D-Day Plus 70 Years

“These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.” Ronald Reagan, June 6, 1984

With all of the controversy surrounding the release of five of the Taliban top commanders in exchange for an alleged American deserter from the U.S. Army who claimed the Army was a “joke” we should look back seventy years to remember the boys of Pointe du Hoc.

Seventy years ago on this day, June 6, 1944, the allied armies, under the direction of General Eisenhower, invaded the coast of France to liberate the European Continent from the clutches of Hitler’s Nazi armies.

Over 160,000 troops from America, Britain, Canada, free France, Poland, and other nations landed along a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast of France. It was the largest amphibious invasion force in world history, supported by 5,000 ships with 195,700 navy personnel and 13,000 aircraft. It was a major turning point in World War II.

The steps which led up to D-Day deserve serious examination.

After World War I, Germany's economy suffered from depression and a devaluation of their currency.

On January 30, 1933, Adolph Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany by promising hope and universal healthcare. Less than a month later, on February 27, 1933, a crisis occurred - the Reichstag, Germany's Capitol Building, was suspiciously set on fire.

He ordered mass arrests followed by executions, even ordering his SS and Gestapo secret police to murder rivals, as during the Night of the Long Knives.

Using diplomatic intimidation, deception, and Blitzkrieg 'lightning' attacks, Hitler's National Socialist Workers' Party proceeded to take control of: Austria, The Sudeten Region, Bohemia, Moravia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, France, Monaco, Greece, The Channel Island (UK), Czechoslovakia, the Baltic states, Serbia, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Finland, Croatia and more.

The National Socialist Workers Party operated over 1,200 concentration camps where an estimated 4,251,500 people lost their lives.

Church leaders who spoke out in opposition to Hitler were arrested and executed.

In his D-Day Orders, June 6, 1944, Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower sent nearly 100,000 Allied troops marching across Europe to defeat Hitler's National Socialist Workers Party:

"You are about to embark upon a great crusade... The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. You will bring about...the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely. And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."

President Franklin Roosevelt stated June 6, 1944:

"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. 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. Give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, and 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. We know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph. ”Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.”

FDR concluded:

"Help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice. I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance 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 and, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee. With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen."

Eleven months after D-Day, the war in Europe ended with an Allied victory on May 8, 1945.

Although the term D-Day is used routinely as military lingo for the day an operation or event will take place, for many it is also synonymous with June 6, 1944, the day the Allied powers crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control during World War II. Within three months, the northern part of France would be freed and the invasion force would be preparing to enter Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet forces moving in from the east.

With Hitler's armies in control of most of mainland Europe, the Allies knew that a successful invasion of the continent was central to winning the war. Hitler knew this too, and was expecting an assault on northwestern Europe in the spring of 1944. He hoped to repel the Allies from the coast with a strong counterattack that would delay future invasion attempts, giving him time to throw the majority of his forces into defeating the Soviet Union in the east. Once that was accomplished, he believed an all-out victory would soon be his.

On the morning of June 5, 1944, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious military operation in history. On his orders, 6,000 landing craft, ships and other vessels carrying 176,000 troops began to leave England for the trip to France. That night, 822 aircraft filled with parachutists headed for drop zones in Normandy. An additional 13,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air cover and support for the invasion.

By dawn on June 6, 18,000 parachutists were already on the ground; the land invasions began at 6:30 a.m. The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture Gold, Juno and Sword beaches; so did the Americans at Utah. The task was much tougher at Omaha beach, however, where 2,000 troops were lost and it was only through the tenacity and quick-wittedness of troops on the ground that the objective was achieved. By day's end, 155,000 Allied troops — Americans, British and Canadians — had successfully stormed Normandy’s beaches.

For their part, the Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and the absence of celebrated commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was away on leave. At first, Hitler, believing that the invasion was a feint designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the Seine River, refused to release nearby divisions to join the counterattack and reinforcements had to be called from further afield, causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to help in the defense. In addition, the Germans were hampered by effective Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as efficient Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied troops.

Though it did not go off exactly as planned, as later claimed by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery— for example, the Allies were able to land only fractions of the supplies and vehicles they had intended in France — D-Day was a decided success. By the end of June, the Allies had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy and were poised to continue their march across Europe.

The heroism and bravery displayed by troops from the Allied countries on D-Day has served as inspiration for several films, most famously The Longest Day (1962) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). It was also depicted in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers (2001).

My guess is that today less than 50% of Americans know the full story of the Normandy landings and the heroism of the troops who carried it out. This is the fault of our education system that focuses on things such as civil rights, the environment, and other progressive causes. Heroism is not on their agenda. It was certainly not on the agenda of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the alleged army deserter exchanged by President Obama for five of the most notorious and vicious Taliban terrorists.

Today President Obama will make a statement from Normandy. I will not listen to or watch this presidential photo-op. Instead I will read the remarks made by President Ronald Reagan made on the 40^th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 6, 1984 from Pointe du Hoc:

“We’re here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For 4 long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved, and the world prayed for its rescue. Here in Normandy the rescue began. Here the Allies stood and fought against tyranny in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history.

We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but 40 years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, 225 Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance.

The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers — the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machineguns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After 2 days of fighting, only 90 could still bear arms.

Behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there.

