Steps: 554,988
Miles: 236.26
On June 6, 1944, some 21,000 Canadian troops led by its 3rd Infantry Division stormed Juno Beach at Normandy, while American and British forces struck at other main target beachheads.
The first assault wave landed at 0755 hours, 10 minutes past H-Hour and fully three hours after the optimum rising tide. This delay presented the invading Canadians with a difficult situation. The beach obstacles were already partially submerged, and the engineers were unable to clear paths to the beach. The landing craft were therefore forced to feel their way in, and the mines took a heavy toll. Roughly 30 percent of the landing craft at Juno were destroyed or damaged.
By evening the 3rd Division had linked up with the British 50th Division from Gold Beach to the west, but to the east the Canadians were unable to make contact with the British 3rd Division from Sword Beach—leaving a gap of 3 km (2 miles) into which elements of the German 21st Panzer Division counterattacked. The Canadians suffered 1,200 casualties out of 21,400 troops who landed at Juno that day—a casualty ratio of 1 out of 18. The virtual walker salutes the brave Canadians.
More on Juno Beach and D-Day
Stop! Stop! Stop! The virtual walker is in Florida, not France!
Oops. Sorry about that folks.
The southern part of Florida is known for Orchids. Between Key West and Juno Beach, there are thousands of Orchid growers and greenhouses. The American Orchid Society has over 3 dozen listings for retailers specializing in just Orchids.
More on Orchids
And even more
The virtual walker doesn't know much about orchids, but he does know he likes looking at them!
2 comments:
I never realized there were so many species of orchids. Very interesting...and very colorful. (i almost liked that history lesson, too)
:)
The flowers were pretty. I know someone who'd like that frog so Im gonna snag it and make something pretty for her.
The history lesson reminded something from a past lifetime. LOL. Something about a game played on New Years Eve and the history master being whooped handily by the gal who didnt take to history lessons very well (this time no one invading France even made it to mainland ;) ). I think that story is somewhere in my Padded Room blog....may take some digging.
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