D Day June 6, 1944 (Re-Visited)

     Okay,..I know every year about this time I post something about the event that happened seventy years ago,..but I think it is the most important date of the twentieth century. Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan banded together to try and conquer the world. The Germans had better tanks, planes, and small arms than anyone, yet still lost to the industrial might of the United States.
    The invasion of Normandy by the Allies marked the beginning of the end for Germany and that is the jest of this posting.
    I heard a good simile about the invasion that I had never heard before. Transporting 180,000 troops across the English Channel to the invasion site was the equivalent of taking every man, woman, and child in the Wisconsin towns of Green Bay, Racine, and Kenosha and transporting them across Lake Michigan to the eastern bank overnight. It was that big of an operation and all done secretly.
   This is what the map of the channel and the invasion beaches looked like:

       England (top of map) is closest to northern France between the two cities of Dover, England and Calais, France...but that is where the Germans expected the invasion and they placed heavy forces in that area. The invasion site was divided into five beach fronts among the Allies. The countries of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Belgium, Holland, Australia, Poland, Greece, France, Czechoslovakia, Norway, and New Zealand made up the invasion forces. The beaches were code named Gold, Sword, Juno, Utah, and Omaha. Utah & Omaha would be the responsibility of the United States.
    Most of the world leaders during World War II have died over the years, but one remains.

      Franklin D. Roosevelt led the U.S. through most of the war, Winston Churchill led the British, Joseph Stalin was head of Russia, and all have passed away. Queen Elizabeth was a Princess during the war but joined the Womens Army Corp and worked in the transportation department. Working mostly as a driver, she also was said to have worked on the jeeps and tanks without complaint. She is 88 years old now, but plans to attend the 70th anniversary ceremonies at Normandy. In the above she tours one of the many veteran cemeteries in England.
    One of the more iconic photos of the invasion is this one:

     If you saw the movie 'Saving Private Ryan' you know the intense fire the invasion forces faced the moment the ramp went down on the landing craft. Soldiers were vomiting in their nervousness for the moment. Anyone who said they were not scared is either lying or a complete fool. In the photo the troops are in waist deep water, but others went into the surf over their heads, and they were carrying over eighty pounds of equipment on their backs. Many drowned before they even got to the beach.
     The airborne troopers of the American 101st and 82nd Divisions, along with the English 6th Airborne Division, dropped behind the beaches to cut off any German reinforcement of the beach fortifications. At six-thirty in the morning of June 6, 1944 the Germans awoke to find almost six thousand ships launching invasion forces off the Normandy coastline.

       While the Allies controlled the skies, it was still a nightmare to face German guns that had four years to prepare for this day. Omaha beach was as bad as Dante's Inferno as America lost almost ten thousand soldiers in the first three hours of the invasion...but despite the loss of most tanks and artillery to the choppy seas, the infantry units prevailed and dominated the beachhead. 
    Above you can see how the beaches looked that day in 1944, but what about today?

       This is a recent photo of Gold Beach where the English and Canadian troops came ashore. The sandy beaches are some of the best in Northern France.
     German General Erwin Rommel was in charge of the 'Atlantic Wall' and supervised over one hundred thousand land mines planted along the beach as well as concrete fortifications for artillery and machine guns. He was adamant about stopping the invasion forces on the beach and not allowing them a foothold on Europe.

    This photo was taken on D-Day plus three after the Allies had broken through the wall and more troops were pouring ashore. This is one of the concrete bunkers than housed a 40-millimeter artillery piece that was zeroed in on the invasion beaches..

      This is the same bunker as it looks today... Visitors can check the inside and surrounding 'fields of fire' from the bunker.

      Here an American P-47 Thunderbolt lies among the debris after being shot down by friendly forces, despite the 'Normandy Stripes' painted on the plane. The seawall to the right of the photo saved many men from the intense machine gun fire that raked the beaches that day..

      Here is the same section of the beach as it looks today... The seawall is still there and doing its job.
     The English forces of General Bernard Montgomery were responsible for taking the city of Caen, but it turned out to be more than expected. The Germans had moved two SS divisions to Caen just before the invasion, so the Allies had to bomb the city for almost a month until the Germans pulled back.

   The ancient city was almost leveled by the constant bombing as British Tommies finally are able to take over..  The seventy years since the war have been good for Caen as it has returned to its glorious self. Here is a photo taken from almost the same position.

