Jacqui, when I was a Freshman, going into Catholic High School, back in 74, I was sent to a tailor downtown in my hometown of New Bedford MA. The man's name was Abraham Landau. I had already done a great deal of reading on military history at that young age with many more years of study on it to come. Mr. Landau, with pins clenched in his teeth and sleeves rolled up tossed a tape measure over my neck and said in a strong German accent, "Let's see what we have here" as he went to measure my neck. On his arm, with his sleeves rolled up, I saw the blackest ugliest tattoo I had ever seen. It was the number on his arm from the camps. I can still feel the chill that went down my spine to this day. I knew exactly what I was looking at. Mr. Landau lost many members of his immediate and extended family in the camps. He spoke in the local area for many years educating people about the Holocaust. There is a statue of that same arm I saw that day, reaching up to the sky in memorial of all who lost their lives in the Holocaust in Buttonwood Park in town. You can Google it for additional info. He wrote a memoir about his horrible experiences.
Fact, Gonnarea played in this series was played by his grandson or son I don't remember which but you couldn't miss his looks. It is considered the Greatest Series ever produced on the accounts and the men who saved the world.
I watched glued to the screen when it first premiered. I have watched it religiously each year since and multiple times as a reaction reviewer. My father served as Colonel LaMays crew chief in the 8th Air Force. He was a Brown Shoe. He joined out of Highschool and served in England, Okanowa, and Korea. He retired out in 69 from Civil Service after 25 in the main line. I had hoped what they did for these guys they would do for the Pilots and crews in the Bombers. A fact little disgust is in 9 months in the air campaign over France and Germany lost 25,000 people. By comparison it took the Marines fighting in the Pacific took 3 years to lose 24,000. I have a picture of my dad all decked out in his dress mess, but he has this odd far away look in his eyes. I never understood it till I became aware of that fact. And realized he was far away thinking of all those he knew and were gone in an instant. They literally fell out of the sky.
speaking of 'wedding presents from Hitler', one of The Easy Company platoon leaders, Lt Shames financed his son's Bar Mitzvah using stuff he looted from the Eagles Nest.
Note: Yes, we all, well most of us that the Nazis and Hitler were and did kill so many. This type of atrocity against humanity was just a warm up for things and psychos. Hitler comes in 3rd as a F'ing leader for mass murder. Joseph Stalin murder 40 million making him #2. The Top Spot belongs to Mao. Mao in the guise of the Cultural Revolution murdered by Chinese investigators at a minimum 80 million. They said the will never know the true number, but 80 Million the could actually find proof of. However they noted it was not out of the possibility that number could easily be 220 million. However, these are facts and figures we know. What else we know is that population surveys and known wars for Imperialistic reasons, or diplomatic failures or the occasional Revolutionary wars lost doesn't come close to all those murdered of killed as the result of religious wars. The number I extrapolated was in the neighborhood of 10 or higher to one. 10 individuals male, female, and children died in religious conflicts only the ones I researched produced the ratio I presented. Again this is based upon reported witnessed wars.
No, they didn't know only the highest in the services a had any idea and they weren't certain. They heard reports, but even they had no concrete evidence to the extent.
The soldier who did that, only served a few years in prison. He killed 2 UK soldiers too. West Virginia man. He was killed in the 80's from same behavior.
Die Hard is the perfect movie: the roles are clear, the stakes are established and easily understood, the scriptwriter does not make anything easy for the protagonist, and everything that is set up has a payoff. That’s how it’s done, people!
Something you said at the end (about these guys seeing Europe) made me think of my grandmother’s husband, George. He was twice wounded in the ETO and when grandma told him she wanted to see Europe, his response was something like, “I’ve seen it - it’s not that great”
I hope you are going to watch the band of brothers documentary called " We stand alone,together " plus I hope you watch " The Pacific " it's the same type of thing but over in Japan. The movie showing the other war in the end of band of brothers was scenes from it. It's a must see
This is the first episode I saw and it blew me away. The sound design when they’re attacking the batteries is amazing. In Dolby 5.0 you feel like you need to keep low.
Blah Blah Blah. Watch all of his movies. They are all great. Saw all of them when they were released. Start with True Romance which he wrote but did not direct.
I watched an interview with Michael Cudlitz talking about his research with Bull Randleman. I don't really care for Cudlitz for other reasons, but it is a great interview and made me respect his acting very much. You should definitely look it up.
Oh, please react to Black Sails. It's some of the best TV I've ever seen, and it's not at all the type of thing I usually love. It's also why I make a point of watching whatever Toby Stephens does, including this. 😊
I read the book before this series was made. You should read the book. It is more insightful and has more information and facts. Ambrose s a very good writer.
My grandpa was a veteran from WWII, US Navy Boatswains Mate 2nd Class (1925-2007). He fought in the South Pacific on board on a US Destroyer Escort, heading to the Island of Tarawa Atoll, one of the Japanese occupied Islands. After the US occupied Tarawa, my grandpa's old injury from half of his body of being broken from an half ton steel beam fell on him. You wondering how did he make it in the Navy with that injury, well this one doctor fixed my grandpa up so well he was able to get back up, there is a certain way of bringing the bones together but still trying to look for it. Through the remainder of the War, my grandpa was the Master of Arms in Richardson Center in Hawaii. When Okinawa was finally occupied many US soldiers and US Navy Men were getting orders to be on board planes and ships to get ready for the invasion of Japan, my grandpa received those orders to be on board ship, even though his legs couldn't take it because from the old injury, he still followed orders and got ready. After the two atomic bombs dropped on the two cities of Japan on August 6th and August 9th in 1945, then on August 10th Japan Surrendered. My grandpa told me he was sleeping on board ship still in the harbor in Hawaii where he could hear fireworks, cheers, and the crying of men and women could be heard. V-J Day! I know that the Atomic Bombs in WWII is still a controversy, but if my grandpa was still today he would say that, "It is thanks to the Atomic Bombs that I have lived, and my daughter being born, and my grandson here being born. It is thanks to the atomic bombs that my child and my grandchild are born and alive. So here is a question to you and for you, If the Atomic Bombs were a mistake to use, then is my daughter and grandson a mistake for being born?"
Should have made the gay characters less cliche. You said it; Trent, the hair and the strut, and Colin physically small, boyish. Better if Issac had been gay, or someone less obvious. Both guys who were gay are cliches. Enjoyed your eruditions Jacqui!
The last shots of WWII in Europe were officialy shot at village Slivice on 14th May. Last cohesive German force was in Protektorat Böhmen und Mahren (current Czech republic), what was left of Army group Mitte, over 1 million soldiers. On 5th of May uprising started all over Czech, the biggest one in its capitol, Prague. 7th and 8th of May were peak of the Prague uprising, germans were trying to get to americans for surrender, instead of russians. On 9th of May Red army finally liberated Prague and rest of the germans retreated at Slivice. When americans refused their surrender, they surrendered to the Red army. This is basicaly forgotten outside of Czech republic, because Battle of Berlin is known as Last battle.
