D-Day celebrations

[Haliotis]

Watched a little of the programme on GB News - lost interest at seeing constant palm greasing and cheek pecking by the stream of dignitaries.  The event has simply become a jolly for the privileged.  And commentators who were not even born then, speaking as if they were experts of those landings.

We were on a campsite in France during the 75th D-Day anniversary. A couple of fellow Brits (husband and wife) decided to go to Avranche for the celebrations.  They were stopped by the police before they got anywhere near the event, or the invasion beaches. Everything was tight security for the dignitaries.

They returned later, feeling quite disgruntled - saying the celebrations were for high society, not the common people who would probably show more genuine sadness for the dead.

My wife and I have visited several war cemeteries, including Omaha and Thiepval.  The British Commonwealth cemeteries are the most harrowing - you can walk right up to the headstones and read personal script, such as “…only son of…”, with names of 18 - 20 years of age being frighteningly commonplace.   We also visited a German cemetery - not as well kept as the Allied ones - with 29,000 graves in it.

I am not ashamed to admit that we both had tears running down our cheeks  - we are glad to have paid our respects, but we could not face that sadness again.  Unlike the dignitaries, who were exchanging conversation and laughter with no apparent solemnity of the occasion.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Lapel pins, etc are available from the Royal British Legion, RAF Association, etc in commemoration of D-Day 80:

https://www.poppyshop.org.uk/collections/d-day

https://rafa.org.uk/blog/2024/05/21/d-day-80/