PHOTOS Normandy (VERY pic heavy)

[Jackeens]

1

President Barack Obama, Prince Charles, British Prime Minster Gordon Brown, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy

2

President Barack Obama greets D-Day veterans Ben Franklin of Knoxville, Tenn and Clyde Combs of Houston

3

Tom Hanks poses with US veteran William F. Edwards

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Prime Minister Gordon Brown walks towards Omaha Beach

17

18

19

20

President Barack Obama shakes hands with a French veteran

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

A man wearing a badge showing US President Barack Obama attends the D-Day ceremony on June 6

28

President Barack Obama hugs World War II D-Day veteran Clyde Combs of Houston, Texas, as he arrives at the Normandy American Cemetery

29

30

Marine One with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama onboard flies over Pointe du Hoc, a cliff top location on the coast of Normandy west of Omaha Beach

31

32

Normandy Veteran Fredrick William Norris, who was awarded the Military Medal, touches one of the graves of a friend from his regiment, the 5th Assault Regiment of the Armoured Engineers, who fell after their tank was destroyed on Sword Beach on D-Day



www.daylife.com

[Buzz Clik]

1. Nice collection.

One must wonder ... what is it with these photographers and their juxtaposition with statues?




:eyes:

[Sanity Claws]

2. Did Brown sleep in his suit?

The photos were absolutely beautiful. Thanks, Jackeens

[Jackeens]

6. I doubt he's slept at all lately!

:hi:

[Zynx]

3. Gordon Brown looks like death right now.

I know he's under a lot of political stress, but damn. Someone should take a physical of him.

[dalaigh lllama]

39. Yes. He looks quite uncomfortable and/or ill. n/t

[K8-EEE]

51. And Mrs. Brown's clothes are always 2 sizes too small!

I feel uncomfy just looking at her! She must have to yank at that skirt every time she gets up an down...

Carla wins the style contest this time around -- Michelle could have given her a run for her money if she would PUT THE BELT UNDER THE JACKET!!

[chatnoir]

53. I thought the same thing

He looks unwell.

[PopSixSquish]

4. Is That Uncle Charlie Next to Michelle in #19?

God bless them all...

[shireen]

26. i think you're right.

Here's another photo from daylife.com


Jackeens,
:yourock:

[PatSeg]

33. I'll bet Uncle Charlie in his youth

never dreamed some day he'd have a nephew who would become President of the United States. What an amazing moment this must have been for him.

[Cha]

38. It is a little

surreal, n'est-ce pas?

[Patiod]

63. I had that thought as well

That his own great-nephew would be speaking at a commemoration at Normandy as a world leader.

[goclark]

5. Thanks again Jakeens! Is the man next to Michelle in #19

the President's relative?

Is it me or is it that whenever Michelle Obama is in a photograph you are drawn to her image first?

She is like a magnet in a photo.

[Jackeens]

7. Hi goclark, he's not named in the caption, will try to find out

:hi:

[goclark]

12. Thanks ~ did anyone interview "Uncle Charlie?" nt

[PatSeg]

36. She definitely stands out,

as does her husband. They are such an attractive, compelling couple, almost like we're living in a movie, not real life. And Obama gives speeches could have been from an Aaron Sorkin script. I remember thinking, "Why don't real presidents talk that way?" and now we have one who does.

[Trocadero]

8. I have warmed to Prince Charles considerably over the years.

[onehandle]

10. He's one of the best of the Royals, imo. nt

[Joe Chi Minh]

60. A sad business with Diana. Big people are sometimes prone to make big mistakes.

But Charles has always come across as someone of unusual empathy and kindness.

[onehandle]

9. And look. The President has a flag on his lapel.

Of course I'm sure Fox will find fault.

Not big enough?

Prince Charles sure has a lot of metal on his chest.

Maybe Obama doesn't have enough flags?

The mind boggles.

[rosesaylavee]

22. Well, he's on vacation dontcha know.

I know when I go on vacation, I do nothing else but visit memorials of tragic occasions, cemeteries, death camp memorials, etc ... just think of what he's costing the American taxpayer.

[Kukesa]

11. Jackeens rocks! Thanks for the photos. n/t

[democracy1st]

13. great job jackeens ur just sitting back wearing that lil pc out :) with nothing but great posts

[Jackeens]

14. Smoke is now coming out of my PC, it's pleading for mercy!

:toast:

[CitizenLeft]

15. that is an awesome and solemn place

Was there 20 years ago, and I haven't forgotten the eery silence. And the beauty. It is both a lovely and humbling place. We were with a tour, and among our group was a D-Day veteran, there with his children and grandchildren. He was in tears the whole time we were there. Very emotional day.

And see the pock marks on Pointe du Hoc left by the bombing. They're still there.

[Clio the Leo]

16. This would have been the perfect chance for Barack to show off...

... his new necklace!