These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.

Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender’s poem. You are men who in your “lives fought for life . . . and left the vivid air signed with your honor.”

I think I know what you may be thinking right now — thinking “we were just part of a bigger effort; everyone was brave that day.” Well, everyone was. Do you remember the story of Bill Millin of the 51st Highlanders? Forty years ago today, British troops were pinned down near a bridge, waiting desperately for help. Suddenly, they heard the sound of bagpipes, and some thought they were dreaming. Well, they weren’t. They looked up and saw Bill Millin with his bagpipes, leading the reinforcements and ignoring the smack of the bullets into the ground around him.

Lord Lovat was with him — Lord Lovat of Scotland, who calmly announced when he got to the bridge, “Sorry I’m a few minutes late,” as if he’d been delayed by a traffic jam, when in truth he’d just come from the bloody fighting on Sword Beach, which he and his men had just taken.

There was the impossible valor of the Poles who threw themselves between the enemy and the rest of Europe as the invasion took hold, and the unsurpassed courage of the Canadians who had already seen the horrors of war on this coast. They knew what awaited them there, but they would not be deterred. And once they hit Juno Beach, they never looked back.

All of these men were part of a rollcall of honor with names that spoke of a pride as bright as the colors they bore: the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Poland’s 24th Lancers, the Royal Scots Fusiliers, the Screaming Eagles, the Yeomen of England’s armored divisions, the forces of Free France, the Coast Guard’s “Matchbox Fleet” and you, the American Rangers.

Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet, you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith and belief; it was loyalty and love.

The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge — and pray God we have not lost it — that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.

The Americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home. They fought — or felt in their hearts, though they couldn’t know in fact, that in Georgia they were filling the churches at 4 a.m., in Kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying, and in Philadelphia they were ringing the Liberty Bell.

Something else helped the men of D-day: their rockhard belief that Providence would have a great hand in the events that would unfold here; that God was an ally in this great cause. And so, the night before the invasion, when Colonel Wolverton asked his parachute troops to kneel with him in prayer he told them: Do not bow your heads, but look up so you can see God and ask His blessing in what we’re about to do. Also that night, General Matthew Ridgway on his cot, listening in the darkness for the promise God made to Joshua: “I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.”

These are the things that impelled them; these are the things that shaped the unity of the Allies.

When the war was over, there were lives to be rebuilt and governments to be returned to the people. There were nations to be reborn. Above all, there was a new peace to be assured. These were huge and daunting tasks. But the Allies summoned strength from the faith, belief, loyalty, and love of those who fell here. They rebuilt a new Europe together.

There was first a great reconciliation among those who had been enemies, all of whom had suffered so greatly. The United States did its part, creating the Marshall plan to help rebuild our allies and our former enemies. The Marshall plan led to the Atlantic alliance — a great alliance that serves to this day as our shield for freedom, for prosperity, and for peace.

In spite of our great efforts and successes, not all that followed the end of the war was happy or planned. Some liberated countries were lost. The great sadness of this loss echoes down to our own time in the streets of Warsaw, Prague, and East Berlin. Soviet troops that came to the center of this continent did not leave when peace came. They’re still there, uninvited, unwanted, unyielding, almost 40 years after the war. Because of this, allied forces still stand on this continent. Today, as 40 years ago, our armies are here for only one purpose — to protect and defend democracy. The only territories we hold are memorials like this one and graveyards where our heroes rest.

We in America have learned bitter lessons from two World Wars: It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We’ve learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent.

But we try always to be prepared for peace; prepared to deter aggression; prepared to negotiate the reduction of arms; and, yes, prepared to reach out again in the spirit of reconciliation. In truth, there is no reconciliation we would welcome more than a reconciliation with the Soviet Union, so, together, we can lessen the risks of war, now and forever.

It’s fitting to remember here the great losses also suffered by the Russian people during World War II: 20 million perished, a terrible price that testifies to all the world the necessity of ending war. I tell you from my heart that we in the United States do not want war. We want to wipe from the face of the Earth the terrible weapons that man now has in his hands. And I tell you, we are ready to seize that beachhead. We look for some sign from the Soviet Union that they are willing to move forward, that they share our desire and love for peace, and that they will give up the ways of conquest. There must be a changing there that will allow us to turn our hope into action.

We will pray forever that some day that changing will come. But for now, particularly today, it is good and fitting to renew our commitment to each other, to our freedom, and to the alliance that protects it.

We are bound today by what bound us 40 years ago, the same loyalties, traditions, and beliefs. We’re bound by reality. The strength of America’s allies is vital to the United States, and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe’s democracies. We were with you then; we are with you now. Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny.

Here, in this place where the West held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: “I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.”

Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their value [valor], and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.

Thank you very much, and God bless you all.”

It is estimated that less than 10% of our World War II veterans are alive today. When WWII ended these veterans returned home to raise families, build and buy houses. They went to college under the GI Bill of Rights. They became teachers, engineers, businessmen, and factory workers. They made the same level of contribution to our nation in peace time that they made during the war. They talked very little of their experiences during the war.

I consider myself very fortunate to have known a few of these veterans, both as family members, co-workers, and friends. As a person too young to participate in World War 2 I stand in awe of the sacrifice, courage, and contribution of these veterans.

