Then And Now: Photos Of D-Day Landings (Part 1)

On June 6, 1944, allied soldiers descended on the beaches of Normandy for D-Day – an operation that turned the tide of the Second World War against the Nazis, marking the beginning of the end of the conflict.

Today, as many around the world prepare to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the landings, pictures of Normandy’s now-touristy beaches stand in stark contrast to images taken around the time of the invasion. 

Reuters photographer Chris Helgren compiled a series of archive pictures taken during the 1944 invasion and then went back to the same places, to photograph them as they appear today. (Reuters)

The 2nd Battalion U.S. Army Rangers, tasked with capturing the German heavy coastal defense battery at Pointe du Hoc to the west of the D-Day landing zone of Omaha Beach, march to their landing craft in Weymouth, England, on June 5, 1944 in this handout photo provided by the US National Archives. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Tourists walk along the beach-front in the Dorset holiday town of Weymouth, England, July 13, 2013. The port was the departure point for thousands of Allied troops who took part in the D-Day landings. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

U.S. troops wade ashore from a Coast Guard landing craft at Omaha Beach during the Normandy D-Day landings near Vierville sur Mer, France, on June 6, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Tourists take part in a land sailing class on the former D-Day landing zone of Omaha beach near Vierville sur Mer, France August 22, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

U.S. Army troops congregate around a signal post used by engineers on the site of a captured German bunker overlooking Omaha Beach after the D-Day landings near Saint Laurent sur Mer June 7, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Tourists walk past a former German bunker overlooking the D-Day landing zone on Omaha Beach near Saint Laurent sur Mer, France, August 24, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

U.S. Army reinforcements march up a hill past a German bunker overlooking Omaha Beach after the D-Day landings near Colleville sur Mer, France, June 18, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Youths hike up a hill past an old German bunker overlooking the former D-Day landing zone of Omaha Beach near Colleville sur Mer, France, August 23, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

U.S. Army troops make a battle plan in a farmyard amid cattle, which were killed by artillery bursts, near the D-Day landing zone of Utah Beach in Les Dunes de Varreville, France, on June 6, 1944. (REUTERS/US National Archives)

Farmer Raymond Bertot, who was 19 when allied troops came ashore in 1944, poses on his property near the former D-Day landing zone of Utah Beach in Les Dunes de Varreville, France, August 21, 2013. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren)

Please click for: Then And Now: Photos Of D-Day Landings (Part 2)

Baghdad: Before and After

This Wednesday, March 13, 2013 photo shows a general view of Firdous Square at the site of an Associated Press photograph taken by Jerome Delay as the statue of Saddam Hussein is pulled down by U.S. forces and Iraqis on April 9, 2003. Ten years ago on live television, U.S. Marines memorably hauled down a Soviet-style statue of Saddam, symbolically ending his rule. Today, that pedestal in central Baghdad stands empty. Bent iron beams sprout from the top, and posters of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in military fatigues are pasted on the sides.(AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

 

Scenes from Baghdad today, ten years after the Iraq War was declared on March 19, 2003.

(Please click here for more images)

Rare Photos Depict WWI Devastation Along Western Front In France And Belgium

The front wall of the Hotel de Ville at Bethune in Northern France, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

The  World War One (WW1) started on July 28, 1914 and ended on November 11, 1918.

The WW1 involved all the world’s great powers.

A lot of buildings were damaged and destroyed during the war and lots of innocent people were injured and killed.

It is sad because we lost lots of beautiful building with great historical values. 

I do not like wars and I think that war is bad and so are revolutions because I do not like violence.

Revolution is something like a war but it is from within the country like when certain group of people wants power use violence to overthrow the government.

Anyway sometimes those people would ask for help from foreign countries, to help them to overthrow their own government.

War involves other country, as when a country wants to control another country.

The photos of WW1 below show the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the war.

I hope we can avoid wars and revolutions and that the world will be a peaceful place for all of us.

War is a disaster.

(Please click the photos for larger images)

All that remains of the town of Ypres in Belgium, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

The Sugar Factory Bridge in the town of Albert, in France, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

St Martin’s Cathedral at Ypres in Belgium, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

Remains of the Cloth Hall at Ypres in Belgium, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

All that remains of the town of Ypres in Belgium, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

The canal at Diksmuide in Belgium, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

The front wall of the Hotel de Ville at Bethune in Northern France, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

St Martin’s cathedral, at Ypres in Belgium, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images

The East end of the Nave in the Basilique at Saint-Quentin in Northern France, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

A Franco-British frontier post in Northern France, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

A huge bomb crater at Messines Ridge in Northern France, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

The village of Neuve Eglise in Northern France, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

A view of the the River Ancre in the town of Albert, in France, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

The moat and the ramparts at Ypres in Belgium, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images

The remains of the Hotel de Ville at Arras in Northern France, photographed soon after the end of World War One, circa March 1919. This image is from a series documenting the damage and devastation that was caused to towns and villages along the Western Front in France and Belgium during the First World War. (Photo by Popperfoto/Getty Images)

Tales From Calovinia, A Story By Ahmad Ali Karim

Chapter 1 – An Attack

It was a glorious day in Calovinia. All the flowers were blooming and all the birds are singing in the gardens around the beautiful castle. King Ali of Calovinia was having a happy time talking to King Gampore from the country of Arguay. But soon, an attack by their enemy, Cinra disturbed their private gathering.

Their ally, Torky came to help the Calovinians and together they fought the enemy but they almost lost to the very powerful Cinra. Torky sent more armies and at last they won the battle. The King of Torky ordered his infantry units named the Janissaries to attack Jupron because it was the King of Jupron who made the plan for Cinra to attack Calovinia.

In Jupron’s fort, a Jupron spy came back from Calovinia, telling the news of the incoming attack to his leader. The Jupron army leader, Date Masamone commanded his armies to prepare and sent a cavalry archer to see if the Torky’s armies had arrived.

As the cavalry rode out from the fort looking out for the enemy, he was almost shot by Torky’s Janissaries. Immediately he rode back to the fort with the bad news. He jumped from his horse and ran to tell the Date that armies from Torky were already there.

Date Masamone commanded, “One hundred skirmishers, attack now!” and off went the hundred skirmishers to the battle ground. They attacked the Janissaries but the Janissaries were too strong for them and they were defeated in no time. Jupron sent more and more armies and at the same time a big reinforcements from Torky reached the battle field .

The Juprons fought and fought until most all of their soldiers at the battle field were killed. The Date did not give up, he sent more and more armies. But the Janissaries were too strong for the Juprons. Then Date Masamone sent  out all of their archers. They almost won the battle but as a new reinforcements from Torky reached the battle field, the Torky won the battle.

The King of Torky was very happy to hear the good news. He had defeated all of his enemy except Cinra. But the King of Torky was a very wise man. He knew that he could not be really sure that there was no other enemy except Cinra because anyone could turn into an enemy in just a blink of an eye.

To be continued …