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David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > I felt an impossible yearning, to have been there, to have fought evil, at a time before ambiguity, when "They" were bad and "We" were good. The last "righteous war." One that had to be fought as the possibility of the Nazis gaining world domination was quite simply, not an option that could be entertained. I have since come to understand that it is that dichotomy, them vs us, that fuels all wars. It is often express religiously... that God is on our side, or that it is God's will that we fight and kill the evildoers. I realize now that I was yearning to have a sense of meaning that is one of wars most addictive and seductive traits. War is like heroin to many. Its most potent effects are, escape from the mundane life, the rush of feverish emotion at patriotic rallies, the incredible brotherhood of the battlefield which is often more meaningful than marriage, the adulation of those back home, and of course women..
David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > Towering over the beaches, the great guns of "Battery du Longues" were still in their massive concrete emplacements, only one of which had been destroyed.
David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > Over the next few days, I visited the other invasion beaches. At Arromanches the skeletal remains of the "Mulberry Harbour" (artificial harbour made by sinking giant hollow concrete "caissons" and surplus ships) that was used to make up for the lack of natural ones, still surrounds the bay.
David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > Normandy A Personal Journey by David Cale ® It was D-Day plus 55. .The day was grey and blustery and a cold wind, blew in from the sea. Typical June weather for Normandy. It was high tide when I arrived. I walked straight out from the beach until I was standing, gazing out to sea, knee deep in the cold English Channel waters. I had traveled for five days North from Paris to Dunkerque and then exploring on my way down along the coast of France to Caen, and to the D-Day invasion beaches of Normandy. Driving north I crossed the river Orne at Pegasus bridge, which marks the Eastern edge of the D Day invasion. From there it was a short drive to the beaches. First Gold and Sword Beach, where British troops landed and then my objective Juno Beach where my countrymen, Canadians, came ashore. On a day similar to this, June 6, 1944, D-day, this six kilometre stretch of beach from Courseulles to St-Aubin sur Mer was newly christened -in blood- Juno Beach. It was here that Canadians of Toronto's Queen's Own Rifles, Regina Rifles, and Royal Winnipeg Rifles and others jumped into heavy surf and struggled ashore into the teeth of strong German resistance. Many of the German bunkers had not been destroyed by the preliminary bombardment, and until they were "silenced", these inflicted heavy losses. Many of the Canadian Amphibious Tanks went straight to the bottom in the heavy seas. Those that made it to shore aided enormously in making the landings a success. At the end of the day "The German dead were littered over the dunes, by the gun positions", a Canadian journalist reported. "By them, lay Canadians in bloodstained battledress, in the sand and in the grass, on the wire and by the concrete forts. ..They had lived a few minutes of the victory they had made. That was all." Three hundred and forty Canadians had given their lives. Another five hundred and seventy four had been wounded. This was just the beginning. In the days to come Canadians would see some of the bloodiest fighting of the invasion.
David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > Shadows
David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > From the memorial on top of Vimy Ridge, I can see the town in the distance. Twin mountains of coal mine tailings, a church steeple, and indistinct buildings, all nestled on the green clouds of surrounding trees and grassy fields - unassuming, sleepy, now peaceful. This ground is so soaked in Canadian, French, British and German blood that any flower growing here must surely blossom red. The pamphlet's description of the memorial reads " The twin white pylons, one bearing the maple leaves of Canada, the other the fleur-de-lis of France, symbolize the sacrifices of both countries. At the top are figures representing Peace and Justice, with Truth, Knowledge, Gallantry and Sympathy below them. In the centre, at the base of the pylons, a young dying soldier, the Spirit of Sacrifice, throws the torch to his comrades." A noble picture, with no trace of the mud and carnage of trench warfare. Life, so little valued, that the deaths of one of every six soldiers, and a further half of the rest being wounded, was considered an acceptable price. This was the first war of the industrial age. Mass production applied to killing.
David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > Shadows Taking Flight
David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > A flower wilted in a gun, so many millions lost all in this war. In reality this was WW1 part two. That war was the ultimate failure of imagination.
David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > Making Baby Picnic Tables
A flower wilted in a gun, so many millions lost all in this war. In reality this was WW1 part two. That war was the ultimate failure of imagination.
David Cale (ImagesOfTheJourney) > A flower wilted in a gun, so many millions lost all in this war. In reality this was WW1 part two. That war was the ultimate failure of imagination.
A flower wilted in a gun, so many millions lost all in this war. In reality this was WW1 part two. That war was the ultimate failure of imagination.
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This site and my photography business have developed from a passion for wonder, for wandering and for story telling. In the past few years I have traveled to more than 700 cities and places in pursuit of wonders from which come my stories and photographs.

IMAGES OF THE JOURNEY PHOTOGRAPHY


High quality photographs that capture the essence of exotic travel which will bring that blank wall in your office or home to life. Photo gifts, calendars, clothing, are also available.
We are located about 20km (12mi) NW of the Toronto International Airport in the city of Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
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