They have been called the “Greatest Generation” due to their rise from the Great Depression of the 1930’s to their contribution in WWII and the peace that followed. Yes, they were great but so were those of other generations. Generations who fought for our freedom in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Those who fought to end slavery and preserve the Union in the Civil War and all those who served during the Cold War to thwart the expansion of Communism and the Soviet Union. And those who willing volunteered to fight against Islamic terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The war in Afghanistan is drawing to a close and soldiers who once would have died from their wounds on the fields of battle are now returning home due to the tremendous advances in battlefield and trauma medicine. They are returning home not to ticker-tape parades and cheering crowds but to families that have to dealing with not only their physical disabilities but to their emotional distress caused by PTSD. They are returning home to broken Veterans Administration, the government agency responsible for their medical care.

So on this 70^th anniversary of D-Day let us remember all of those who sacrificed so much in our name.

D-Day, a Different Perspective

“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.” — General Dwight D. Eisenhower, June 6, 1944

Although the term D-Day is used routinely as military lingo for the day an operation or event will take place, for many it is also synonymous with June 6, 1944, the day the Allied powers crossed the English Channel and landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control during World War II. Within three months, the northern part of France would be freed and the invasion force would be preparing to enter Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet forces moving in from the east.

With Hitler's armies in control of most of mainland Europe, the Allies knew that a successful invasion of the continent was central to winning the war. Hitler knew this too, and was expecting an assault on northwestern Europe in the spring of 1944. He hoped to repel the Allies from the coast with a strong counterattack that would delay future invasion attempts, giving him time to throw the majority of his forces into defeating the Soviet Union in the east. Once that was accomplished, he believed an all-out victory would soon be his.

On the morning of June 5, 1944, U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of Allied forces in Europe gave the go-ahead for Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious military operation in history. On his orders, 6,000 landing craft, ships and other vessels carrying 176,000 troops began to leave England for the trip to France. That night, 822 aircraft filled with parachutists headed for drop zones in Normandy. An additional 13,000 aircraft were mobilized to provide air cover and support for the invasion.

By dawn on June 6, 18,000 parachutists were already on the ground; the land invasions began at 6:30 a.m. The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture Gold, Juno and Sword beaches; so did the Americans at Utah. The task was much tougher at Omaha beach, however, where 2,000 troops were lost and it was only through the tenacity and quick-wittedness of troops on the ground that the objective was achieved. By day's end, 155,000 Allied troops--Americans, British and Canadians--had successfully stormed Normandy’s beaches.

According to 2004 Fox News report the number of Americans killed on D-Day is still a question:

“The exploits of D-Day (search) have long been legend: the storming of the beaches, parachute drops into enemy territory. But 60 years later, the number of dead is still unclear.

The chaos of battle and the vast scale of the assault thwarted attempts then -- and now -- to tally how many thousands were killed in the June 6, 1944, landings that sped Nazi (search) Germany's defeat.

Bodies disintegrated under bombs and shells. Soldiers drowned and disappeared. Company clerks who tallied casualties were killed. Records were lost.

"Landing crafts were hit," said Ivy Agee, an 81-year-old from Gordonsville, Tenn., who fought on Omaha Beach. "Bodies were flying everywhere. There was blood on the edge of the water, the beach was just running with pure blood."

Historians say a definitive death toll will likely never be known. Even now, the Normandy (search) soil for which soldiers fought so bitterly offers up new bodies

…

Casualty estimates for Allied forces vary, but range from 2,500 to more than 5,000 dead on D-Day. Adding to the confusion is that D-Day books and histories often count wounded, missing and troops taken prisoner.

On its Web site, the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth, England, says an estimated 2,500 Allied troops died. The U.S. Army Center of Military History (search) in Washington, D.C., numbers 6,036 American casualties, including wounded and missing. The Heritage Foundation in Washington estimates 4,900 dead.

…

"The low casualty rates show the success of the Allied plan of attack."

Calculating German casualties is even harder. The D-Day Museum says the number is not known but is estimated at 4,000-9,000. Kirchmeier at the German graves commission said many records were destroyed in the Allied bombing of Berlin.

D-Day marked only the start of the battle of Normandy, which claimed many more lives as troops fought in the region's hedgerows over the next three months.

More than 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded or went missing, the D-Day Museum says. The American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach (search) holds the remains of 9,383 servicemen and four women, their white gravestones a permanent reminder of war's terrible costs.

"If you forget what happened here then you're never going to improve things. It's never going to get any better," Donald Null, an 80-year-old veteran from Frederick, Md., said as he visited the American Cemetery. "You must keep it alive."

For their part, the Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and the absence of celebrated commander Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, who was away on leave. At first, Hitler, believing that the invasion was a feint designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the Seine River, refused to release nearby divisions from Salmuth’s 15th Army to join the counterattack and reinforcements had to be called from further afield, causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to help in the defense. The unhindered P-47 fighter bombers were very effective in keeping the German Panzers and supply convoys off the roads during daylight hours. In addition, the Germans were hampered by effective Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as efficient Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied troops.

Click on the Maps above for a larger image

Though it did not go off exactly as planned, as later claimed by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery--for example, the Allies were able to land only fractions of the supplies and vehicles they had intended in France--D-Day was a decided success. By the end of June, the Allies had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy and were poised to continue their march across Europe.

