June 6th

[werk]

Another vote for not tacky at all.

Most companies work from a fiscal calendar. If the mail is being delivered, it's just business as usual.

Also, 2 days before my birthday

 

[Puggins]

A pretty damn grim event in the history of Canada to be celebrating it with fireworks, to be sure. (How grim? I would much rather have been landing at Utah beach on June 6 '1944 than on the fields of the Somme on July 1, 1916, thanks very much. It's not even close).

Well, first- comparing the two is largely academic. Both were horrid environments that churned out grisly deaths by the boatload. Both countries should look at the soldiers who willingly stepped into those gauntlets with awe and respect, because none of us will likely ever have to face anything even a tenth as horrid as those battlefields.

Second- there's a matter of scale.

The Somme involved an assault by 24 divisions over virtually one hundred miles on the first day. The commitment of men was well over 300,000. Of those, almost 20,000 died on the battlefield, and another 40,000 suffered significant injury. Patton's rule of thumb was that once a unit suffers 25% casualties it ceases to be a combat-effective unit. On the first day of the Somme, almost two entire British ARMIES suffered 20% casualties. The grisliness was unprecedented.

The landings on Omaha Beach were just as critical, but the battlefield was much, much smaller- the 29th American Infantry division, supported by several companies of Rangers and a tank regiment assaulted an area roughly three miles in length. Even worse, the entire division didn't come on the beach at the same time. Some of the early regiments suffered horrible, horrible casualties- close to 50% dead in many cases. Subsequent landings suffered significant casualties but nothing like the initial assault. Overall, that limited fighting force suffered close to 3,000 deaths.

So where would I rather be? Well, the short answer is nowhere near either of them. The long answer- if we're talking a single day, give me the opening day of the Somme, since I'll have a better chance to survive- especially if I was unlucky enough to be in the opening wave of Omaha. Past that, give me the American Army in WWII- at least things got a little better after the initial landing in Omaha. The British Army was in for much, much worse after July 1st.

 

[FalcWP]

Cool! Awesome! So, uh... what do we get with the Deluxe Edition? o.0

A M4 Sherman.

 

[Darkwolf71]

A M4 Sherman.

Count me IN!

 

[Fifth Element]

Since we are sharing family war stories, my granddad was in the Canadian Army as part of the Govenor General’s Horse Guard. He was likely a member of Montgomery’s British 8th Army Division in North Africa and Italy and we believe he fought in the Liri Valley and at Monte Casino among other locales. He died before I had a chance to learn more about his history in the war.

Finally! An explanation for why The Rouse is so Rousetastic! He's descended from a Canuck, like the best of us are.

 

[thedungeondelver]

As someone who avidly reads WWII history (particularly the war in the West, although I'd like to start on the eastern front someday) and feels a great amount of emotion about the losses of D-Day...I say no. There's a vast difference between doing business on 6 JUN and tying the product release to the events in northwestern France in 1944 to that day.

If WotC has the poor taste to, say, photoshop US Paratroopers with 4e books strapped to them, or does a v/o of that unknown casualty struggling up Omaha Beach who just drops mid-stride saying "HEY GUYS WAIT UP I DROPPED MY D20!!!", then, yeah, it's in poor taste.

I'd also wager WotC won't do that.

 

[VictorC]

I think this belongs here in General, but if the Mods think otherwise, feel free to move it.

So, am I the only one who thinks that launching 4E on the anniversary of D-Day is rather tacky?

What day would be good for you?

 

[Ranger REG]

What day would be good for you?

2010.

Oh! You mean day.

Whatever is good for you. I'm in no rush. 30, 31 (December).

 

[theredrobedwizard]

I'm still sad that they moved the PHB back from May. It would have been a great birthday present for me.

Something historical happened every day in the calendar year. There is no day wherein something important didn't happen. No matter which day was chosen, there'd be someone bringing up that X event also happened on this day.

-TRRW

 

[Ranger REG]

I'm still sad that they moved the PHB back from May. It would have been a great birthday present for me.

You should've had my birthday, August 18.