Today, I am thankful for those who secured our future by securing a beachhead.
Have you ever had one of those days at work when you come home, exhausted, and say to yourself or your partner, “Wow, today was just brutal. I had all these people banging down my door, and it just seemed the torture would never cease.” Personal perspectives are often blinded by our own sheltered experiences. We fail to recognize that our day, despite how arduous or agonizing it might seem, probably pales in comparison to those facing extreme poverty, suffering a painful disease, or living under an oppressive regime. History exists to remind us that we need to broaden our horizons beyond our narrow existences and, in turn, we must learn the lessons from those who came before us.
Can you imagine what it must have felt like 76 years ago on this day (June 6) to be hunkered down face to face with 35 other members of your infantry regimen in one of 4,126 ‘Higgins boats’? In 1944, thousands of soldiers in these landing craft vehicles were exposed to Nazi artillery fire, as they approached the 5 beaches targeted for invasion by the Allied Forces, under the command of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Even if they survived the crossing of the English Channel, these soldiers then needed to navigate their way through the shallow waters to reach the beach, only to then make their way through metal tripods, wooden stakes, and barbed wire, all the while hoping they’d not be gunned down by a Nazi sharpshooter or inadvertently step on a mine. They then often scaled the walls at places like Pointe du Hoc to fight the German troops up close.
The landing of nearly 160,000 troops at the 5 Normandy beaches, including Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword, and Juno, on that fateful morning was a feat that required enormous planning. Years of preparation went into securing the ships, artillery, and troops needed to commandeer this extraordinary operation. Troops from the British, Canadian, and United States forces received intensive training for the massive undertaking. All the while, the military deceived Germany into believing a likely attack was planned across the North Sea into Norway or via the shortest passage point of the English Channel, in Calais, France. In fact, a fictitious army led by General George S. Patton was situated in Kent and Sussex to trick the Nazis. Fake radio broadcasts gave the impression that an attack was imminent from these places, as opposed to the longer, more treacherous crossing in Normandy.
Operation Overlord, as the Normandy invasion was named, was comprised of nearly 7,000 vessels and nearly 200,000 naval personnel. While the beaches were being secured as part of the amphibious undertaking (as part of Operation Neptune), thousands of paratroopers were dropped behind the enemy lines to destroy railways and bridges. Another 2,000 pilots bombed critical posts along the French coast and further inland. Resistance forces in Nazi-occupied France destroyed rail and electrical systems, cut telephone cables, and wreaked other havoc in Paris and other occupied French cities.
Ironically, the D-Day invasion failed to achieve any of its predefined objectives on Day 1. Another 6 days would pass before the Allied Forces interconnected the 5 beaches, and 2 months went by before these leagues would capture the key cities surrounding Normandy. In fact, the Allied Forces suffered 10,000 casualties on the first day, including 4,414 confirmed deaths. Yet, in the end, the mission succeeded in securing a foothold in France. Almost 11 months later, Germany surrendered, as Allied troops closed in on Berlin from both the West and the East.
Although we will be celebrating Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year in a few weeks’ time, I think it’s fair to say that there was no longer day in the history of all Junes than the one faced by the Allies on June 6, 1944. I am so grateful for all those men and women from all nations who helped to ensure the liberation of Europe. We owe so much gratitude to these heroes.
So, the next time you’re having a bad day at work, I’d suggest you take a second and ponder how much harder those troops had it in Northern France 76 years ago.
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