    Omaha beach was the most intensive of the five fronts, but all had some foreign defenders in the fortifications. Captured Romanian, Hungarian, Russian, and Czech forces had been given the option of fighting for Germany or being killed. They were only too happy to surrender to the Americans at the first opportunity when their German supervisors were killed.

     In the first three days after the invasion over fifty thousand prisoners had been captured by the Allies....and they had to be fed and injuries taken care of by medical personnel. 

    This is the same area where the prisoner compound was built in 1944. Today it is surrounded by orchards on all sides.

       If it had not been for the seawall most experts say the forces at Omaha Beach would probably have been annihilated. The hail of bullets and grenades was so intense that for the first time in the history of conflict, the forces under fire had to run toward the guns instead of away from them to find shelter.

      The seawall is still visible at Omaha Beach today but is starting to crumble.
     America didn't want to be a part of World War II, but was forced into it by the actions of Germany and Japan. Some of the countries of the world have a bad opinion of the U.S. today, but America never set out to conquer any land for territorial gain. We only came to free others from the yoke of tyranny. I believe that would apply to American military forces today. I served in Vietnam, and despite it being a beautiful country, I never ever thought about living there. It is sort of like taking up for the little guy on the playground and facing the bully for him.
God Bless America...and Thanks to all World War II veterans...You truly are the 'Great Generation of Americans.'

     
     
  

Triple Crown Hopeful

    With the most recent win by 'California Chrome', speculation over the possibility of a Triple Crown winner is already building. The Triple Crown races are the most popular races and have the largest purses attached to them. It begins with The Kentucky Derby in Louisville, followed two weeks later by The Preakness at Baltimore, Maryland, and then after a three week break, The Belmont Stakes in New York.
   Thus far in 2014 California Chrome has won the first two Triple Crown races.

      California Chrome won the Derby by a couple of lengths, and the Preakness by a larger margin, but now comes the real test for endurance. Did I mention the races get longer with each outing? The Kentucky Derby is a mile and a quarter,...The Preakness is a mile and three-sixteens,.. and the Belmont is a mile and a half. If California Chrome does indeed capture the Triple Crown, it would mark the first time we have had a colt win all three since 1978 when 'Affirmed' won the coveted title.
    The American population has changed a lot since the 1970's, so let me bring you up to speed on just how great some of these earlier winners actually were.
    'Alydar' was suppose to be the favorite for the sport in 1978 but Affirmed upset the fav and won the Kentucky Derby going away. Two weeks later The Preakness was a better race for both colts as they traded the lead with Affirmed winning by a neck at the finish line.

 At the Belmont, both horses started slow to conserve energy, but the last mile was one of the fastest on record as Affirmed pulled away to capture the crown. It was the third fastest Belmont in history,....  and that brings me to the real reason for this posting...
     The greatest horse I ever saw race was 'Secretariat'... the giant colt out of Claiborne Farms. Fathered by 'Bold Ruler', Secretariat was head and shoulders above the crowd in 1973 when he won all of the Triple Crown races. Born March 30, 1970, the chestnut brown colt had three white socks and a white star on his forehead. Five names were submitted to the United States Jockey Club for the newborn colt, but all five were turned down. Secretary Elizabeth Ham of Claiborne Farms is credited with submitting the name finally accepted. Little did they know it would be a name to go down in history as the greatest horse to ever race.
    A so-so career as a two-year old would be recorded by the giant chestnut stallion, but that only baited the hook for the following season. At the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Secretariat broke from the gates dead last...and still won by two and a half lengths at the finish, becoming the first horse to run the Derby in less than two minutes.  At the Preakness it was almost the same thing as Secretariat came out of the gates last and topped the field by two lengths at the end. 'Sham' was second and 'Our Native' third.

 
   The build-up for the Belmont Stakes was really frantic. No horse had won the Triple Crown in 25 years. Secretariat's photo was on the cover of Time Magazine, Newsweek Magazine, and Sports Illustrated the week of the race. The one and a half mile Belmont took the rest of the field out of it as Secretariat won by 31 lengths and was pulling away. Six thousand ticket holders from that race kept their tickets as souvenirs rather than redeem them for winnings. The average size of a thoroughbred horses heart is nine pounds, BUT when he died in 1989 the autopsy showed Secretariat's heart weighed twenty-two pounds..
     I only got to see the above races on television but there was no comparison when they paraded the horses on the paddock to the starting gates. Secretariat was gigantic and obviously stuck out from the crowd... He was the greatest that ever was !! 

