June 12, 2022
“Just look at it, gentlemen. How calm... how peaceful it is. A strip of water between England and the continent... between the Allies and us. But beyond that peaceful horizon... a monster waits. A coiled spring of men, ships, and planes... straining to be released against us. But, gentlemen, not a single Allied soldier shall reach the shore. Whenever and wherever this invasion may come, gentlemen... I shall destroy the enemy there, at the water's edge. Believe me, gentlemen, the first 24 hours of the invasion will be decisive. For the Allies as well as the Germans, it will be the longest day... The longest day.”
-- Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
“From this day to the ending of the world, - we in it shall be rememberèd— We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition…”
- Shakespeare
There is a tradition here of which I was unaware. As you pass row after row of the crisp white crosses with names of the dead you realize that each has a story. They had a life that came to s swift and abrupt end on the beach below this bluff. How do you honor such an act?
1st Lt Jimmie Monteith
One way is to say their name aloud. Speak it into the air and let them live again, if only in that moment. I wanted to share this experience with you. You will find some of the names I saw here in this brief essay. Try it for yourself. Speak the name aloud. They died for you. It is the least one can do.
Elizabeth A. Richardson
We left our farm house and traveled to Omaha Beach and some of the most storied real estate in the world. The weather continued to be superb with clear blue skies and a mild breeze.
As we approached Dog Sector on Omaha, the area of the most vicious fighting, I was struck with how wide and flat the beach was. It was 500 yards or more from the waters edge to any sort of cover. This was the area depicted in the fictitious movie “Saving Private Ryan”.
Sgt Randolph C Francis
Their goal was to reach this exit out of the beach, today a seaside restaurant. You can see the high bluffs behind these vacation homes. In June , 78 years ago, they were filled with German defensive positions.
By pure serendipity, I found this young man on the beach with a D Day era American Jeep. He was British and came over to participate as an actor for some local reenactments. He offered to take me on a ride and gave me a genuine helmet to wear..
PFC Francis H Caffery
All of a sudden I was 10 years old as I joyfully drove along this historic beach in a genuine vehicle of the time. It is a memory I will never forget.
2nd Lt Preston Niland
These are shots of Point Du Hoc - the location of German Gun emplacements that the famed US Rangers had to scale a cliff to knock out.
Sgt Walter Geldon
How do you write about such a story? Especially in such an insignificant blog as this one. There are thousands of tales that line this storied 54 miles of French countryside.
Here is just one tale.
At the end of the the 20th century their were all kinds of writings about how to summarize the last 100 years? Historians asked, if they had to pick one day that was the most important in the last century what would it be? After much debate of that tumultuous time they reached a consensus.
it was June 6, 1944. The most important twenty four hours of the century. The longest day.
D-Day.
On that morning, at 6 am precisely, over a thousand Allied ships appeared on the horizon; the largest armada the world has ever known. The German defenders at Normandy were caught unaware.
Sgt John Ray
But the Germans were not completely unprepared.
Omaha beach - one of two beaches assigned to the Americans was the scene of the most vicious fighting. The story here is one of mistakes that were made. These mistakes would lead to half of all the casualties that occurred on D Day would take place here on this 4 mile stretch of beach - most in the space of 1/2 mile.
PFC Harold Sellers
The plan was straight forward. The Allies, who had overwhelming air superiority, would carpet bomb the defenders at the beach and the Navy would pummel the shoreline with terrifying firepower BEFORE the landings would take place. The soldiers should then be able to take their objectives against greatly weakened resistance.
Neither thing happened. Not as planned anyway. When the soldiers landed on the beach that morning the full fury of the entrenched German defenders was waiting for them.
Sgt John Alonzo
The main machine gun of the German army was the MG 42. A single bullet from the weapon will create a huge hole in a human body and will stop a man completely. The gun could fire 1200 rounds per minute. There were 85 of the these weapons firing at the same time.
When the metal door dropped at the front of the landing craft, the MG 42’s, as well as other weapons, opened up.
The men in the front were simply vaporized in a cloud of pink mist.
Over 50% of the first wave were killed.
Cpl. Marion L. Green
Here is the thing to wrap your head around. Despite the hellish onslaught facing them, they ran INTO IT. Where they found the courage I cannot possibly imagine. I suspect it was out of loyalty to the man next to him more than ideas of patriotism.
The invasion nearly foundered here, on this beach. There was serious discussion about withdrawal.
2nd Lt Preston Niland
But they didn’t retreat. Against all odds and with a herculean act of will, the men pushed into the hellfire.
And prevailed.
Pvt Kenneth Hatcher
These days, it is hard to feel good about America. The idea of patriotism has been so perverted that the whole notion of a noble America is still an unrealized aspiration. It is just distasteful to see. You watch the horror show presented by the January 6th committee and feel discouraged. We witness the cowardice of leaders and fellow citizens to face down and stop a dishonest, petty former tin pot dictator with delusions of godhood and wonder why.
How did we get here?
Colleen was wondering if tourism for the D Day sites will fade as the survivors die off. It is a good question.
I don’t think it will. The reason why is not the fascination with the implements of war or the idea that we were the “Good guys”. I think people long for a time when the entire world put aside their differences in a common voice to say no to a murderous tyrant. It gave the world meaning - something to live for - and something worth sacrificing everything to achieve.
The late 60 minutes correspondent Andy Rooney, who was a WWII reporter, commented, “You never felt more alive than during that time”
Pvt Ezequiel Cias
Can we ever get to a time when we come together as one people again; respect our diversity, yet take justifiable pride in our combined strength of purpose - to make the world a better place for everyone?
One can hope.
In this beautiful garden you can perhaps feel hopeful.
.
Here, in this place it is different. Through the tears of grief you see something rare. The metal of these men and women is wholly different from what we see today. Here the alloy is free of dross. It is sturdy and gleams in the sun. These men and women didn’t dodge doing what needed to be done. They knew the risks but ran into the fire anyway.
Sgt John M Hosea
Would you have done that?
Say their names.
Aloud.
“But has the last word been said? Must hope disappear? Is defeat final? No!…”
-General Charles De Galle
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