Where else is he gonna wear it? The next State of the Union address? :)

.... yeah, I have a feeling that thing will make it's way to the national archives pretty quickly after it gets home. lol

*I* would hang it off of my rear-view mirror, but ya know, he doesn't have one of those.

[Beacool]

30. Actually, that pic doesn't cheer me up.

When will US presidents stop bowing, literally and figuratively, to the Saudis?

:(

[Clio the Leo]

31. lol, BOWING?

I'm not seeing any bowing, literally or figuratively ..... I'm seeing a diplomatic gesture. That's one way to get along with the world and help keep the people you've been put in charge of safe .... you make nice with folks.

Kinda like.....
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8451755&mesg_id=8452047

[Beacool]

32. Clio,

US presidents have been "bowing" to the Saudis for decades. Obama is no exception. It is one of the most repressive countries in the ME, but because they are our supposed allies, we don't seem to give a rat's ass about their repression of women and of religion.

x(

[Clio the Leo]

34. Yeah, he made it pretty clear he doesn't give a rat's ass about...

... how Muslim women are treated the other day in his speech. If ONLY he'd taken part of his speech and spoken of it. (ha!)

As I said .... the man has a un-quenching desire to work with those with him he does not get along with. It's a part of who he is. At times he seems more willing to spend time talking to those with whom he needs to improve relations (And King Abdullah is a powerful figure in the Muslim world) than those with whom he doesn't ("Sorry Nicholas, no time for dinner. I'll call you next week!")

You may call it cow towing ... I call schmoozing. Whatever we want to call it, it's working.

[Beacool]

35. I call it what it is.

The day a US administration sanctions Saudi Arabia for their repressive regime, I'll eat my words. Untilt hen, status quo as far as that nation is concerned.

[hisownpetard]

45. Please let me know when the hen untilts.

Must be so uncomfortable!

[goclark]

61. I agree, he is always polite even to those who he knows

may be his enemy.

Good home training.

[Akoto]

17. In the recent photos, Obama and Sarkozy seem to be very interactive.

It's nice to see that we are getting on with the French again, and that the nonsense of the last administration is hopefully behind us.

[Tarheel_Dem]

19. Yes, but the body language between the president and Stephen Harper ...

seems strained. I know that Harper is much more politically atune to the last administration, but the interaction between the president & Harper doesn't seem as natural as it appears to be with the others.

[EquallyExhausted]

23. harper doesn't really interact well with anyone

he just generally seems kind of awkward. :shrug:

[Tarheel_Dem]

24. Perhaps that's it. I noticed the same thing during the president's Canada trip.

He just seems really stand-offish (if that's a word).

[JimWis]

18. Love the pictures Jackeens. Thanks.

[Tarheel_Dem]

20. The president's tailor must be really proud. He looks like he just stepped off...

the pages of GQ. The others...not so much. And it helps that he's extremely fit.

[xxqqqzme]

40. Harper could have used an extra inch or two on that button nt

[AzDar]

21. They saved the world.

:patriot:

[Beacool]

25. Great pics.

These ceremonies are always very moving. It is good to remember history and honor those who sacrificed so much for their nation. If we forget history, we are bound to repeat the same mistakes.

:patriot:

One banal point: Michelle, please lose the damn belts!!!!

[Libby2]

27. Great pictures, I'm a blubbering mess. n/t

[Johnyawl]

28. That last picture broke my heart (#32)

[democracy1st]

29. I know ..you can tell he was going back in time reliving that event

[blaze]

41. Mine as well, Johnyawl

That photo speaks volumes to me.

[Cha]

37. Did anyone else

cry when they saw these?:cry::) Fraught with Emotion for how far we've come in certain areas..it's so beautiful.

[yy4me]

42. Normandy is one of the "must visit" places in Europe. Stunning

in its beauty and serenity but such a sad place. I cannot imagine how emotionally difficult it would be to be there with all the Vets who landed on any of those beaches. It was impossible and they did it.

I have been to many US cemetary's in Europe, they are compelling, beautifully kept, all with endless rows on crosses, Stars of David and other religious symbols. I believe all of them are US property, deeded to the US after the war by the countries where the soldiers were buried.

[Wednesdays]

43. K&R

:kick:

[Botany]

44. I got something stuck in both eyes now.

Thank you vets .... and thank you leaders for showing up to honor the vets.

and thanx to the marine or whomever taught President Obama how to
the proper way to salute

[pokerfan]

71. ...

[rateyes]

46. Thanks. My great uncle, my grandmother's brother, is

buried in that cemetery. He was killed two weeks after D-Day.

[blueclown]

47. Is Gordon Brown constipated?

Or is he just tired? :rofl:

It seems to be a common theme in all his pictures.

[SusanaMontana41]

48. Thanks, veterans,

for everything.


:patriot:

[cwydro]

49. Thanks Jackeens.

I've spent time in Normandy.

A beautiful coast with a sad history.

