Latest news with #Allies'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
103-year-old Pennsylvania veteran shares Normandy experience on D-Day
(WHTM) — Today is June 6, the 81st anniversary of D-Day. It was the Allied invasion of France—the beginning of the Allies' retaking power in continental Europe—and one of the heroes that day was Staff Sergeant Joe Folino. Folino fought in the Battle of the Bulge and stormed Utah Beach at Normandy. He lives outside Pittsburgh and spoke to abc27 news with his daughter, who lives in York Springs. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'The worst wasn't the Battle of the Bulge,' Folino said. 'It was the battle with the cold. We got caught sleeping there, but once we got our river clothes on, we did feel good. But before that, we suffered from the cold.' The number of living WWII veterans is shrinking. Lancaster County woman's quick thinking saves lives after Bali tourist boat sinks At 103 years old, Folino is the oldest of the sixteen World War II veterans who gathered on the North Shore in Pittsburgh today. There will be a picture of the men tonight at 5 p.m. on abc27 news. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
UPI
4 days ago
- Health
- UPI
Veterans Affairs' health, benefits app passes 3 million downloads
1 of 2 | The Department of Veterans Affairs, headquartered in Washington, D.C., announced its Health and Benefits mobile app has achieved more than 3 million downloads since its launch in 2021. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo June 6 (UPI) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs' Health and Benefits mobile app has achieved more than 3 million downloads, or nearly 20% of all veterans, since its launch in 2021. The app has 1.4 million active users, according to an agency news release Friday on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, which was the Allies' amphibious invasion of German-occupied France. The app provides veterans access to healthcare and benefits information from their mobile phones, and features fingerprint and face recognition. Users can refill and track VA prescriptions, review appointments, review claims and appeals status, submit evidence for claims and appeals, review VA payment and direct deposit information, locate the closest VA facilities, access the Veterans Crisis Line and show proof of veteran status. "We encourage all VA-enrolled Veterans to stay connected and informed by downloading the app," Eddie Pool, acting assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and acting chief information officer, said in a news release. In all, there are 15.8 million veterans, which represents 6.1% of the civilian population 18 year and older. Of those, 7.8 million served in the Gulf War era between 1990 and now, 5.6 million during the Vietnam era from 1950 to 1073, 767,000 during the Korean conflict in the 1940s and 1950s, and less than 120,000 World War II veterans, according to Pew Research in 2023. As of 2023, 78% of veterans served during wartime. The Department of Veterans Affairs employs approximately 482,000 people, including 500,000 workers at 170 hospitals and 1,200 local clinics in the nation's largest health care system. Like with other agencies, the agency is being downsized with plans to cut 83,000 jobs.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
What is D-Day? Why German chancellor explained Nazi liberation to Trump
President Donald Trump hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for a White House meeting on June 5, the day before the D-Day anniversary. D-Day, the 1944 groundbreaking invasion into Nazi-occupied Europe, helped turn the tide of World War II towards the Allied forces. Trump raised eyebrows at his meeting with Merz when he suggested it was a bad day for Germany. "That was not a pleasant day for you," Trump said. Merz began to respond, but Trump continued: "This was not a great day." "No, that was not a pleasant... well, in the long run, Mr. President, this was the liberation of my country from Nazi dictatorship," Merz said. "That's true," Trump said. "That's true." 'We had a job' to do: Humble veteran, 100, recalls D-Day 81 years later D-Day, also known under the code name Operation Overlord, was the Allied forces' invasion of the beaches at Normandy in what some historians consider to be the largest land, sea and air invasion in history. The Allies brought 160,000 troops, 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft. The invasion occurred on June 6, 1944, more than four years into World War II when the Allied forces, including the U.S., Great Britain, France and Russia hoped to push back against Nazi control of Europe, according to The Allies' win was not decisive. The fierce battle resulted in more than 4,000 Allied soldiers dead and somewhere between 4,000 and 9,000 German soldiers dead, wounded or missing, according to The National D-Day Memorial Foundation. Approximately 200,000 German prisoners of war were captured. Less than a year later, Germany surrendered. Merz is a conservative who took office last month. He came to the White House to talk about a range of issues including trade, increased NATO spending and the Ukraine-Russia war, now in its third year. Overall, the meeting with Merz was amicable. Merz presented Trump with a framed copy of his grandfather Friedrich Trump's German birth certificate from 1869. Some of Trump's meetings with foreign leaders like South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have been more contested. Ahead of Trump's D-Day comment, Merz and Trump talked about hoping to see an end to the Ukraine war. "We know what we owe you, but this is the reason I'm saying that America again is in a very strong position to do something on this war and ending this war," Merz said. "So let's talk about what