D-DAY A/K/A OPERATION OVERLORD AND THE BATTLE OF NORMANDYPosted on 06/06/2007 6:01:12 AM PDT by K-oneTexas
D-DAY A/K/A OPERATION OVERLORD AND THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY
Sixty-three years ago on this day allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy in what is still, to this day, the largest seaborne invasion in the history of the world. Just a little historical oddity, but the name for the overall operation to retake Western Europe from Hitler's Nazis was Operation Overlord. The name for the actual June 6th invasion of Normandy was Operation Neptune. Neptune began on June 6, 1944, and ended 24 days later on June 30th. The allied forces suffered about 10,000 causalities on D-Day. About 2500 of those casualties were deaths. The U.S. forces casualty figure was 6,603, inducing 1,465 dead, 3,184 wounded, 1928 missing and 26 captured.
There was a time when you didn't have to engage in a mini history lesson on D-Day. This was something the American people were actually taught in school, or something they remembered personally. Not so today, unfortunately. If you care to know more here are some links from the D-Day Museum and from Wikipedia that seem very thorough.
Something else you might not have known about D-Day. As the allied troops were landing on the beaches of Normandy, President Roosevelt was reading a prayer on America's radio stations. Today we are going to play FDR's prayer on the air sometime during the show. For those of you who can't tune in, here it is:
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Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer: Almighty God: our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph. They will be sore tried, by night and by day without rest - until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war. For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home. Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom. And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters and brothers of brave men overseas -- whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice. Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a countenance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts. Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces. And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be. And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose. With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen. Pres. FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, June 6, 1944 |
You have to wonder if our country, today, with our politicians and leftist news media, could possibly prevail in such a conflict.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Yeah, but did we have an exit strategy? :)
That sounds pretty darned stupid, doesn’t it?
Imagine Obama or Sen. Clinton as POTUS in 1944.
I are confuzed!
Today is Wednesday June 6 But in the first part of the story it says Wednesday June 5.
And unless I’m completely out to lunch D-Day was 6/6/44 not 6/5/44.
John has a long mustache.
Bah-Bah-Bah-Baaaahhhhhhh. Bah-Bah-Bah-Baaaaahhhhh.
Y'know, I'm in my late '40's and I can tell you that in my school district WW2 history was not taught. We had "Social Studies" rather than real history. If it weren't for the fact that my father past down to me his interest in history & particularly military history, I would not know much about D-Day other than the headline stuff.
Social Studies, New Math & Language Arts instead of History, Mathematics & English. It's almost like the educational establishment were trying to screw us up & keep us ignorant.
The airborne drops in support of the landings occurred on 6/5/44 (the night before). So take your pick on the dates.
Times have changed. And the only folks who think they've changed for the better are the militant atheists who hate God.
To all those soldiers and airmen and sailors who took Point Du Hoc, and the Omaha and Utah beaches, God Bless You!
Wounds my heart with a monotonous langour.
Your right, I didn’t catch that. Guess the Web Master goofed. I the sixties we actually got taught history, WWII included at my school. Although many kids I knew then were reading books about that era on their own. One of my favorite reading subjects, WWII the men and battles.
Given that U.S> troops are still stationed in Germany and Japan, I would say no!
If this invasion occurred today-—
1. The NY Times would carry the story on page 54
2. The ACLU would protest the president’s repeated references to God in his speech.
3. Students across the nation would riot over the US Military brutal treatment of the German military.
4. PETA would loudly protest the carpet bombing of the French countryside, causing the murder of countless cows, horses, chickens and geese.
5. The media would suffer cardiac-arrest over the 10,000 plus casualties suffered in ONE day.
6. NBC, CBS, and CNN would demand the removal of Generals Eisenhower, Bradley and Patton, since their inability to do it right caused such carnage among our troops.
7. 81% of university professors would sign a huge petition demanding that we withdraw from a fight not our own.
8. ABC would broadcast an expose of our Army’s nasty and unfair treatment of captured enemy soldiers, keeping them in barbed wire enclosed camps.
The AXIS POWERS made their move too soon.
Once I followed the link (duh!) I saw that it seemed to be Neals web guy that screwed up.
I have a daughter who is a sophmore in high school and I can tell you that in our school district not only was World War II covered in her freshman year U.S. history class, it was covered again in her sophmore year World History class.
There would have already been a landing, that in all probability been thrown back into the sea. The left had been demanding a second front be opened against the Germans to take pressure off of their beloved USSR
My father was on Utah beach. USN UDT Unit 6. Always thanked God that he was not on Omaha. I would never have known him most likely.
Each year on this date my Father’s image I have as I awake, he served in the 29th Inf. Div. Virginia. and was on Omaha Beach. God Love that man. Son.
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