The heroism and bravery displayed by troops from the Allied countries on D-Day has served as inspiration for several films, most famously The Longest Day (1962) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). It was also depicted in the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers (2001). I will not comment on Band Brothers as it was a mini-series covering the actions of the 101^st Airborne from their inception to the end of WWII. Although the two episodes devoted to D-Day were outstanding, especially their action during Brécourt Manor Assault.

I have had the privilege of interviewing five veterans of the 101^st Airborne who dropped into Normandy on the night of June 5, 1944 — all of them Bronze Star recipients. According to these vets Band of Brothers was about 90% truth and 10% fiction. Be that as it may it is still a series worth watching.

Saving Private Ryan was the first theatrical film to show the absolute horror and carnage that took place on Omaha Beach that 6^th of June. Some people had to leave the theater as these gruesome scenes unfolded. In this sense it was more of an anti-war film. After the beach scenes the film morphed into a very good war film as a squad of Rangers searched for a missing private whose three brothers were killed in action. The film does not give much historical content of the events leading to the invasion or the massive logistics that burdened General Eisenhower or his staff.

If you learn about Operation Overlord I highly recommend the Oscar winning The Longest Day. Released in in 1962 Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and released by Twentieth Century Fox the film was the first of its genre to accurately portray the events leading to a major battle and the actions thereof. The film covered all five beaches and the three airborne landing zones. It covered the events leading to the invasion and the agonizing decision General Eisenhower had to make on the ambiguous advice of his meteorologist team led by RAF Group Captain James Martin Stagg. Stagg could not give Eisenhower a definite forecast on a storm blowing across the English Channel. He could only give him a 50-50 probability that the skies would be clear on the night of June 5^th and the morning of the 6^th. On this probability Eisenhower gave the order to release the troops waiting in boats and on the airdromes.

The film based on the book of the same name by the Pulitzer Prize winning author Cornelius Ryan who also wrote the screen play, also shows the German side of the events on D-Day and the actions of the French Resistance during the nights prior to the invasion of destroying rail and communication lines — something that hampered the Germans as they tried to assess the situation and respond to it.

Ryan’s book, which I have read several times, is based on oral interviews with those who were involved in Operation Overlord. He interviewed the Generals and Admirals down to the lowly privates. He interviewed the Americans, British, French, and Germans who were involved.

The film employed several Axis and Allied military consultants who had been actual participants on D-Day. Many had their roles re-enacted in the film. These included: Günther Blumentritt (a former German general), James M. Gavin (an American general), Frederick Morgan (Deputy Chief of Staff at SHAEF and chief planner for the invasion), John Howard (who led the airborne assault on the Pegasus Bridge), Lord Lovat (who commanded the 1st Special Service Brigade), Philippe Kieffer (who led his men in the assault on Ouistreham), Pierre Koenig (who commanded the Free French Forces in the invasion), Max Pemsel (a German general), Werner Pluskat (the major who was the first German officer to see the invasion fleet), Josef "Pips" Priller (the hot-headed Luftwaffe pilot), and Lucie Rommel (widow of Erwin Rommel).

The Longest Day is filmed in the style of a docudrama. Beginning in the days leading up to D-Day, the film concentrates on events on both sides of the channel such as the Allies waiting for the break in the poor weather and the anticipation of the Axis forces defending northern France. The film pays particular attention to the decision by General Eisenhower, supreme commander of SHAEF, to go after reviewing the initial bad weather reports as well as the divisions within the German High Command on when an invasion might happen or what response to it should be.

Numerous scenes document the early hours of June 6th when Allied airborne troops were sent in to take key locations. The French resistance is also shown reacting to the news an invasion has started. The Longest Day chronicles most of the important events surrounding D-Day. From the British glider missions to secure Pegasus Bridge, the counterattacks launched by American paratroopers scattered around Sainte-Mère-Église, the infiltration and sabotage work conducted by the French resistance and SOE agents, and the response by the Wehrmacht to the invasion and the uncertainty to whether it was a feint in preparation for crossings at the Pas de Calais (see Operation Fortitude).

Set piece scenes include the advance in shore from the Normandy beaches, the US Ranger Assault Group's assault on the Pointe du Hoc, the attack on Ouistreham by Free French Forces and the strafing of the beaches by two lone Luftwaffe pilots.

I have visited the Normandy beaches and the airborne drop zones four times. The first was in 1976 when the memorials commemorating the 40^th anniversary had not been erected and the beaches were pretty much as they were in 1944 except for a few souvenir and French fry stands. The shell craters on Pointe du Hoc were covered a 6-foot bramble bushes that tore your pants. The German bunkers were decrepit cesspools filled with trepid water and human feces. The roads were not marked well and few signs were present to identify the historic places. I needed detailed maps of the countryside, which fortunately I had acquired prior to my visit. I did not have the Internet to do my research and had to rely mainly on Ryan’s book and a Michelin Guide.

