OT: In Honor of Memorial Day Weekend, I'll leave this here. Enjoy it and be thankful

[BulldogBear]

THis is OT but pls leave it here for a little bit first. This is a link to some stunning photographs of modern places partly superimposed with the exact same place and angle of a photo taken there during the Second World War.

We will all BBQ and enjoy sports this weekend, but remember Monday is not National BBQ Day.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewtucker/spinetingling-pictures-of-war-ghosts-from-the-past

Edited to Add:

Link for similar Great War photo superimpositions

http://www.buzzfeed.com/matthewtucker/time-travelling-photos-of-world-war-one-then-and-now

[DudyDawg]

That's pretty cool with the superimpositions. Weird seeing a soldier and a car like that. But that's really cool stuff

[BulldogBear]

The first image is one of the best ones in my opinion. The dead Kraut on the steps is creepy. Imagine seeing that photo if you live there!

[LC Dawg]

Thanks for sharing that. The importance of D-Day is overwhelming if you think about it. It was one day but if it had gone differently the world may be a different place. It is important for us to honor those that have given their lives defending our freedoms. I admire every man and woman serving our country in our armed forces. Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend.

[FISHDAWG]

that was awesome ! ...thanks for posting

[Pollodawg]

I love WWII history, but there are more wars than just that one. What about the Revolutionary Soldier, the Civil War--blue and gray--The Doughboy in WWI? More than one generation has given its best and brightest to keep this country free.

But I think people love WWII because it truly was an instance of good guys verses bad guys, good verses evil, demonstrated on a massive scale. People see it as the last truly "noble" war, I think. Its also the last war that didn't pit Americans at each other's throats back on the home front about whether it was "right" or "wrong."

[starkvegasdawg]

One thing is for sure. I don't think society today would have the will to fight a war again on the scale of WWII. There would be too much media and peace activist outrage to the tactics that had to be used to win that war. Used to have a neighbor that fought at Iwo Jima and he was talking one time and said if we knew half of what he had to do there we wouldn't want him as a neighbor. I said on the contrary, glad to have him as a neighbor because of what he did. He mentioned having to move dead bodies just to have a place to sleep at night. That's a level of sacrifice few people know today.

[FISHDAWG]

I think this was put together by a Russian and that's why it's just WW2 .... point well made though

[BulldogBear]

I am ACW writer on the side and have a done a ton of research. I and others on here are also students of AR and colonial America. Recently became more interested in Great War. I think it's just that WWII hits so many of us in the heart because we know the veterans. I also imagine it's just easier to find WWII photographs that are obviously on locations that are easily recognizable. Hard to with ACW photos. No actions ACW photos anyway, as they are almost non existent. Prior to that, no photos. There is a similar WWI montage. I'll find it and post a link for it as well.

[LC Dawg]

I am ACW writer on the side and have a done a ton of research. I and others on here are also students of AR and colonial America. Recently became more interested in Great War. I think it's just that WWII hits so many of us in the heart because we know the veterans. I also imagine it's just easier to find WWII photographs that are obviously on locations that are easily recognizable. Hard to with ACW photos. No actions ACW photos anyway, as they are almost non existent. Prior to that, no photos. There is a similar WWI montage. I'll find it and post a link for it as well.

It seems like there is way more information available on WWII than other wars. I've studied the Civil War and Revolutionary War a little and plan on learning more. I have to travel some with my job and one easy way I've found to learn more is to visit one of our National Parks. If I have some free time while I'm traveling I'll try to find a park to visit. I've used my work travels to visit Gettysburg, Antietam, Valley Forge and Yorktown and I've visited Vicksburg many times. It's a very humbling experience to stand on the actual battlefields where so many gave their lives. I recommend the experience to all Americans.