Editor's Update:   There was NO triple crown winner this year as California Chrome finished in a tie for fourth place at the Belmont Stakes race in New York. 'Tonalist' won the race, 'Commissioner' was second, and 'Medal Count' came in third. It has been 36 years since the last Triple Crown winner, but there will not be one in 2014.
     

2014 Dallas Cowboys Draft Picks

     After recording seasons of eight wins and eight losses over the past three seasons, it was time for the Dallas Cowboys to get serious at making some changes to the team. Dallas had the 16th pick in the first round of the college draft and for the third year in a row they went for help to the offensive line, picking Zack Martin of Notre Dame University..

      Martin is 6'4" and 310 pounds,..and can play any position on the offensive line. Named to the 2012 All-America team, he was also named offensive lineman of the year four times at South Bend. Durability is also a strong suit with Martin as he never missed a game in four years at Notre Dame.
    Dallas made national news with the departure of All-Pro DeMarcus Ware earlier this year, but in the second round of the draft the Cowboys picked another DeMarcus..   DeMarcus Lawrence of Boise State.

      Lawrence is 6'3 and 251 pounds with good speed and quickness. He bypassed his senior year and came out a year early to turn professional. He was named Most Valuable Player in 2013 for Boise State and was quick to say his family back home in Virginia has always been fans of the Dallas Cowboys. Coaches say he has a good chance to start at Ware's old spot at defensive end.
    Dallas did not have a pick in the third round of the college draft, but in the fourth round again went for help to the defense with linebacker Anthony Hitchens out of Iowa.

     Hitchens is 6'1 and 240 pounds... He also was the MVP for the Hawkeyes in 2013. He led the team in tackles, recording 112. He dropped ball carriers for a loss 13 times and forced two fumbles. He could compete with Bruce Carter on the weakside for the Cowboys.
      In the 5th round of the draft, Dallas looked to add to the stable of wide receivers when they selected Devin Street from the University of Pittsburgh..

      Street is 6'3 and 198 pounds... Coaches say he has good size and long arms. He recorded over 50 catches per season for the last three years as a Panther. He is the school's all-time leading receiver with 202 catches in his college career. He will have plenty of competition for a job as Dallas currently has a plethora of wide outs. Free Agent LaRon Byrd just signed with Dallas, and he joins Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Dwayne Harris, Jamar Newsome, Lance Lewis, and Tim Benford.
     The Cowboys did not have a pick in the 6th round of the draft, but did have 5 selections in the 7th round and went for defensive players with all 5 picks. Dallas had the worst defense in the NFL in 2013 and they were serious about improving it.
     With the 231st overall selection the Cowboys went for defensive end Ben Gardner of Stanford University.

      Gardner is 6'4 and 277 pounds... He was the team captain for the Cardinal and was named to the All Pac12 Conference team. His senior season Gardner recorded 19 tackles..7 of them for losses and he sacked opposing quarterbacks 5 times. At the combine he impressed coaches with a vertical leap of 39.5 inches. Cowboy Head Coach Jason Garrett said Gardner will be one of those players hard to keep off the field.
       With the 238th overall pick, Dallas took Texas Tech linebacker Will Smith...

      Not to be confused with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air,.. This Will Smith is 6'2 and 231 pounds of hard hitting high-plains football. He played all 13 games his senior year in Lubbock and recorded 120 tackles. He had 18 tackles in the game against Texas alone. A native of the state of Michigan, Smith said his family has always been fans of the Dallas Cowboys and everyone is excited over his future.
     Next, Dallas tried to shore up a defensive secondary that was picked apart by opposing quarterbacks in 2013. With the 248th overall selection, Dallas picked Baylor University's All-American safety Ahmad Dixon.

       The Waco, Texas native is 6 foot and 212 pounds. He was a four year starter for the Bears and ran a 4.39 forty yard dash at the scouting combine. Dixon was First Team All-Big 12 with what coaches call great 'first step speed.' He played all 13 games his senior year recording 81 tackles, broke up 6 passes, and had one interception. Cowboy coach Jason Garrett described him as an extremely 'hard hitter.' Dixon was very emotional at being picked by the Cowboys, his favorite team since he was a small boy.
      With the 251st overall pick Dallas turned to Northern Illinois University for defensive line help... in the form of Ken Bishop.

       Bishop is 6'1 and 308 pounds of defensive tackle. He played nose-guard for the Huskies and recorded 165 tackles his last two years of college football. Bishop is a First Team All-MAC performer and Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli says Bishop reminds him of a young Warren Sapp. 
     With the 254th overall and last selection for the Cowboys, they went to the pacific northwest and tabbed University of Oregon cornerback Terrance Mitchell.