[Cha]

50. What's Brown staring at?

[NoQuarter]

56. More like...what's he trying not to see?

He looks like he's trying to be "not there".

[JPZenger]

52. WP: Germans Rarely Visit, and When They Do, They Pretend to be Dutch

Yesterday, the Wash Post had a nice article about people who live in Normandy being thankful for their freedom. The article said few Germans visit, and when they do, they often pretend to be Dutch.

[shifting_sands]

54. German/Dutch

I admire the Germans for not trying to cover their past and have stood up to it all and made memorials to the Holocaust all over the country. They have hosted country after country, government after government to the concentration camps. We have yet to have tours or even loudly acknowledge what we did to the Japanese who were citizens in this country during the war, while letting the Germans go free. No I absolutely admire Germany and Japan for their courage in facing their history and I don't think they deserve to be made fun of at this point in time. And "no" I am neither Japanese or German and yes I lost family in the war.

[Joe Chi Minh]

62. Same here. Despite a German-sounding name, neither am I, and I absolutely agree

with you.

It seems to me tragic that the "ordinary" German people to this day have to bear the stigma which rightfully should be borne by their monied leaders and, indeed, all that class in the West, including those of Australia and Canada, who welcomed Hitler and Mussolini (in the latter case, including Churchill) as their own, because they saw him as a bastion against Communism. Ultimately, the failure of the Church, I'm afraid.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

65. excellent post.

I've thought before how I admire the Germans for their dedication to facing what happened and preventing another Hitler.

You really said this well.

(I'm Jewish -by descent, not by religion- and though it was way before my time, I know many of my relatives were lost in the Holocaust.)

[Arugula Latte]

66. Also, there is not much official acknowledgment of the decades and decades of slaughter and misery

caused by slavery and U.S. policy towards Native Americans in this country.

[Lucky Luciano]

55. So, who is the brunette in the first wives club? She stands out

quite nicely.

[ThatsMyBarack]

57. I'm just glad this all-important milestone anniversary....

Didn't happen LAST year. I dread to think of how bad Dumbya would have screwed it up! :scared:

We are lucky to have the best president possible for this undertaking! :patriot:

[onefreespiritedchick]

58. The pics are totally fab :)

Thanks for sharing!

[BlueMTexpat]

59. Lovely pix, Jackeens!

How wonderful it is to have a President that one can be proud of, who can actually speak English, and who has a wife who is not just cultured, intelligent and beautiful, but who can also have a good chuckle with the other first ladies.

I watched these ceremonies in real time yesterday. Even though I am one who will continue to ask Obama to be much more progressive than he has so far demonstrated, I am also a staunch supporter who is happy that he has already, merely by his presence and demeanor, reclaimed enormous goodwill that had been lost over the past eight years.

My father was a WWII vet, but not in Europe. His battleground was in the South Pacific. But I honor all our veterans, even though I will always only see war as the absolute last of "last" resorts.

[HillCountryGal]

64. Very moving pictures.

The picture of Normandy Veteran Fredrick William Norris touching the grave of his friend from his regiment is particularly heart-tugging.

:grouphug:

[Love Bug]

67. My uncle Jerry was there on D-Day

as part of the Canadian forces. My father was in the Battle of the Bulge. He, and his four brothers who fought in WWII all came home safely, if not unscarred from their experiences.

[Blue_Roses]

68. my dad was there too

as part of the US Army. I didn't even know it for years because he didn't want to talk about it. I find that's the way a lot of that generation feel. They are very humble.

[Gman]

70. They never talked about it

Actually, I guess my dad did but it seems only up until I was about 7 or 8 years old. He was a Marine in the South Pacific. It seems like all of a sudden there was a point when he didn't even want to think about it anymore. They kept him in a hospital for several months after the war. Later, when he worked on a crew in remote areas, they let him have his own room because he was wound too tight to room with someone. I was told a story of one time my dad overslept, the foreman went and knocked on the door and went in and before the foreman knew it, my dad flew out of bed and had a knife at the guys throat. That's the story they used to tell as to why he had to room by himself. There wasn't any such thing as "workplace violence". They were all in the war together and knew this type of thing was happening. They knew why and they took it in stride because they were all there.

[Love Bug]

73. According to my mother, my dad had nightmares for years

after the War. He had two tanks shot out from under him and was himself wounded. He saw too many of his buddies die and just didn't want to talk about it. The funny thing is, one of his best friends later on was a German national who moved to the US and he and my dad worked together. Our families used to go camping together and he and my dad would sit around the campfire at night telling the most outrageous lies about what they did in the War just to impress their kids.

I remember all the stories about the Vets who walked out of "Saving Private Ryan" during the first few minutes because it brought up too many bad memories for them. I think one learns to cope and to bury the bad stuff but you never forget or get over it.

[Gman]

69. Thank you

very much.

[Deep13]

72. caption for photo #10

Brown: Hey! quit talking about me in French!