Posted on 06/08/2023 5:18:11 AM PDT by MtnClimber
The men at Omaha did not believe America had to be perfect to be good—just far better than the alternative.
Seventy-nine years ago this week, the Allies assaulted the Normandy beaches on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Their invasion marked the largest amphibious landing since the Persians under Xerxes invaded the Greek mainland in 480 B.C.
Nearly 160,000 American, British, and Canadian soldiers stormed five beaches of Nazi-occupied France. The plan was to liberate Western Europe after four years of occupation, push into Germany, and end the Nazi regime.
Less than a year later, the Allies from the West, and the Soviet Russians from the East, did just that, utterly destroying Hitler’s Third Reich.
Ostensibly, the assault seemed impossible even to attempt.
Germany had repulsed with heavy Canadian losses an earlier Normandy raid at Dieppe in August 1942.
The Germans also knew roughly when the Allies were coming. They placed their best general, Erwin Rommel, in charge of the Normandy defenses.
The huge D-Day force required enormous supplies of arms and provisions just to get off the beaches. Yet the Allies had no means of capturing even one port on the nearby heavily fortified French coast.
To land so many troops so quickly, the Allies would have to ensure complete naval and air supremacy.
They would have to tow over from Britain their own ports, lay their own gasoline pipeline across the English Channel, and invent novel ships and armored vehicles just to get onto and over the beaches.
More dangerous still, the invaders would ensure armor and tactical air dominance to avoid being cut off, surrounded, and annihilated once they went inland.
German Panzer units—battle-hardened troops in frightening Panther and Tiger tanks, with over three hard years of fighting experience on the Eastern Front—were confident they could annihilate...
(Excerpt) Read more at amgreatness.com ...
Me too.
Quite simply the Nazis wanted to enslave everyone. An enabled Japanese tyranny in their Greater East Asia Coprosperity Sphere would have made the Nazis look like picnickers.
The only thing standing in the way of Nazi counter attack and annihilation of Allie’s on the beaches was Hitler. He alone controlled the German panzer divisions. Without his orders, they couldn’t move. By the time the order was given in mid-afternoon, it was too late.
My grandmother lost her eldest son and her husband within 9 months. My mother was a teen at the time, now she is 91. Two days ago, I pulled up her brother’s obit and info on Find-A-Grave. As she walked into the room, she saw his photo on the monitor. Startled, she cried out, “That looks just like my brother!” She sat down, and we went through all of the info posted on the website. It was a memorable afternoon.
On Tues I watched (for the first time) the excellent movie “The Longest Day” to commemorate D Day.
Lots to think about. I hard a hard time sleeping Tues night. I have three young adult sons—20, 24, 27. Now when I watch movies like this or visit WW II museums (like the excellent one in New Orleans) I think of what a waste of men, time, and resources it all was.
Thanks so much for posting that! I’d never heard of “Operation Pluto” before or the fact that cross-channel pipelines were laid. What an amazing engineering and operational achievement.
Spent the day watching Band of Brothers for the first time.
The first few minutes of Saving private Ryan showed me the hell that those men endured. And that was just a movie. I simply cannot fathom what it was like in person.
God bless those brave men!
My grandfather was at Utah Beach as well, 4th infantry division 8th infantry regiment. He went in with the second wave and survived d- day without being wounded. He was late wounded at least twice. Once in the push to Cherbourg. Later he got bombed by our own air Corp in the preparatory bombardment for operation cobra.
How very fitting... I have no one left to discuss, but a sister ... who also served .. in the first battle for Babylon... Bless your mom, she too is a ‘war’ hero.
I’m not familiar with the battle for Babylon in recent history. What year did that occur?
Babylon is in Iraq.. the word Babylon means confusion.
Thank you for that, and thanks to your sister for her service!
1st ID.
The Big Red One.
No Mission too difficult, no sacrifice too great.
Hoorah!
1976
5.56mm
Thank you!
I have watched Band of Brothers through a couple three times now. Regularly now I watch the last scene selection on the first disk where they take off and the theme plays.
Cornelius Ryan wrote the 3 books listed below.
‘The Last Battle’ shows how savage the battle between the germans and the russians were.
The Longest Day
A Bridge Too Far
The Last Battle
https://www.amazon.com/Books-Cornelius-Ryan/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ACornelius+Ryan
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.