On a subsequent two-day visit with my brother, and avid D-Day history buff as I am, visited the all of the beaches, Sainte-Mère-Église, the Longues-sur-Mer and Merville gun batteries We walked on the bridge over the Orne River Canal known as Pegasus Bridge. We spent time at the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mère-Église and found General Gavin’s foxhole on the banks of the Merderet River. And we spent time at the American Military Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach where the remains of 9,387 American soldiers, sailors and airmen who died in the battle for Northwest France are interned

For a short slide show please click here

The final point I would like to make concerns leadership, responsibility and accountability. As mentioned General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the supreme commander of SHAEF and of Operation Overlord. He had overseen the planning, the build-up and the deception tactics of Operation Fortitude. He made the final decision to release the ground and airborne troops on the night of June 5^th. He was aware of the risks and potential causalities — estimated to be as high as 80% for the airborne troops. They were never close to that figure.

On the night prior to the invasion he prepared a statement for the troops and the public. That statement read:

“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”

Eisenhower had as much confidence in his troops as a military commander could have. They had been well trained, well equipped, and well feed. Their moral was high. But after visiting the troopers of the 101^st Airborne he composed another press release in the back seat of his car returning to his headquarters. This was quite a different statement. It stated:

"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."

*He accidentally dated the letter July 5. It should have been June 5. We're sure he had a lot on his mind. Click on the image at the right for a larger view.

You see Eisenhower born and raised in Kansas, the heartland of America, had been raised with the values of honesty, loyalty, responsibility and accountability. He had learned these values from his parents, his schooling and West Point. He could in no way pass this responsibility on to his staff, soldiers, or anyone else. The responsibility and accountability was his and his alone.

This is a far cry for our current commander-in-chief who takes responsibility for nothing. It is not like Hillary Clinton our former Secretary of State who said she was responsible but took no accountability for the fiasco in Benghazi. It is not like Eric Holder who claimed he knew nothing of the illegal actions of the Justice Department in the reading of the e-mails of AP and James Rosen of Fox News. It is not like the former commissioner of the IRS Douglas Schulman who visited the White House 157 times but can only remember the Easter egg roll. It is not like Lois Learner the head of the Tax Exempt Division of the IRS when she invoked her Fifth Amendment privilege in front of congressional committee. In fact it is not like anyone in Washington D.C. today.

So on this 69^th anniversary of the D-Day landings or D-Day plus 25,202 we should not only remember the bravery and heroic actions of our soldiers, sailors, and airmen who took part in that longest day. We should also remember the honesty and integrity of their commander.

A Tribute to a Hero

"Honor, justice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. We cannot endure the infamy and guilt of resigning succeeding generations to that wretchedness which inevitably awaits them if we basely entail hereditary bondage on them." — Thomas Jefferson

On Saturday I had the privilege of attending the 90^th birthday party for a World War II hero. Ed “Doc” Pepping turned ninety on July 4, 2012 and the party, hosted by his family, was to honor the longevity and accomplishments of this once paratrooper and medic for the 101^st Airborne.

Ed, a talented musician, was a member of the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra and an avid opera fan before the war. He enlisted in September, 1942 and like the other members of the 506^th he volunteered for the paratroopers. When I asked Ed why he volunteered for the paratroopers he said he did so because of the extra pay and the excitement. In 1942 a PFC was paid a grand total of $54 dollars per month ($760 in today’s dollars) and paratroopers received an additional $50 dollars per month.

After his basic training he was assigned to “Easy” Company, 2^nd Battalion, 506^th PIR of the 101^stAirborne Division at Camp Taccoa, Georgia. If read the book Band of Brothers or watched the HBO series of the same title you would have seen a true depiction of paratrooper training at Camp Taccoa and the rigorous training regime these troopers went through. They were the finest trained Army troops in World War II.

One of the exercises these troopers had to do war run up and down a Curahee Mountain, a 1,740 foot peak outside of the camp, touch the geodetic survey monument, and then run back to camp. This exercise was used to get the troopers in mental and physical condition for what they would encounter in the battles to come.

Ed liked to note that he ran up and down Curahee Mountain some 33 times amounting to a total of 198 miles. Even though Ed was the third best marksman in his Company he volunteered for a Medical Detachment where he became the company’s medic. Ed had doubts as to whether or not he would be able kill someone and believed he could serve his nation and his fellow troopers better by saving lives. Medics were important elements of a company as they were the ones who risked their lives to save the lives of their fellow troopers and were right in the middle of the fight.

After the 506^th completed their training in Georgia they boarded a ship and sailed to England where they went through more training in the English country side as they prepared for the invasion of France and their D-Day drop over Normandy. Of course they knew nothing of the mission at that time and were pretty sick and tired of all the training. They were ready to go and anxious to get into the fight.

On the night of June 5, 1944, after they had waited through two days of bad weather while in full gear, they boarded their C-47 transport planes in groups of 18. These groups were called “sticks” and each trooper was assigned a number for his position on the plane. They were loaded down with over 100 pounds of gear including a M1 Grand rifle or carbine, ammunition, mines, hand grenades, knives, ropes, and a cricket clicker for identification in the dark of night. One click was to be followed by two clicks by friendlies. These clickers were only minimally successful as a German Mauser rifle made two clicks when the bolt inserts a bullet in the chamber.

It was a dark night over Normandy in the early hours of June 6, 1944. As a defensive measure the Germans had flooded many of the low lying fields to thwart paratroopers and tanks. They wanted to keep the tanks on the narrow roads so their anti-tank guns could pick them off. Many of these fields had water deep enough for the troopers to drown in especially as they were loaded down with so much equipment. Many of the troopers did in fact succumb to the water in the fields.

