Today is the 60th Anniversary of the D Day landings, an event in World War 2 which was a massive defeat for Germany; though events like the Fall of Stalingrad saw the Russians contribute or sacrifice a lot. The massive invasion from England saw an armada of 3,000 landing craft, 2,500 other ships, and 500 naval vessels--escorts and bombardment ships--begin to leave English ports. Americans, Canadians and British fighters all set off on the 5th of June 1944. That night, 822 aircraft, carrying parachutists or towing gliders, flew over to the Normandy landing zones, altogether there would be13, 000 aircraft that would support D-Day.

Real American heroes

The name of the USA has been tarnished of late with the Iraq situation, but the Americans who fought with us in France were good and honourable people. British troops headed left toward Caen, the Americans right toward Utah and Omaha beaches nearer Cherbourg. For the Americans, Omaha was a near-suicide mission. Within ten minutes of landing every officer and sergeant of the 116th Regiment was dead or wounded. Over 3000 Americans would lie dead on Omaha beach before the fighting was done.

Thousands Set Off

The troops who left from England would have taken a journey which many here may well have taken by Ferry across to France. The journey only takes a few hours and France is visible on a clear day from England itself. The troops would have seen the intense barrages from German guns as they headed towards the beach and the many defences along the French Normandy Coast. Once they got there, dropped off by a fleet of landing craft, the fighting was intense and bloody, with the Germans having a good defence system set up in preparation. The Germans fought bravely, many, like our lads, were conscripted and given a gun and told they were fighting for there Country. Kirkby Times has already started the year off with the story of how German and English troops joined up one Christmas Eve to play football in the so called 'no mans land'.

Dealing with the Devil

There can be little doubt that Hitler had to be stopped. But if you pay attention to real history you will see that Hitler's first hatred was not Jewish people. It was the elements of the radical German working class such as communists and trade unionists and socialists who were first to go in the concentration camps. The Jewish middle class, to some extent, made the biggest mistake they have ever made. They thought they could deal with the Nazi Party. They warned young Jewish people not to fight the fascists. They should have armed them. One things for sure, the Jewish people now will never ever take no crap or turn the other cheek too much for anyone. It is a good example in many ways - we should all be prepared to turn ruthlessly on any dictator. That was the mistake the Germans made, they never turned on there dictator. Sometimes violence is the right thing - anyone who may have put a bullet in Hitler's head would have been doing the world a favour. There are dictators today who need the same treatment.

Poppies for young men

I'm almost 40 - too young to have been in the War, but old enough to have heard all the stories as a young lad off my granddad and some uncles and old blokes who'd perhaps tell you of their experiences. One of the 'heirlooms' I have are a few photos passed on by my Granddad - one of the Englishmen who fought so that I may have freedom. I think we let down that generation though. The fake patriotism as shown by our politicians today makes me sick and my old Granddad would not have had kind words for Tony 'the phoney' Blair, if he were alive today. I'm genuinely thankful for what the old soldiers done for us, most ordinary people are - but for our politicians to stand on the same ground as the old comrades is a disgrace. The very same scoundrels who rob our pensioners and throw them into crappy privatised money grabbing 'granny farms' try to use there sacrifice for a photo opportunity and vote catching.

The politicians use D Day to try and get a few votes off the captive audience. Blair wears his poppy whilst a new generation of lads in Kirkby are using the opium from poppies grown in Afghanistan after yet another War he dragged us into. Blair tells us he is grateful for what the old folk done for us. Him and the rest of the treacherous thieves who robbed our Country blind and sold it off are doubtless very grateful indeed for the sacrifice from which they profited. The working classes die or dodge bullets to keep these people in luxury whilst the heroes who fought are called heroes but not really treated like them.

Here in Kirkby, our heroes, the people whose sacrifice we benefit from, get a vandalised broken slab of aging stone as a sign of respect. Some of the old comrades are left to fall victim to the scum here who any old solider would have likely beaten to a pulp 60 years ago. The people who rob or con or harm our old folk should be put in the stocks in Kirkby Town Centre. Disrespect for the elderly in the UK is at epidemic levels and the statistics, once they see light of day, show England to be a cruel place for many of the elderly. 'Don't grow old in Blairs Britain' is a saying we keep hearing. But Blair's old age will be one long day out at the luxury golf club. He'll always have the top medical care and top housing and will eat the best of the best. The only blood this sick warmongering limp wristed 'new designer tory' has spilt is when shaving. Before the year is out, after the elections of course, he will announce that more troops, up to 4000, are off to Iraq. More young men to die on bloodied battlefields. This time we call it a fight against terrorism.

Women of England

Not much is heard about what women had to endure, and we should never forget that the women of England took up the jobs which many men had to abandon due to the War. Sexual Equality came in long before it was legislated for, as women took to all manner of traditional 'mens work' during war, this was at a time when many men were of the view that women were best to 'stay at home', or do 'women's work'. The war soon stopped all that nonsense, and women worked hard in all the various industries, plus raised there families which was a labour intensive occupation back then. The number of women who saw service as nurses at D Day is forgotten by most - but in wars there are always an army of nurses there to patch up the wounds men cause to each other. The dedication shown by our nurses was instrumental in England's National Health Service being seen as the best in the world. Back then, in the early days, it really was something to be proud of. Too many of us now take it for granted and seem to allow it to fall apart and be privatised.

