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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth traveled to the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, for the second consecutive year, where he delivered remarks today honoring the approximately 160,000 Allied troops — 73,000 of them Americans — who landed at Normandy on June 6, 1944, to liberate Western Europe from Nazi control. The beginning of the Battle of Normandy, more commonly referred to as D-Day, would lead to more than 2 million Allied troops being on the ground in France within three months, followed by the ultimate downfall of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi regime just over eight months later. "Eighty-two...

My fellow Americans: 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...

This being the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, I thought I’d post a story of my experience with a D-Day veteran. Perhaps other Freepers have stories they’d like to share here as well.

The History Guy remembers the heroic service of Rescue Flotilla 1 of the United States Coast Guard during D-Day. It is history that deserves to be remembered. [1st vid in THG's D-Day Playlist] How Rescue Flotilla One saved more than 400 men on D-Day | 10:20 The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered | 1.64M subscribers | 177,873 views | June 2, 2018 THG D-Day search results.

Raise the 48 Star Flag and put on the Longest Day or Saving Private Ryan. Its time to remember one of the greatest military events in all of history and an invasion which will never be eclipsed. That day when so many brave and very young men walked into hell, they should never be forgotten.

Veterans gathered in Normandy on Friday to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings — a turning point in World War II that ultimately precipitated the downfall of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s regime. Roughly two dozen veterans who served in World War II traveled to the beaches of Normandy to honor the thousands that died on D-Day, as well as the tens of millions that died in the second World War. D-Day marked a significant turn in World War II as it set the stage for the defeat of Nazi Germany by effectively establishing a Western front. It essentially...

June 6, 1944—a date etched into the annals of history. Known simply as D-Day, it was the start of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, and the largest amphibious assault ever conducted. But beneath the surface of this widely remembered military operation lie lesser-known stories, unsung innovations, and strategic gambits that made this turning point of World War II both extraordinary and brutal. The Massive Deception that Made D-Day Possible One of the most overlooked elements of D-Day is the sophisticated web of deception known as Operation Bodyguard, a set of diversionary operations meant to mislead the German...

Imagine picking up every man in a medium-sized city, everything they’ll need to eat and drink and rest for a few days, any vehicles they might need, gasoline, of course, plus lots of guns and ammo, and then moving it all in a few short hours a distance of anywhere from 30 to 125 miles. But this is no road trip. You have to move all those people and all that stuff partly by air, but mostly across heavy seas in foul weather. Under enemy fire. I should also mention that if you messed up any of the big details...

As most of us know, today is the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Bing marks it on their homepage (good for them). Google has nothing. Anyway, if you have a D-Day story of a sort, feel free to post it here.

Full Title: President Ronald Reagan's Address at the Omaha Beach Memorial Cemetery Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy, France

[Recordings at link. The 1 min D-Day audio includes the words of the announcer.]The Sound of the Liberty BellThe Bell as Ben Heard ItThanks to modern computer modeling, we may have a closer idea of exactly how the Bell sounded when Benjamin Franklin heard it. In 1999, graduate students from Pennsylvania State University were able to digitally create a structural model of the Liberty Bell. From this computer model, they were able to mathematically equate the vibration of the Bell and add sound. Knowing that the tone of the Bell was E-flat, they were able to come up with a...

General Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived in London January 2, 1944 to command Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) and to direct the last five months of planning for D-Day. Eisenhower’s study of leadership skills required he never express the apprehension and doubt, which inevitably arise as strain and tension wear away endurance. He was determined always to present confidence and optimism to those around him. He brought with him a confident, battle tested team that had led successful landings in North Africa, Sicily, and Salerno, despite experiencing German counterattacks nearly driving the Allies into the sea on the last two...

I hadn't intended to write about war songs this week. But I was struck by some of the responses to yesterday's D-Day special, and, as always, impressed by the resilience of the accompanying music. It's eighty years since June 6th 1944, four score and six since the first troops shipped out, and yet that sound remains unmistakeable. For those who were there, a few bars of "White Cliffs of Dover" will always mean a crowded railway platform in East Anglia as the troop train pulls out, and a snatch of "Maybe It's Because I'm a Londoner" will always evoke the...

Freedom isn't Free. Just sayin...

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...

79 years ago today, my grandfather jumped out of a plane. He was 17 years old when he joined the 101st Airborne Division, and at the ripe age of 18, he boarded a C-47 aircraft with the rest of his company destined for Normandy. On June 6, 1944, he jumped out of that plane onto Utah Beach, becoming a part of what would become the largest amphibious invasion in military history, Operation Overlord, or, as it's more commonly known, D-Day. Though only 18, my grandfather was one of the oldest soldiers in his company. He recounted how many, like himself,...

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Seventy-Nine years ago during the night Allied paratroopers landed behind the the beaches of Normandy, France, to be followed at dawn by thousands of amphibious troops landing on those beaches, I can not let this day go by without a tribute. June 6, 1944 was not just another day at the beach and for many it was their last day and for those who lived it was their longest day for the rest of their lives.

Every day, memories of World War II—its sights and sounds, its terrors and triumphs—disappear. Yielding to the inalterable process of aging, the men and women who fought and won the great conflict are now in their 90s or older. They are dying quickly—according to US Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, 167,284 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II are alive in 2022.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived in London January 2, 1944 to command Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) and to direct the last five months of planning for D-Day; the most difficult and complicated military operation ever attempted. Eisenhower’s study of leadership skills required he ignore opportunities for fear and doubt, which inevitably arise as strain and tension wear away endurance. He persevered to present confidence and optimism to those around him. For that reason, he brought with him a confident, battle tested team that had led successful landings in North Africa, Sicily, and Salerno, despite experiencing German counterattacks nearly...