When the C-47 carrying Ed and the other 17 troopers arrived over the Sainte Mére Eglise drop zone they should have been flying about 700 feet above the ground at a speed of 95 miles per hour. In fact, due to the German flak and the evasive maneuvers of the pilots, they were doing 160 MPH at just over 300 feet. When Ed jumped the force of the high speed air racing by the plane forced his medical gear off of his body and when he hit the ground his steel helmet cracked down on his neck cracking 3 vertebrae.

Ed continued to serve in the field administering to the needs of the wounded troopers for fifteen days until he finally collapsed during the assault on Carentan and was evacuated to England. During the time Ed received the Bronze Star for pulling a wounded officer from a burning tank turret where he had been shot and fallen on top of the tank commander. This had caused the tank to stop and halt the movement of the entire column subjecting them to German fire. Ed climbed up on the tank, and under fire, pulled the wounded man to safety allowing the column to proceed. This action took place at a crossroads nicknamed “Dead Mans Corner” just outside of Sainte Marie du Mont.

Finally Ed was evacuated back to England where, after his neck healed, he served as a medic in an Army hospital tending to the wounded soldiers that were being evacuated from France.

Ed returned to France after his wounds healed but he did not resume his duties as a Medic. Instead he was assigned to a communications unit where he served as a switchboard operator connecting calls with officers. He said he enjoyed disconnecting the calls when the officers were talking to their “sweeties.”

He believed it was an honor to serve in a hospital extreme trauma ward where he could tend to the most seriously wounded. During his tenure with the 506^th he earned many decorations including a Bronze Star, Purple Heart, 2 Presidential Unit Citations and the French Croix de Guerre. He also received the Army's Legion of Merit medal and is a holder of the Combat Medic and Combat Infantry Badge.

In 2002 when Band of Brothers won an Emmy Award Ed was invited to attend the awards ceremony as a guest of Steven Spielberg. Here he was united with Col Dick Winters, his old company commander, and several of the troopers he served with the 506^th. Ed was driven to the ceremony by one of the reenactors of the 101^st, who he now refers to as his bodyguard.

Ed now resides in Whittier, California where he spends his time with his books and giving lectures to high school students on the values of honor, service, integrity, and patriotism. He is also active with the Boy Scouts serving as a mentor.

I met Ed in 2008 when I was acting as a photographer for the World War II Research and Preservation Society and the reenactors of the 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), Second Battalion of the 101^st Airborne Division. The WWII RPS is a California nonprofit corporation that has been active in historical research and Living History Reenacting for over a decade. Members come from all walks of life, ranging from active military duty & retired military personnel, law enforcement, doctors, lawyers, artists, students, and business executives all with a passion for World War II history and a common goal of preserving our nation's part in that war. Part of that preservation entails depicting not only U.S. soldiers from that era, but also their Allies as well as their opponents.

At that event I also meet other members of the 506^th including Bob Noody, Bob Janes, Don Malarkey, and Bill True. All of these men were heroes for what they did. You can view a gallery of photos from that event by clicking here.

It was a privilege to share Ed’s birthday with his family and close friends. It said that these WWII vets are passing away at a rate of 1,000 per day. I can say that while having a few physical problems Ed is a sharp as ever and a great person to spend some time with. He is beloved by his family and all who know him. I can only pray that Ed sees his 100^th birthday and that his contributions to this nation and our society are not forgotten. God bless Ed.

For a gallery of photos from Ed’s party please click Here.

Obama Will Not Commemorate D-Day

Obama Will Not Commemorate D-Day

"In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate — look to his character." —Noah Webster.

Probably no one over the age of twenty does not know that June 6^th marks the anniversary of the D-Day landings on the coast of France in 1944. Most of us have seen films like “The Longest Day” and “Saving Private Ryan” with the latter depicting the horrific conditions on Omaha Beach and the later giving may details of Operation Overload. Both films are classics when it comes to telling the story of both the airborne and seaborne landings.

On this day in 1944, Supreme Allied Commander General Dwight Eisenhower issued this charge:

"You are about to embark upon a great crusade. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. You will bring about the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely. And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking."

More than 160,000 troops landed on a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified beaches along the Normandy coast of France in what was largest invasion force in history, involving more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft. Some 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded than day. We owe these Patriots and generations of others an enormous debt of gratitude, and we owe them our steadfast devotion to Liberty over tyranny in our own day, so that the gift of Liberty may be extended to the next generation.

So what is Obama doing on this 68^th anniversary — he is hitting the beaches – of sunny California!

Instead of scheduling a brief event to mark this 68th anniversary of America’s brutal landing on the shores of Normandy, Obama is already on his way to San Francisco, where he will hold two fundraisers before moving on to Beverly Hills to stage two more.

Obama failed to mark D-Day with either a speech or a written proclamation both last year or the year before. He did give a speech in 2009, the 65th anniversary of the event.

First Lady Michelle Obama, who has made much of her “Joining Forces” campaign to support military families, also has nothing planned for D-Day. She’ll be in New York City for a fundraiser and then in Philadelphia to meet with campaign volunteers.