Washing by hand

Back in the 1940's there were no washing up machines or driers, no dishwashers or hot running water. No oven ready frozen meals - no fridges - unless you were well off. No TV, videos or computer games. A woman's work in the 40's was hard enough but they still helped keep the Country running. For every man leaving for D Day, there was a woman who would have likely willingly sacrificed her own life if it were possible to save him. We cannot remember D Day or World War Two without remembering the women. Thousands of our woman had only a wooden cross marking a grave in France to remind them of there husbands or lovers, there sons and brothers, who never returned. Even today, some women in there late 70's and 80's and older will remember some fresh faced young lad who left with a promise to return. Now, 60 years later, the faded photographs still stand on mantelpieces or walls, or tucked away in an album which contains the memories of days gone by. The memories live on, but it falls to another generation now to carry on the good fight whenever and wherever we may find the enemies of freedom. To the women who kept our country going through those dark days, we can only thank you and honour you.

And soon there'll be none.

Each year that passes there are less and less of that generation left who fought. Soon there will be none left, and we wonder were this Country will go once we lose the last of that magnificent generation? Hopefully those of us who remember them can carry forward the courage and honesty of these people. If we fail to do so, England will finally fall, not by war, but by the destruction of our culture and heritage, by our apathy and seeming reluctance to grasp any sense of duty to each other. The heroes of yesteryear did not fight so that young men today would have the freedom to sell drugs to there communities, they did not die so that politicians can rob pension funds and deny the elderly a decent standard of living. They left no real conditions, but would have hoped that we would cherish the values which they held dear.

Thanks

Thanks lads, and girls for standing up to fight. I wish I could do more but like most ordinary people I have no say in the running of this Country - Things have to change here in England and we only hope the English can hopefully once again stand tall as a Nation and a people who will not tolerate or deal with bullies and dictators. As it stands today we are friends with the bullies and dictators of the World. Our politicians salute the old soldiers with one hand and use the other one to sell off arms to people whose mess UK Troops may well be expected to help 'clear up'. World War two started when Hitler invaded Poland illegally. America and the UK have invaded Iraq illegally. Our politicians hope to use this anniversary of D Day to try and whip up support for the disgraceful invasion of Iraq.

And the blood is still being spilt

As the poppies were dropped into the sea and the pomp and ceremony took place, as old comrades met and embraced and remembered the fallen, more young sons of America were lying dead in the desert heat of a Baghdad road. As crocodile tears were wiped from the eyes of politicians who never see the horror of war, a young American lay dead in the dust, betrayed by America's leaders and the UK's. Stupid old men in seats of power continue with their wicked ways and ensure us that our generation is dragged into some coming conflict.

The Glory of War.

The glory of War is a myth perpetuated by the arms companies, the politicians and the media. Wars do not happen by accident; they are carefully planned and executed by ruthless people who so far have remained hidden in the shadows whilst we mourn the loss of the cream of England, cut down in its prime.

That's how it starts.

When Kirkby Times was banned by the local Knowsley Council, I thought to myself 'this is how it starts' - 'this is how fascism takes root' - First we ban opposition, then we'll be banning newspapers and turning the media into a Government propaganda machine. But when someone tells you to keep opinions to yourself, when they hint that certain political opinions are not wanted - That's how it starts.

Lessons to be learned.

If there is one precious lesson that we can learn from World War Two it is to be always on guard against our own Government. The enemy of the English now is not our German neighbours; it is our own Government and our own sham system of democracy. The Enemy is in our midst. If we leave the business of politics to the rich and powerful, then we have almost certainly signed our name on the dotted line in a contract binding us to more wars, more bloodshed and more crocodile tears from politicians. Blair himself in his leadership of New Labour has left a trail of dead in his wake and a record of dragging UK Troops into 4 consecutive conflicts (Somalia, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iraq) which singles him out as the biggest warmongering and bloodthirsty Prime minister we have ever had.

Why We Fight Wars.

As someone who has tried to study the war and the reasons for it happening, I have always been struck by a quote from Hermann Goering, founder of the Gestapo. On the 15th of October 1946 he committed suicide in his Nuremberg cell, taking a capsule of poison that he had hid from his guards during his captivity. He was due to be hung and died two hours before the execution could be carried out. Goering, despite reportedly being eloquent in his defence of the war, failed to convince the judges who found him guilty on four counts: (1) of conspiracy to wage war, (2) crimes against peace, (3) war crimes and (4) crimes against humanity. All are crimes which apply only to the losing side in a war but could have easily have applied to the British who killed German civilians in bombing raids on places like Dresden or even to Tony Blair for lying and dragging UK Troops into a dangerous war. Goering, during the showcase Nuremberg Trials of selected Nazi leaders, gave the game away in a few short sentences and summed up why we fight wars and how easy it is to whip up a Nation to do the bidding of the leaders.

"Why, of course, the people don't want war ... But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship ... Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." Hermann Goering, Nazi leader, at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II

As the Sun sets tonight over Kirkby, many older folk will remember the past and I hope they can look forward with hope to a better England. To those who gave us the chance to speak out as free men and women, the contributors and readers of the Kirkby Times will salute you. Our Freedom of Speech is only possible because of those young men who were forever silenced on June 5th and 6th 1944.


We'll meet again.

Don't know where.

Don't know when.

But I know we'll meet again.

Some sunny day.