      Mitchell is 5'11 and 192 pounds...He started every game for the last three years for the Ducks... intercepting 7 passes and knocking down 32 other attempts. His college coaches call him a dream come true. When notified he had been selected by the Dallas Cowboys, Mitchell said, "It's a dream come true for me."
       On paper it looks like an extremely good draft for Dallas, but the proof is in the pudding. All of the selections will be in Dallas for the first time in June and that is when the real evaluations will begin.

Happy Mother's Day...

      I have written some of this in past Mother's Day postings,..but it is the same feelings I get each year at this time, so please forgive me if you have heard this story before.
    I am a war baby, having been born in 1942 before my Dad was called to the Army in World War II. He joined six of my uncles in the war against Germany, Italy, and Japan. All returned home safely and lived full lives. I wish the same could be said of my mother.

     This is a photo of my Mom and Dad, taken shortly after his return from the war. He was six feet four inches tall and looking a little gaunt from army chow. My Dad lived until 1968 and was a single parent father to me.... but this story deals with my Mom.

      She came from a family of six brothers and one sister, and they all agree, she was the flower of the family. A quick smile and a jovial personality defined Ann Stone. The above photo was taken in 1945 while my Dad was still in the Army and fighting in the Pacific front (he was involved in the invasion of Okinawa). Mom worked two jobs to keep the family going in his absence. My older brother worked while in high school and my sister was responsible for keeping the house in order while Mom was gone. I lived with my grandmother until time to start school. (Notice I am a Dallas Cowboy fan already)

      This photo was taken at the Dallas Morning News accounting department. She was a secretary for the newspaper. During the war years she worked in the office of Borden's Dairies on Ross Avenue in Dallas and at night she worked at Tempco, one of the aircraft assembly plants in Grand Prairie. She proudly told others she was a 'Rosie the Riveter.'

     She died in the Spring of 1954 when I was eleven years old. It was the saddest day of my life. Sometimes when others talk about problems with their parents I want to chew their heads off. They don't realize how lucky they are to still have their parents around. If your Mom is still alive, go visit or at least give her a call. She will never be too tired to hear from you.
  Happy Mother's Day Mom... I miss you!

                                                                     Ann Stone
                                              1913-1954



 

CINCO DE MAYO at Texoma Harley-Davidson

      Okay,.. I know today is just the third of the month, but since the fifth comes on Monday we decided to celebrate the fifth on the third.  If that point is clear we will proceed to the meat of this message...
     Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of Mexico's independence from Spain, and it would be incomplete without a Mariachi band.

      Of course we had one at Texoma Harley-Davidson... They played great and everyone enjoyed the music.
    The dealership also offered special door prizes for anyone showing up in a sombrero.. Guess who had the best looking hat in this catagory?

       Yep,... That's my wife under there. If you are a regular to my blog you know she makes all of our Halloween costumes. She made the peasant blouse, but the sombrero actually came from Mexico and a real member of a Mariachi band. Here she discusses a question with Texoma HD general manager Chris Houston. She brought a musical CD with a special song on it that our grandson and his partner would be dancing to.

      Louie and Cadience performed their routine three times during the day before they returned to Denison Dance Academy to rehearse for their upcoming showing of 'Snow White.'
     When you have a large gathering of motorcycle riders there is one thing in common among them all... food.

       JB and the gang from Ringtail Bar-B-Que was on hand with a choice of beef or chicken fajitas and also tacos.. If you left hungry, you can't blame these folks..  It was great, as usual.

       There were various benefit rides scheduled for today, but one with a very personal tie was the one for Christopher King. He was killed in a bike accident earlier this year, and this bike and trailer was put up for grabs to help with expenses. Chris would have been the incoming President of the local Texoma Chapter of Harley Owner's Group (HOG).
    

      Events Manager Tiffany joins Momma under the sombreros. Tif is responsible for putting together our great activities one weekend per month. She also is a rider and not just a desk jockey.
  

     Even members of the sales staff  got into mood of the moment to celebrated Cinco de Mayo. At least six bikes were sold today and the motor clothes department also had a good day.. Thanks to everyone who came out today..  I know there was a lot of other activities scheduled in the local area and we appreciate your attendance at Texoma HD.

     It was also good to see Sara Jerome today... She has been one of the main ramrods behind the Chris King benefit and I just wanted to use this forum to express our thanks for all of her hard work. Love you, Sara...