we can do jointly." Trump also leaned into World War II history in May when he declared May 8 a holiday to commemorate the end of World War II. "All over the World, the Allies are celebrating the Victory we had in World War II. The only Country that doesn't celebrate is the United States of America, and the Victory was only accomplished because of us," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on May 5, days before the proposed holiday. This year was the 80th anniversary of what is known internationally as Victory in Europe (VE) Day, and England, for example, is commemorating the event over four days, according to Reuters. Trump said on May 1 that he wanted to recognize May 8 as "Victory Day for World War II," and Nov. 11 as "Victory Day for World War I." However, Nov. 11 is already federally recognized as Veterans Day. Contributing: Mike Snider, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA TODAY; Reuters Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@ Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump D-Day comments and German chancellor. Meaning of the day
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
D-Day demystified: June 6 explained — what happened, why it mattered, and why the world still remembers
Eighty-one years ago, the beaches of Normandy changed the course of World War II and world history. The biggest amphibious invasion in military history began on June 6, 1944. D-Day was a turning point that showed the Allies' strength, strategy, and willingness to sacrifice for their country. Today, it's been 81 years since D-Day, the initial day of the Normandy landings that set the stage for the Allies' triumph over Nazi Germany in WWII. What does D-Day stand for? "D-Day" was military jargon for the start of a major operation; the initial "D" stood for "Day." "D-Day" actually means "Day-Day" in this context. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Rich Man Keeps Annoying Royal Guard, But He Didnt Expect This To Happen Learn It Wise Undo The Royal British Legion reports that the term "D-Day" was in use frequently prior to the June 1944 Allied invasion. But after this, the two terms started to mean the same thing, and today most people think of D-Day as the start of Operation Overlord, as per a report by CNN. What's the history behind it? The operation, which had more than 150,000 soldiers, was very important in ending Hitler's rule in Europe. Operation Overlord was a success, even though many people died. It led to the liberation of France and the defeat of Nazi Germany, which changed the course of World War II forever. Live Events Under the cover of Operation Overlord, tens of thousands of soldiers from several countries, including the US, UK, and Canada, landed on five different beaches in Normandy, France: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. The Allies started plotting D-Day over a year before it really happened, and they used a lot of military trickery to make the Germans confused about when and where the invasion would happen. What happened on D-Day? In what became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history, the allied armies' land, air, and sea forces came together on June 6, 1944, for the D-Day operation. Under the code name OVERLORD, the operation sent five naval assault divisions to the French coast of Normandy. The code names UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO, and SWORD were assigned to the beaches. Over 195,000 naval personnel from eight allied nations manned 7,000 ships and landing craft that made up the invasion force. On D-Day, nearly 133,000 soldiers from the US, the UK, and their allies touched down. 10,300 people from these nations lost their lives during the landing. 570,000 tons of supplies, 148,000 vehicles, and more than 850,000 men had touched down on the Normandy coast by June 30. German Nazi forces were defeated as a result of the valiant efforts of Russian forces on the eastern front and the allied forces ' soldiers, sailors, and pilots on the western front. General Alfred Jodl of Germany signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, France, on May 7, 1945, as quoted in a report by the Eisenhower Presidential Library. How did D-Day unfold? US troops were stationed at Omaha Beach on the northern end of the Normandy coast and Utah Beach at the foot of the Cotentin Peninsula. After that, the Canadians landed at Juno, then the British at Sword, the invasion's easternmost point, and finally the British on Gold Beach. The troops had moved farther inland from Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword by midnight, and they had secured their beachheads. But not all of the landings were successful; the invasion plan was delayed and hampered at Omaha Beach, where US forces suffered heavy losses as numerous landing craft were driven from their intended positions by strong currents. Casualties also resulted from heavy fire from German positions on the precipitous cliffs, which Prior to the invasion had not been adequately destroyed by Allied bombing. Why does it matter, and why does the world still remember it? Hitler's despotic rule came to an end on D-Day, a pivotal operation in World War II that also marked the Western Allies' greatest triumph. Normandy was taken over by the Allies, which allowed them to move into northwest Europe. France was freed as a result of Operation Overlord's success, which also made it possible for the Allies to combat the Germans in Nazi-occupied Europe. The failure of the operation, according to the US National World War II Museum, would have prevented another landing for at least a year, giving Hitler more time to build up the coastal defenses of Nazi-occupied Europe, develop aircraft and weapons, bomb the UK more heavily, and carry out his murderous campaign. FAQs Why is D-Day so important? It marked the beginning of the Allied campaign to liberate Nazi-occupied Europe, which turned the tide of WWII. What exactly does "D-Day" mean? It simply stands for "Day-Day" and was used by the military to indicate the start date of any major operation.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