Obama’s failure to mark D-Day in any significant way is both a shame and a political mistake.

According to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, two critical swing states – Florida and Pennsylvania, are among the top five states in terms of veterans’ population. Within the top twelve are four others — Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and North Carolina — all states Obama desperately needs to carry.

But what does Obama know about how the American people think and what they revere? The latest recall election in Wisconsin demonstrates this very well. All he gave his union supporters there was a tweet. Why should we expect anything else from our campaigner and fund raiser in chief.

I realize D-Day is slowly growing into a historical memory like the Battles of Saratoga and Yorktown and like the winter at Valley Forge and the Battle of Gettysburg. But to Obama, the great intellectual, these historical events have little or no meaning. To him it’s all about the money and his silly campaign speeches.

There are numerous historical reenactments of the battles of the Revolutionary and Civil War at the various battle sites. But it’s pretty hard to reenact the Normand landings when they took place on the coast of France. However, one president did honor those men as eloquently as Lincoln did after the Battle of Gettysburg — his name was Ronald Reagan. Who can forget his moving account of the “Boys of Pointe du Hoc” on the 40^th anniversary of D-Day.

We see news reports of the war in Afghanistan on a daily basis. We see the most well-equipped, modern military in the world. We know of battlefield medicine that can save 99% of the wounded if they survive the first 24 hours after being wounded. This was not the case in 1944.

Many of the soldiers landing on the beaches of Normandy were young men who were drafted for the duration. They were equipped with the best available arms and equipment of the times. They did not have body armor. They had eight-shot M-1 Garand rifles and just enough training to know how to shoot and care for the weapon. In many cases the only shots they had ever fired were during target practice. They had never killed anyone.

These young men were tasked to exit a wooden Higgins Boat in chest-deep water under fierce and accurate fire from experience German troops, advance to the beach, climb the slopes overlooking the beach and secure a beachhead for the landings. They were not facing Islamic rebels branding AK-47s and yelling Allah is Great. They were facing some of the best troops the Rommel could put on Hitler’s Atlantic Wall. There were also concrete bunkers almost impervious to naval bombardment and aerial bombing. Bunkers that had to be taken by direct infantry assault. And what did these troops do? They succeeded. Hitler’s Atlantic Wall lasted less than 24 hours. As the late historian Stephen Ambrose quipped; “It was the Boy Scouts against the Hitler Youth and the Scouts carried the day through their infinitive.”

None of us can ever understand the fear these soldiers had when they exited the landing crafts or jumped from a C-47 in the dark of the Norman night. Fear many did not talk about even to the day they died. How many of these soldiers (and Marines from the more violent Pacific Theater) suffered from Posttraumatic stress disorder? We will never know as PTSD was not even in the medical encyclopedias of the day. The most common term used was “Shell Shock” and the psychological community did not know how to handle it.

Many of us have or had grandparents, fathers, uncles, or other relatives who served in WWII and returned with PTSD. Sometimes this condition manifested itself in alcoholism and sometimes in abuse. I know from personal experience this to be the case as my uncle, a decorated veteran of D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge was unable to cope with civilian life upon his return from his service.

These veterans are called the “Greatest Generation.” I take some umbrage with this term coined by Tom Brokow. The men of all generations who fought for freedom area part of the greatest generation including the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Korea, Vietnam, and those sacrificing their family life in the mountains of Afghanistan.

Obama, like most liberals will use the veterans as a backdrop to their campaign speeches, but when it really matters they ignore these men and women who sacrificed so much.

So when Obama can find the time to jet off to California to raise money without even a mention of the sacrifice the D-Day veterans did it is nothing but shameless.

Leave it to the French

"No country upon earth ever had it more in its power to attain these blessings than United America. Wondrously strange, then, and much to be regretted indeed would it be, were we to neglect the means and to depart from the road which Providence has pointed us to so plainly." — George Washington

My last post was dedicated to the remembrance of D-Day and the invasion of Normandy. Since then I have been watching presentations on the History and Military channels honoring the 67^th anniversary of this momentous event of the twentieth century.

While looking for articles and blogs about the D-Day anniversary I came upon a disgusting report from France. AP reported:

“French artist Rachid Khimoune has installed 1,000 sculptures shaped like sea turtles on Omaha Beach to mark the 67th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy.

The turtles’ “shells” are molded from American, Russian and German combat helmets, sprouting flippers and long-necked heads. The sculptures were arranged Sunday along the sandy expanses of Omaha Beach — where the Allies won a pivotal victory against the Nazis.

Some 215,000 Allied soldiers, and roughly as many Germans, were killed or wounded during D-Day and the ensuing nearly three months it took to secure the capture of Normandy.

A French artist of Berber origin, Khimoune is a sculptor, painter and video artist whose work often features everyday objects.”

Tell me: How could the French government countenance this art installation, which manages to be both juvenile and deeply insulting at the same time?

Khimoune claims his installation of 1,000 casts of Russian, German and American combat helmets of WWII which also represent turtles, to denounce global violence. What the turtles have to do with his protest art is beyond me. And what did the Russians have to do with the invasion of Normandy?

The AP report continues:

“The turtles’ “shells” are molded from American, Russian and German combat helmets, sprouting flippers and long-necked heads. The sculptures were arranged Sunday along the sandy expanses of Omaha Beach — where the Allies won a pivotal victory against the Nazis.”

