D-Day

This is the 70th anniversary of D-Day, World War II.  Tonight, I went to the Science Spectrum to watch the movie: D-Day, Normandy 1944.  It was very good.  It was made this year.

I also watched a couple of shows on PBS tonight about D-Day: D-Day, June 6, 1944 and Dick Winters: Hang Tough.  What I did not know, or if I did I forgot, was that the TV program Band of Brothers http://www.hbo.com/band-of-brothers#/band-of-brothers/about/index.html was based on real characters of Easy Company, including their letters and journals.  Real stuff. Primary sources.  It makes a real difference; I knew it was an excellent series when I saw it the first two times ( I liked it that much.) I knew the stories were based on real events, but not the characters! Someday, I will watch it again.

Tomorrow, I plan to go to the Silent Wings Museum http://www.hbo.com/band-of-brothers#/band-of-brothers/about/index.html and http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/silent-wings-museum/special-events/2014/06/06/default-calendar/d-day. I often go there for military remembrance events.  This year, they will have World War II vintage planes, military vehicles, and a USO concert.  I will plan my visit to attend the concert.  I will also watch the documentary, D-Day Remembered.  I may have seen it before, but I can watch it again.

I really am interested in, and have been since I was a child, World War II movies.  I am not sure why, but they have generally been a favorite of mine.  My two most favorite are Otto Preminger's In Harm's Way http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059309/ and The Longest Day. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056197/. The Longest Day is a star studded who's who of Hollywood.  It is a good story, about real characters and events.  And the more I learn about the history of D-Day, the more I learn that a lot of the minutiae of the movie is true.  And, I really like the music. 

I have not read Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Greatest_Generation but in keeping with my desire to read more non-fiction, that will go on my list.