70 Years Ago This Week Operation Market Garden

[mongers]

Seventy years ago this week Operation Market Garden took place.

This anniversary seems to have gotten lost amongst the coverage of the Scottish independence referendum.

I haven't found any interesting anniversary pieces on news websites, but in tribute to the failed heroic efforts of those involved, I shall watch 'A Bridge Too Far' sometime this week*. 




*The operations started 70 years ago, this Wednesday gone and 'ended' on the 25th (this Thursday)

[Warspite]

I said we'd like to take your surrender, but we haven't the proper facilities.

[Syt]

I grew up watching A Bridge Too Far time and time again. My dad would watch the movie at least once a month on VHS.

[Maladict]

Watching it on tv, can't be there in person unfortunately. 
Most of the airborne stuff had to be cancelled because of dense fog this morning.

[Maladict]

I was there 20 years ago when I lived in Nijmegen.
It was the first time there was a large scale remembrance, the veterans were driven along the route in their old vehicles.
Nijmegen was the first major city, and they evidently were not expecting the tens of thousands of people lining the road applauding them.
There wasn't a dry eye to be seen. 

[mongers]

I was there 20 years ago when I lived in Nijmegen.
It was the first time there was a large scale remembrance, the veterans were driven along the route in their old vehicles.
Nijmegen was the first major city, and they evidently were not expecting the tens of thousands of people lining the road applauding them.
There wasn't a dry eye to be seen. 

Must have been very moving, nice first hand story.

[The Brain]

I grew up watching A Bridge Too Far time and time again. My dad would watch the movie at least once a month on VHS.

Didn't trigger his PTSD?

[Syt]

He was born in '39.

He was a big war buff fanboi. He liked war movies (esp. WW2), read war novels, e.g. early Konsalik or books by veterans, like one from a former Stuka pilot that was constantly in our bathroom (the book, not the pilot), plus Der Landser  (monthly pulp adventure stuff).

I don't recall that he watched documentaries or read non-fiction books much.

[Warspite]

I was there 20 years ago when I lived in Nijmegen.
It was the first time there was a large scale remembrance, the veterans were driven along the route in their old vehicles.
Nijmegen was the first major city, and they evidently were not expecting the tens of thousands of people lining the road applauding them.
There wasn't a dry eye to be seen. 

Did the veterans: immediately halt just past Nijmegen?

[The Brain]

He was born in '39.

He was a big war buff fanboi. He liked war movies (esp. WW2), read war novels, e.g. early Konsalik or books by veterans, like one from a former Stuka pilot that was constantly in our bathroom (the book, not the pilot), plus Der Landser  (monthly pulp adventure stuff).

I don't recall that he watched documentaries or read non-fiction books much.

'39? Respect!

[Syt]

He died in '97, so it was not such a great run.

[The Brain]

Oh, he wasn't in the fighting? Sorry I misunderstood.

[Martim Silva]

Seventy years ago this week Operation Market Garden took place.

This anniversary seems to have gotten lost amongst the coverage of the Scottish independence referendum.

I sometimes don't get the priorities for battle anniversaries on Languish 

Early this month it was the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Marne, THE most decisive battle of WWI, with many armies and millions of participants, and yet seemed to have been totally forgotten here.

Yet, on the 70th anniversary of an operation that just involved some divisions, you have a thread. Honestly.

I haven't found any interesting anniversary pieces on news websites, but in tribute to the failed heroic efforts of those involved, I shall watch 'A Bridge Too Far' sometime this week*. 

If it's Market Garden you're interested, forget 'A Bridge Too Far' and see instead 'Theirs Is the Glory' (aka Men of Arnhem).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3e6S8rg9_c

This movie about the battle at Arnhem was made less than year and a half after the battle, and the most important part is that all participants (military and civilian) are actually playing themselves.

Yes, they are all doing and saying what they themselves did in the battle. No actors, just the real soldiers and civilians of the conflict.

You will also find that, since this movie stars the ACTUAL people involved in it, which made a point of it being as accurate as possible to what they did and undewent, that the scenes are... less spectacular than those of the Hollywood drivel that was made decades later.

[Razgovory]

I didn't know the Marne was the most decisive battle of WWI.

[The Brain]

I didn't know the Marne was the most decisive battle of WWI.

It made it possible for the soldiers to get home before the leaves fell.