101-year-old vet recalls 'fight for civilization' 80 years after V-E Day
For Jack Appel, 101, the Allies' victory in Europe − made official on May 8, 1945 − wasn't just vital because otherwise, as he said, "we'd all be speaking German now." "World War II was a major, major fight for civilization," the World War II veteran told USA TODAY this week as the globe marks the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. "Civilization" is no casual choice of words for Appel, a Brooklyn native now living in Boca Raton, Florida. He was among the first Americans to see the Buchenwald concentration camp, abandoned by the Nazis as the Allies closed in. Appel, who served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Europe during the war, is Jewish. "Seeing the ovens, it was just unbelievable that any civilization could ..." his voice trailed, then he continued, "it was 11 million people total, 6 million of them Jews, and the others political enemies, homosexuals, gypsies." Appel, who also told his story in an oral history video for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2015, knew just what he and others had been fighting for. After being drafted, a friend advised him not to say he was Jewish because "if the Nazis capture you, they'll shoot you." Instead, he said he was Catholic, his girlfriend's religion. During a nearly fatal bout with meningitis early in his deployment that cost him his hearing in one ear, he woke to hear a priest administering Last Rites. That, he believes, helped in what he calls "a relatively charmed life," one that kept him otherwise safe during the war. Appel, one of a dwindling number of U.S. World War II veterans who helped liberate Europe and the world from the grip of Nazism, fascism and genocidal hatred, was humble as he reflected on the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. "There's hardly a day that goes by without someone saying to me, 'Thank you for your service,'" he said. "And I am very grateful for that. We knew we were fighting for a purpose." V-E Day marks the day Germans, reeling from military defeats and the death by suicide just days before of their leader, Adolf Hitler, surrendered unconditionally to the Allied Forces. The Allies − the United States, United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and China, among others − fought the Axis Powers − Germany, Italy and Japan. The war was fought in primarily in two theaters, the European (which also included parts of the Middle East and North Africa) and the Pacific. V-E Day was the day the European campaign came to an end. Even though the Germans had surrendered, the Japanese had not, and so the war in the Pacific theater was still ongoing and would continue into the summer of 1945. The war, which broke out in 1939, had been costly in Europe, decimating cities and leaving much of the continent in ruins. There were massive military and civilian casualties. And the Nazis murdered 6 million Jews as well as others the Third Reich deemed "undesirable," including LGBTQ+ people, ethnic minorities and disabled people, in the Holocaust. Bloody battles on Iwo Jima and Okinawa over the winter and spring of 1945 had resulted in heavy losses among American and Japanese forces, but war in the Pacific continued. It wasn't until the United States used atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, killing a combined 165,000 people, that the Japanese relented. "There was a sense of unfinished business," Peter Donovan Crean Sr., vice president for education and access at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, told USA TODAY. "But it was also a moment of joy and elation and hope," and a "signal to the world that dawn was beginning to break." World War II officially ended on Sept. 2, 1945. As many as 80 million people, about 3% of the world's population at the time, were killed (including 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust). According to the U.S. Department of Defense, 250,000 American troops were killed in Europe during World War II. Notable battles involving U.S. forces included the invasion of Normandy, France, later called D-Day, on June 6, 1944; and the Battle of the Bulge in Northern France, Luxembourg and Belgium on Dec. 16, 1944. More than 16 million Americans served in uniform during World War II. More than 400,000 Americans lost their lives in the war. According to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans (which cites the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs), there are 66,143 WWII veterans still alive in the United States. Most are 90 years old or older. "We are at a critical time where we need to take advantage of being able to hear these stories," said Crean, a retired colonel with 30 years' service in the U.S. Army. "In the not-too-distant future we will not be able to have that luxury." The museum's Voices from the Front project captures the voices and memories of a host of people involved in World War II, including veterans, Holocaust survivors and people who were working on the homefront, for an interactive exhibit for visitors to ask questions, get answers and "talk" with those people, even after they're gone. "It's so important that we capture their stories now so future generations can learn those lessons and understand the context of the world you're living in," Crean said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: V-E Day 80 year anniversary: Vet recalls a 'fight for civilization'
