D-Day (June 6, 1944) was the code name for Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious invasion in history. On that day, more than 156,000 Allied troops from the United States, Britain, Canada, and other nations stormed five beaches along the coast of Normandy, France (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword). Supported by over 5,000 ships and 11,000 aircraft, the operation broke through Hitler’s heavily fortified Atlantic Wall and established a crucial foothold in Nazi occupied Western Europe. It was strategically vital because it opened a long awaited second front, relieving massive pressure on the Soviet Union in the East, draining German resources, and beginning the liberation of Europe setting the stage for the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany less than a year later.
Did you know Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (son of former U.S. President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt) personally landed with the very first wave of troops at Utah Beach despite his age and health problems? He rallied scattered units under heavy fire, helped organize the chaotic assault, and became the only Allied general to come ashore with the initial invasion force that day.
God Bless America and God Bless our Troops.