You really need to watch "The war" on PBS.

[Wcross]

You get a real sense of the sacrifice our fathers and grandfathers made for our country. Right now they are covering the 8th Air force and the bomber raids on Germany. One plane destroyed = 10 dead. It wasn't unheard of to lose 100 bombers a raid. 1000 men killed or captured/wounded.

[malta blue]

1. I have the DVR working on it - all the episodes this week...

I am just way too tired to stay up during the week...

Thanks for the info - I am really looking forward to watching it.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

2. I'm recording it

And I'm looking forward to watching it as one long marathon.

[CBHagman]

3. The figures for the North Africa campaign...

Did I hear 76,000 within the first few months? It certainly provides perspective.

[pokerfan]

4. Read D-Day by Ambrose a few years ago

The sacrifices by the invasion force and the subsequent battle of Normandy are well documented.

But the Allies also lost a thousand bombers (10,000 men) in the two month build up to the invasion.

[cobalt1999]

5. We have no concept of total war anymore.

WWI had causality rates of Iraq in a single hour.

WWII the sacrifices made on the home front are unimaginable now.

People gone not for a 9 month tour but gone for 4 years with little communication beyond a sporadic mail system.