Sunday, June 06, 2004
Remembering D-Day
On June 6, 1944, the U.S. and her allies landed on the beaches of Normandy to defeat the Germans who had occupied France. The U.S. took on Omaha and Utah beaches while the allies took on Juno, Gold and Sword beaches.
“The American forces landed numbered 73,000: 23,250 on Utah Beach, 43,250 on Omaha Beach, and 15,500 airborne troops. In the British and Canadian sector, 83,115 troops were landed (61,715 of them British): 24,970 on Gold Beach, 21,400 on Juno Beach, 28,845 on Sword Beach, and 7900 airborne troops.
11,590 aircraft were available to support the landings. On D-Day, Allied aircraft flew 14,674 sorties, and 127 were lost.
In the airborne landings on both flanks of the beaches, 2395 aircraft and 867 gliders of the RAF and USAAF were used on D-Day.
Operation Neptune involved huge naval forces, including 6939 vessels: 1213 naval combat ships, 4126 landing ships and landing craft, 736 ancillary craft and 864 merchant vessels. Some 195,700 personnel were assigned to Operation Neptune: 52,889 US, 112,824 British, and 4988 from other Allied countries.” Source
Many know the details behind D-Day, Operation Neptune, the Atlantic Wall, etc. So I decided to compile a list of links that will give you personal accounts by the men who were actually there that day. Some were medics, some were pilots, some were infantry, there’s even a chaplain who went ashore with no weapon. These men deserve the recognition, deserve the honor, deserve the gratitude and deserve never to be forgotten as this day, D-Day, changed the entire face of WWII and Hitler’s attempts to take over all of Europe.
John Ahearn: Company Commander/Infantry
Ellis “Bill” Reed: Army Ranger
Mark Stepelton: Fighter Pilot
Monfrey Wilson: Infantry
Joseph Alexander: Skipper
Photos and excerpts from letters by someone known only as “Dad": Engineer Combat Battalion
George Rosie: Airborne, Was captured by German troops and became a POW.
Robert H. (Bob) O’Mara: Infantry (On right hand side of screen, third link down.)
Sam M. Gibbons (the Congressman): Captain, Parachute Infantry
Hyman Haas: Anti-Aircraft Artillery
Max Hedric: Paratrooper
D-Day message from Tony Leone: D-Day Survivor
Claud C. Woodring: Infantry, (Audio file-31 minute interview)
Waverly B. Woodson, Jr: Supply Sergeant/Pharmacist
James Roland Argo: Pharmacist’s Mate (Ship Doc) (More images and memoirs from Argo: here.)
Ed Gorman: Radio Operator
James T. Wynne: Parachute Infantry
John Burkhalter: Chaplain
George Russell Barber: Chaplain (Another interview: here.)
Bob Benvenuto: Amphibious Forces/Navy
Charles Hurlbut: Combat Engineer
Willis Buettner (Also interviewed: George Kinderman and Clarence “Inky� Jungwirth): Infantry
Joseph Beyrle: American soldier captured and thrown into Nazi prisons, finally escaped, ended up in Soviet Army for one month.
Yesterday’s Young Soldiers. (Click each “young” pic to see what they look like now.)
Even more personal stories can be found here: Military.com Remembers D-Day
Images of the crew of the LCI (L) 489 which landed on Omaha Beach: here
There are literally thousands and thousands of these personal stories all over the internet, in books, everywhere. Facts in history are important, of course, but eye witness accounts, the human emotion that can be felt in these stories is what we also need to remember. These are not mere statistics on a page in your high school history book...these are men who fought and/or died so that we may continue to have our freedoms.
"EVERY AMERICAN OWES GREAT HONOR AND THANKS TO THE VERY BRAVE COMBAT TROOPS WHO HAD THE TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITY OF ACTUALLY INVADING INVINCIBLE EUROPE CONTROLLED BY GERMANY UNDER THE MAD MAN, HITLER. WE AMERICANS CANNOT BEGIN TO THANK THOSE TROOPS ENOUGH. JUST VISIT THE AREA ABOVE OMAHA BEACH, WHERE THOUSAND OF AMERICAN SOLDIERS ARE RESTING AND IT WILL TEAR YOUR HEART OUT." ~ Mark Stepelton
While the above stories are about American soldiers, I want to thank ALL of our allies during WWII for they made great sacrifices as well to help us rid Europe of Nazi regime. Thank you to all.
BlackFive has a round up of links from MilBloggers and friends about D-Day.
[This post will continue to be updated as the week progresses towards the anniversary of D-Day.)
