Sixty-nine years ago today. My annual D-Day post, first published in 2009...
The world will probably never see another military operation like this ever again. The focus is primarily on the men who scaled the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc and landed on the beaches code-named Omaha, Utah, Sword, Juno and Gold, and rightly so. But the Allied navies and air arms deserve equal attention, as do the behind-the-scenes logisticians who managed an incredible supply chain; that supply chain was a modern marvel in every sense of the word. As I said, we'll never see another military effort like this ever again. Let's hope we never have cause to mount such an invasion, too.D-Day
Sixty-five years ago today. All images as captioned in the Life Magazine photo archives.
Tracer fire from many different ships lighting up the night sky over the English Channel during opening phase of D-Day, the Allied invasion of France. (no credit)
American B-26 Marauders with special D-Day markings make a bombing run over Cherbourg around the time of the Allied D-Day invasion of France. (Frank Scherschel)
Aerial view of American troops and tanks coming ashore as landing craft continue to unload on the first day of Operation Overlord, the invasion of France, aka on D-Day. (no credit)
Massive landing and deployment of US troops, supplies and equipment in the days following victorious D-Day action on Omaha Beach; barrage balloons guard against German aircraft while scores of ships unload men & material. (no credit)
Bodies of 8 American paratroopers lie outside the wreckage of their glider near Hiesville, France on the day of the invasion of Normandy, aka D-Day. (no credit)
Chaplin saying mass aboard HMS Scylla, laying at anchor off the Normandy coast shortly after the D-Day invasion of France. (no credit)
As always... click for larger. And spare a thought and a prayer today for those who made the ultimate sacrifice6569 years ago. There were many thousands who gave their lives for freedom on this day...
I can't even begin to imagine the hell these men went through. When watching movies like "Saving Private Ryan" I can't handle the D-Day invasion scenes.
ReplyDeleteThe combat was intense, to say the very least.
DeleteIntense indeed but think of the efforts made by so many to achieve that day. I think by this point we had 12 million men in uniform in this country and tens of millions more who went to work every single day to turn out the war materials needed to create this moment.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, Curt. I really, really do.
DeleteYou did a helluva lot more that did our Fearless Leader, Buck. The Big Zero held/attended/observed NOT ONE SINGLE commemorative service yesterday. I'm SURE that you, like me, were shocked, SHOCKED at the fact. I guess it's sort of like Benghazi or the IRS dealio, he's just so busy working hard for the American people that some things slip thru the crack...right?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was shocked, alright.
Delete/sarcasm