PrintJune 6, 2009
'D-day'-Day of Glory
They gave us ‘nothing less than full victory.'
June 6, 1944, "D-day," is a day that lives in glory.
"D-day" in military history stands for the "day" of invasion. On this "D-day," obscure beaches on the French coast of the English Channel became the hallowed ground on which heroic men fought and thousands died to end tyranny and liberate millions from Nazi oppression and death camps. These are the beaches renamed, remembered and revered as "Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno."
Normandy is the most inspiring, humbling and historically important place to visit in France. Standing above Omaha Beach looking out across the English Channel from what was a Nazi cement bunker, provides a commanding view of what the allied forces faced that monumental and awesome day-"the longest day."
Excerpts from Adolf Hitler's "Directive No. 5l," 3 November 1943, expose the resolute and seemingly invincible Nazi army entrenched against the allied forces. Hitler demanded defense of the coast of France at all costs:
If the enemy here succeeds in penetrating our defenses on a wide front, consequences of staggering proportions will follow within a short time. All signs point to an offensive against the Western Front of Europe no later than spring, and perhaps earlier.For that reason, I can no longer justify the further weakening of the West in favor of other theaters of war. I have therefore decided to strengthen the defenses in the West, particularly at places from which we shall launch our long-range war against England. For those are the very points at which the enemy must and will attack; there-unless all indications are misleading-will be fought the decisive invasion battle.During the opening phase of the battle, the entire striking power of the enemy will of necessity be directed against our forces manning the coast. Only an all-out effort in the construction of fortifications, an unsurpassed effort that will enlist all available manpower and physical resources of Germany and the occupied areas, will be able to strengthen our defenses along the coasts within the short time that still appears to be left to us.Should the enemy nevertheless force a landing by concentrating his armed might, he must be hit by the full fury of our counterattack. For this mission ample and speedy reinforcements of men and materiel, as well as intensive training must transform available larger units into first-rate, fully mobile general reserves suitable for offensive operations. The counterattack of these units will prevent the enlargement of the beachhead, and throw the enemy back into the sea.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, commissioned our troops as they boarded planes, gliders and ships, great and small. He called them to nothing less than full victory:
Soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well-trained, well-equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations [not today's U.N.] have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.
An invading army had not crossed the treacherous English Channel since 1688. The heroes of "D-Day" knew that the beaches of Normandy had to be taken or else. There would be no throwing them back into the sea:
It was to be the largest combined, sea, air, and land military operation in history, made up of three million men, 13,000 aircraft, 1,200 warships, 2,700 merchant ships, and 2, 500 landing craft. Fifteen minutes after midnight on June 6, the first of 23,000 U.S., British, and Canadian paratroopers and glider troops plunged into the darkness over Normandy, and the Allied liberation of France was underway. Just before dawn, Allied aircraft and ships bombed the French coast along the Baie de la Seine, and at daybreak, the bombardment ended as 135,000 Allied troops stormed ashore at five landing sites. Despite the formidable German coastal defenses, beachheads were achieved at all five landing locations. At one site-Omaha Beach-German resistance was especially strong, and the Allied position was only secured after hours of bloody fighting by the Americans assigned to it. By the evening, some 150,000 American, British, and Canadian troops were ashore, and the Allies held about 80 square miles. Over the next five days, Allied forces in Normandy moved steadily forward in all sectors against fierce German resistance. On June 11, the five landing groups met up, and Operation Overlord-the code name for the Allied invasion of northwestern Europe-proceeded as planned.
By nightfall on June 6, more than 9,000 Allied soldiers were dead or wounded, but more than 100,000 had made it ashore, securing French coastal villages.
This Saturday would be a good time to read the citations of the 12 Medal of Honor Recipients of the Normandy Invasion. Five were awarded posthumously. They embodied the words of Jesus: "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."
A personal note:
My step-dad landed at Normandy two months after the invasion. He commanded a tank crew in Patton's 3rd Army and fought in the "Battle of the Bulge." Dad suffered severe frost bite in both feet during one of Europe's coldest winters. He spent a month in a hospital where doctors came very close to amputating them.
He didn't talk much about his war experiences, but he loved to attend the reunions of the men with whom he served. They told stories and relived some unforgettable moments such as crossing the Rhine River at night in total blackout over a pontoon bridge laid down by an engineer combat batallion. There was the time that tanks in front and in back of his were hit by enemy fire and his buddies died.
I will never forget one 4th of July when Dad came into the house after walking in the backyard while fireworks were going off. He had "hit the dirt" when a loud rocket went screaming overhead. He was concerned that neighbors had seen him and were laughing at him. Dad was embarrassed. I was proud.
Dad made it clear that he wanted to be buried with soldiers. His grave is in Arlington National Cemetery in Riverside County, California. They gave us the Flag from his coffin and "the thanks of a grateful Nation."
Jan LaRue is an attorney, author, and frequent contributor to American Thinker.