[BulldogBear]

I added a link to World War One photo location superimpositions on the OP

[BulldogBear]

It seems like there is way more information available on WWII than other wars. I've studied the Civil War and Revolutionary War a little and plan on learning more. I have to travel some with my job and one easy way I've found to learn more is to visit one of our National Parks. If I have some free time while I'm traveling I'll try to find a park to visit. I've used my work travels to visit Gettysburg, Antietam, Valley Forge and Yorktown and I've visited Vicksburg many times. It's a very humbling experience to stand on the actual battlefields where so many gave their lives. I recommend the experience to all Americans.

I wish I had gone to those. I'm planning on taking my son to the Tennessee-VPI football game at Bristol in 2016 and then making weeklong trip up through Shenandoah Valley, culminating with a trip to Gettysburg or turning east for Manassas, Fredricksburg, maybe the Peninsula. Then finding some other game to go to the next Saturday at Maryland, Penn State, Virginia, maybe North Carolina.

[BrunswickDawg]

It seems like there is way more information available on WWII than other wars.

WWII was really the first war to utilize photojournalism as an embedded part of the military effort. My grandfather served, and one of the things he talked about was that there were always guys with cameras (both film and still) around. They even issued unit books post war that detailed your service (I have my grandfather's regiment and division books. They are incredible documents. I also have 40-50 pictures he took or were taken of him from the time his Guard Unit was activated in 1940 to VE Day. I was lucky enough to get to spend 24 years with him - and I was the first person that he detailed his experiences to - and is one of the reasons I went into history as a profession.

[BulldogBear]

WWII was really the first war to utilize photojournalism as an embedded part of the military effort. My grandfather served, and one of the things he talked about was that there were always guys with cameras (both film and still) around. They even issued unit books post war that detailed your service (I have my grandfather's regiment and division books. They are incredible documents. I also have 40-50 pictures he took or were taken of him from the time his Guard Unit was activated in 1940 to VE Day. I was lucky enough to get to spend 24 years with him - and I was the first person that he detailed his experiences to - and is one of the reasons I went into history as a profession.

Good to hear. Glad you treasure your time with him. My grandfather died in 1988 when I was 14. I have a Nazi helmet he brought back.

[Pollodawg]

WWII was really the first war to utilize photojournalism as an embedded part of the military effort. My grandfather served, and one of the things he talked about was that there were always guys with cameras (both film and still) around. They even issued unit books post war that detailed your service (I have my grandfather's regiment and division books. They are incredible documents. I also have 40-50 pictures he took or were taken of him from the time his Guard Unit was activated in 1940 to VE Day. I was lucky enough to get to spend 24 years with him - and I was the first person that he detailed his experiences to - and is one of the reasons I went into history as a profession.

My major was History. I love it, and if I had it to do again, I would major in History yet again.

[Pollodawg]

The WWII museum in New Orleans in an awesome experience, by the way. I actually got to speak with someone who was from Normandy France and get his perspective on the war. In short, the French may be snotty anuses, but they will always be grateful for what the U.S. did in that war. The guy teared up talking about the American Cemetery there and how his family was liberated.

In a fitting moment for Memorial Day Weekend, an old soldier had a booth set up in the museum and was giving a lecture on his various artifacts, among them was a photo of row upon row of tombstones. When he finished speaking, a young woman asked him what it was like to be a hero. Without hesitation, he pointed at the photo and said, "I'm not a hero. Those men are heroes." It leaves a lump in the throat.

[drunkernhelldawg]

Not to be missed. What a world.

[BrunswickDawg]

My major was History. I love it, and if I had it to do again, I would major in History yet again.
It was my major at State (rare at the time). The only thing I would have changed is I would have gone an extra semester so I could double major in archaeology/anthropology - it would have given me more career options.

I got to the WWII museum when it first opened - and I am going back with my teenagers in 3 weeks. It is an incredible museum. Working in the museum world, I can tell you they do one if the best jobs in the country and have stellar rep.

When Saving Private Ryan came out, the landing scene at Normandy is exactly as my grandfather described - right down to the part with the bangelor torpedo they used to blow the wall and open the beach head. I balled like a baby in the theatre.