , you add some goods tunes to your vids , maybe you could give the track names in the description ., cheers , great work , keep keeping on ...

Wayne andrews - Thanks! I’ve had a small but vocal minority that seems to hate my music choices 😅. I’ll start posting the track names in the future.

@@TheHistoryUnderground not everyone has taste , you see , thanks , take it easy & stay safe , cuz ...

@@TheHistoryUnderground I second the comment Wayne made..the music is awesome may have to go back with Shasam and get them that way. 🙂

Ha! Well I’m glad it worked out that way. Thanks for watching.

Same here

Not a coincidence your phone spied on you

Thanks. Probably an average documentary filmmaker at best though :)

The fact that children are playing there now is a fitting tribute to the tremendous sacrifices made by all the soldiers!

It really is an amazing place. Hope to get back there someday myself.

Exactly. I have another video where I get up on the bluffs and overlook the entire beach from the eastern side. The scale is unbelievable.

@@TheHistoryUnderground love your videos btw. I hope to go back someday and explore a bit more in depth. I feel like we are walking in the footsteps of giants at places like these. It is hard to describe. The Huertgen is my ultimate goal.

@@ericharmon7163 - Thanks. I really do appreciate that. Especially coming from a fellow history enthusiast. And yes, I'm really hoping to get to the Huertgen someday myself.

Yes I agree. The distance between the beaches were quite staggering. You wouldn’t know unless you actually visited.

So true

Wow. Thank you for sharing that. Must have been something else.

Amazing what those men accomplished 🇮🇪

Amazing what those men accomplished 🇮🇪

Yea.. weren't they the ones that 'walked' out onto the beach and had a smoke🤔

Christpher R Fritz no they were the ones which revived the only medal for conspicuous gallantry they were the only regiment that saw their entire force hit Normandy by beach or gliders also the same men who fought Sicily silerno and monte casino

Respect.

Thanks. I really appreciate that. It is definitely humbling to stand in those places. Hope to go back someday.

Very much so. That’s part of why this channel exists.

Gary Marquis I visited the Dday landing beaches in 2015 with my dad. He isn’t with us anymore and I’m so glad we did it.

Frenchy, brave smart German soldiers should have turned their gunsights on the subhuman filth known as hitler. Only then would they have been honorable to me.

Thanks! Glad that the videos could add an extra layer to what you already know. Always glad to share the experiences with a fellow history buff.

Outstanding book. Glad that I could share the experience.

First, thank you for your service. Second, I cannot fathom what went through their heads approaching those beaches.

I appreciate that. Glad you are enjoying the videos!

A lot of those guys carry heavy burdens their entire lives. Can’t even imagine.

Hard to say. I'll bet that it's a bunch.

There's nothing to be found there now. It's been totally cleaned up years ago.

@natesway34 one day I hope to go and see for myself.

Very much so. Those things were vicious.

I’ve thought about that often.

Allied ships *

Bedford is actually quite high on my list of places to visit. I loved the book The Bedford Boys by Alex Kershaw and have wanted to visit ever since. Glad that you enjoyed the video and that it filled in some gaps for you :)

Definitely a humbling experience. Thanks so much for the kind words.

Pretty amazing place

Glad that the videos could rekindle some good memories. It’s quite the place. Thanks 🙏🏼

Amen to that.

Sean - Exactly why this channel exists.

Well said. Thank you.

Thank you! It's my pleasure.

Oh wow. We missed each other by just a few weeks. Quite the humbling place.

The History Underground Yes, it’s a terrible place, but beautiful physically and spiritually. The best and worst of humankind encapsulated in a few grains of sand. Whenever I visit the beaches, I just cannot take it all in, most especially the bravery, horror and sacrifice. I doubt that I would have met the challenge...

🙏🏼

Can't help but to be humbled when walking those places. Thanks for the kind words.

Wow, thank you! That's some pretty high praise but I think that you might have Ken Burns and I ranked upside down :) Glad that you are enjoying the videos.

German soldiers should have been plotting and succeeding to assassinate the subhuman filth known as hitler. Then they would have been real heroes.

Of any place that I've ever been, it's my favorite. So much weight there.

@@usernn9891 huh?

Totally agree! My only issue is that as soon as I left, I wanted to go back. Thanks!

Wow. Can't imagine what it was like for those guys.

🙏🏼

Thanks for the kind words and thanks for watching. I figure that all of us who are participating on this channel are helping to keep history alive.

I've had that idea. Need to get a website up and running :)

Thanks! Feel free to share with any other WWII buffs that you may know 🙂

Thanks. That means a lot. Hopefully this can serve as a positive during a difficult time.

My pleasure! Kind of cool to see that actual site of the landing.

Amen to that.

Thanks for watching!

Oh man. That would’ve been cool. Glad that the video could bring back some good memories.

🙏🏼

Why I do it. Trying to do a small part to keep history alive and shine a light on it for others.

🙏🏼

That’s the main reason that I make them. Would appreciate any help in spreading the word !

I hear you. Hopefully the videos help to paint a picture of what you can look for when you do go. Thanks!

Thanks! I really do appreciate that. It's a pretty moving place for sure. I'm really wanting to get over to the UK at some point. Just gotta find the means to do it. Tons of history in your part of the world though.