Operation Overlord, in pictures.
Sixty-six years ago today, the Allies launched the greatest naval invasion in the history of warfare, and began the process that would finally end the reign of one of the most evil groups in history.
On that one day, approximately 4,000 allied soldiers were killed.
Eisenhower's D-Day Message to The Troops:
ReplyDeleteSoldiers, 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 the world are upon you.The hopes and prayers 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 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.
SIGNED: Dwight D. Eisenhower
What I'd give to hear one of TODAY'S generals give a version of that speech to our troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, "great and noble undertaking" is a phrase relegated to the dustbin of history.
Well one of today's generals would be told not to invoke G*d becasuse 1) seperation of church and state, doncha know, and 2) it might anger the muslims -- and we wouldn't want to do that.
ReplyDeleteLast year when we were in England, my cousin, a retired naval officer, took us to Southwick House in Portsmouth where we saw the actual plywood map that was used to plan the D Day operation.
ReplyDeleteFay, that house is HUGE! It must have been sobering to see the actual map.
ReplyDeleteMore great D-Day photographs here.
ReplyDeleteI think Fay has mentioned the veterans of D-Day who were at the D-Day Museum. It was great to speak with them and give them our thanks.
ReplyDeleteIf I ever do anything with the video I shot, I wil have to post some of it.
Maybe when I get my Mac!!!!!!!!
I remember when I was in Bogota we were watching a TV movie about D-Day, with Tom Selleck playing Eisenhower (I think) and they showed the map and someone asked what flag that one was and they paused it and everyone stared at it...no one knew what it was.
ReplyDeleteMind you, this was a group of American diplomats and their families, very well educated.
I knew the flag, of course, but didn't want to be seen as a know-it-all and, anyway, I was very, very depressed they didn't recognize the flag attached to the arrows leading to Juno.
The Red Ensign, the past and future flag of the great Dominion, long may she wave.
Something I've been watching on cable now and then is "The World at War"...a series I initially thought was just another paste up & re-enactments without purpose.
ReplyDeleteI was wrong. It is all archival footage, no re-enactments, and parts of it ware compelling....so much so I found myself wondering if I'd see the youthful faces of some of the WWII veterans I know.
I've enjoyed the few episodes I have watched enough to buy the whole series, if and when offered for sale again, and give it to my daughter....I guarantee that she never even read about most of it while in school. I grew up in the midst of it, and subsequent wars that were invariably connected to WWII and finally got to participate in one of them.
She needs to know what has gone before...and what the price really was.
When I look carefully at today's Soldiers and Marines I see men and women more fit, stronger, tougher, and better trained & equipped than ever before. So much so I wonder if I could have even hacked it myself in today's environment.
Add in that they must deal with ROE's we never dreamed of, I am in awe of today's youngsters who serve. There really are a few great people left, and they wear the uniforms of the military.
So my hat is off today for both the veterans before me and those to come.
Just an aside, but since Jourdan mentioned Eisenhower, I thought I recommend the best book I ever read about the man..."Past Forgetting" by Kay Summersby. Forget about the affair innuendo, although an autobiography of Summersby, it reveals Eisenhower the man.
ReplyDeleteFinally, here's a blog on Leadership by a man I know personally. He's honoring John Wooten here, but his entire blog is devoted to Leadership essentials.
ReplyDeleteWooten's principles and the Colonel's are very similar, and I admire them both. The Colonel is a man you can disagree with, if you're not a punk, but you'd best be prepared to sustain your argument and say it simply and frankly. Yeah, he was scary to a lot of folks.
He is the real deal, and the only Commander I had as a DA Civilian that I'd unhesitatingly follow in to harm's way. No exceptions.
A legacy West Pointer, he is one of the few I've met who really get it. He could be very off-putting if you were unaccustomed to blunt and frank discourse.
As I enter this today he is either on his way or already in Afghanistan. God Speed Colonel Magness.