I ask you: So, would the artist prefer that the Allies had refrained from committing any icky violence and instead not invaded Normandy, so as to preserve peace? In which case, France would to this day be called Frankenreich, the western province of Greater Germany?

I mean, OK, sure, stupid artists make stupid art making stupid points all the time. But the French government gave permission for this particular statement to be made on Omaha Beach on the anniversary of D-Day.

The ghosts of 10,000 men who sacrificed their lives that day to save France all say “You’re welcome!” in unison.

At this stage, there’s really nothing left to do but quote George Orwell:

“Pacifism is objectively pro-Fascist. This is elementary common sense. If you hamper the war effort of one side you automatically help that of the other. Nor is there any real way of remaining outside such a war as the present one. In practice, ‘he that is not with me is against me’. The idea that you can somehow remain aloof from and superior to the struggle, while living on food which British sailors have to risk their lives to bring you, is a bourgeois illusion bred of money and security. Mr Savage remarks that ‘according to this type of reasoning, a German or Japanese pacifist would be “objectively pro-British”.’ But of course he would be! That is why pacifist activities are not permitted in those countries (in both of them the penalty is, or can be, beheading) while both the Germans and the Japanese do all they can to encourage the spread of pacifism in British and American territories. The Germans even run a spurious ‘freedom’ station which serves out pacifist propaganda indistinguishable from that of the P.P.U. They would stimulate pacifism in Russia as well if they could, but in that case they have tougher babies to deal with. In so far as it takes effect at all, pacifist propaganda can only be effective against those countries where a certain amount of freedom of speech is still permitted; in other words it is helpful to totalitarianism.”

Apparently the French government is marking all the victories over the Nazis by allowing this guy to display his pacifism helmet-turtles at each world-famous French national landmark:

But what about the never-ending horrors of addlebrained moral relativism?

To my knowledge the French have never won a war in their history. They were beaten at Crécy and Agincourt by the English. They were beaten by the Germans at the battle of Sedan. Without the intervention of the British and Americans they would have been beaten by the Germans in the First World War. They were soundly defeated and occupied by the Germans in the Second World War. The lost Algiers to the Marxists Muslims and were routed at Dien Bien Phu. Yes, they assisted us in our revolutionary war with the British and we are thankful for that. There are monuments in our nation’s capital to Lafayette and streets named after him throughout the country. We certainly do not have statues of turtles with tri-cornered hats on them. Now we are following France in Libya. I can only guess how badly that will turn out.

I have been to Normandy on several occasions and I can tell you the people of the Calvados Coast appreciate the sacrifice’s the American soldiers did for them on D-Day and the weeks after the invasion when the battle for northwest France raged in the fields and boscage of Normandy.

When my wife and I were in Paris in 1977 we met a couple Kathy had been corresponding with prior to our trip. Francois was a vice president with the Bank of America in Paris and he had been sending Kathy tips on where to stay and eat. We finally met Francois and his wife Isabelle when we arrived in Paris and they invited us to dinner at their home in the Neuilly district of Paris. Both Francois and Isabelle were very pro-American. Francois had seen his older brother lined up against a wall and shot by the Germans.

Isabelle was a young girl living in Normandy in 1944. She remembered the hardships and restrictions imposed on the Normans by the German occupiers. She also remembered the day of the invasion and the shell firing and bombings. She said it was terrible, but he people realized it was necessary to drive the Germans out. She told me with a smile on her face that the first American she ever saw was a soldier riding atop a tank passing through her village. He recalled waving at the soldier and he smiled and tossed her a chocolate bar. It was the first chocolate bar she had ever had in her life. I am sure Francois and Isabelle do not think much of Khimoune’s “art.”

Another wonderful experience we had in Normandy was in the village Sainte-Mère-Église — the first town in France to liberated. We had been touring the Normandy battle sites and lost tract of time. When we reached Sainte-Mère-Église it was two in the afternoon and we were ready for some lunch. Not realizing that rural French cafes do not serve lunch after two we walked into the Le John Steele hotel and restaurant expecting to get something to eat.

When we entered the restaurant we saw a group seated in the far corner eating so we sat down. When we were seated a man wearing an apron approached us and informed us in French that the restaurant was closed. When we expressed our disappointment in English he asked if we were Americans. When we informed him we were in fact Americans he smiled and told us to wait. A few moments later he returned with two large ham sandwiches and two small pitchers of red wine. He smiled and told us to eat. When we finished our baguette ham sandwiches and asked him for the bill he told us there was no charge and thanked us for our contribution to France. Kathy and I were astonished and delighted. We thanked him and his family and left the restaurant. I am sure the man in the apron does not think much of Khimoune’s “art.”

When you visit WWII military graves and memorials in Europe, you will find a significant difference between those built by America and those built by European nations: American memorials honor the heroism and sacrifice of young men who fought to preserve our freedom. European memorials lecture the visitor on the futility and stupidity of all war, treating the war dead as mere victims. The idea that the Allied soldiers should be honored as heroes for sacrificing their lives to defeat an evil enemy, well, that idea is offensive to the guides at European memorials.

One question remains: How many Europeans still deserve freedom, and how many might as well be slaves and serfs?