Today, as we remember all the brave soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy, me must also remember St Louis' own Yogi Berra.
Berra would become a war hero before a baseball hero.
Yogi, the legendary New York Yankees catcher, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
At 19 years old, Berra was a Second Class Seaman and a gunner’s mate aboard a 36-foot Landing Craft Small Support (LCSS) rocket boat, providing cover fire for troops landing on Omaha and Utah Beaches.
Stationed 300 yards offshore, his crew fired machine guns and rockets at German defenses to suppress enemy positions.
Berra described the experience as chaotic, likening it to a "Fourth of July celebration" due to the sheer number of planes and firepower, though he later reflected on its horrors.
He sustained a hand wound but chose not to report it to avoid worrying his family.
His boat remained in the area for about 12 days, relaying messages and shooting down aircraft.
Berra also participated in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, later in 1944.
Berra earned a Purple Heart, a Distinguished Unit Citation, two battle stars and a European Theatre of Operations ribbon during the war, and in 2009 he was granted the Navy's Lone Sailor Award.
His service also earned him the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award in 2013. The award honors individuals who embody the values of service, sacrifice, and citizenship.
📷 @YogiBerraMuseum
🇺🇸 @lindsayberra
#DDay | #DDay82 | #Normandy
82 years ago today, Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy in one of history's most significant military operations
Today, we remember the bravery, sacrifice & determination of all those who took part in D-Day 🪖
📸 Thank you MrMG42 for these incredible shots from HLL
Today is the 82nd anniversary of D-Day – the Allied landings in Normandy, which significantly hastened the countdown to the Nazis' collapse in World War II. It is one of the most important moments of unity among the defenders of life in human history, and it was less than a year until the peoples’ aspiration for freedom and the hope of peace prevailed in May 1945. It happened then. We are working to make it happen again today.
And although yesterday in Petersburg another cynical order to continue killing was issued for the army trying to destroy our freedom, history has seen this before. The Nazis also had their own hopes after D-Day. But freedom still wins. And even in the darkest circumstances, people find ways to come together to protect life.
I thank all those who are now helping to protect the values that prevailed in World War II. I thank everyone who is defending life. Glory to Ukraine!
Today we honor the courage and sacrifice of the Allied forces who changed the course of history on D-Day. We remember those who served and the generations forever impacted by their bravery.
D-Day is underway. Some would argue that what's happening right now is the most daring and ultimately successful operation in the history of military Alliances.
Note: the majority of troops are friends of the US from eight countries. Eisenhower has been told that three-quarters of the 23,400 airborne troops will be lost. He's hoping that the prediction will be wrong.
Eighty-two years ago today, the fate of the free world turned on the courage of ordinary men asked to do the extraordinary.
On June 6, 1944, more than 156,000 Allied soldiers crossed the English Channel and stormed the beaches of Normandy — many knowing they might never return.
They came not for glory, but for something far greater: the liberation of a continent crushed under tyranny. D-Day was not simply a military operation — it was the moment the tide of history changed, purchased at an almost incomprehensible cost in blood and sacrifice.
As we mark the 82nd anniversary, we don’t simply remember a battle. We remember the men behind it — their fear, their faith, and their extraordinary willingness to give everything so that others could live free. That debt does not expire with time. It only deepens.
@Normandy@WW2Facts
#dday #normandy #dday82 #ww2 #ww2history
The largest amphibious invasion in human history began in the dark.
At dawn on June 6, 1944, nearly 7,000 vessels carrying 160,000 Allied troops closed in on the beaches of Normandy.
Through courage and sacrifice, they secured a foothold in Nazi-occupied France and began the liberation of Western Europe.
Today, we honor the heroes of D-Day.
82 years ago today, nearly 160,000 Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, launching the liberation of Europe.
We are free because they were brave. 🇺🇸