D-Day

80 Years

“This operation is planned as a victory, and that’s the way it’s going to be. We’re going down there, and we’re throwing everything we have into it, and we’re going to make it a success.”

– General Dwight D. Eisenhower

The guys that stormed the beaches in Normandy did it 80 years ago today. For context, they were born between the years 1920-1928. The youngest D-Day vet is probably 97.

My friend’s father was one of those guys. Another guy I knew was in his mother’s womb when his father was killed at Omaha. He never knew him. Another friend of mine became famous for what he did a few days later. Walt Ehlers received the Medal of Honor for his actions in Goville, France on June 10th. But, he was in the first waves at Omaha. Walt was an amazing guy. Handsome too.

He led his men across the beach and no one was wounded or killed. Crazy.

I spoke with Walt a few times about D-Day. Words aren’t descriptive enough to allow the human mind to comprehend the day. Walt is no longer with us, but his spirit lives on. His brother Roland was killed up the beach that day by a German shell that hit the landing craft.

I always told Walt I couldn’t imagine climbing down a net into a tossing little boat and going ashore. Meanwhile, rockets and shells are flying all over the place. The noise and smells must have been incredible. I get seasick on scuba diving trips from smelling diesel and bumping in the water on a boat. I can’t imagine doing what Walt did on D-Day. But, he told me that anyone could do it since they trained for it.

For him it was routine. Hahahaha. The “third amphibious landing” he used to say.

I always wonder if I’d have had it in me but frankly, I am happy not to have been tested.

There will be oratories today. I hope they hit their mark and are inspiring. My guess is, they won’t. Give them a bit of a break. It’s a hard mountain to climb as a speechwriter and public speaker on that day. Silence and looking at the graves might be enough. I don’t think any of the expected speakers are big enough for the moment, despite their current political positions.

D-Day looms so large in American culture. We see photos and memes of it constantly today. “Your day at the beach brought to by their day at the beach.” Or, “D-Day June 6, 1944, Largest ANTIFA Operation in History.” They are demeaning. Politicians of both parties use it to try and draw metaphors for what they are doing today. Unfortunately, it bastardizes the memory of what those young men did that day.

I think that D-Day is cited so much because so many of us are familiar with Europe. Many of our families came from there. The names of the places are easier to remember. It’s a lot easier to visit Normandy than it is Bataan. Ironically, for years the French people gave more credit to the Soviets for WW2 than the Allies. That had more to do with the communist sympathizers in France than it did with actual facts.

One of the most untold stories about WW2 is that many of the French hindered the Allied effort to liberate the country. There were almost as many collaborators as there were resistance. Many of the French didn’t hate what the Nazis were doing. The Germans came in and built infrastructure. Ask Coco Chanel.

D-Day was also so dramatic. Going across by sea and taking a heavily defended beach with brute strength. It took everything we had. How many movies either have been made about D-Day or refer to D-Day?

I think it’s also important to remember that in the Pacific, the GIs endured several amphibious landings as they island-hopped across the globe. They didn’t get the same cultural publicity the GIs in Europe received. No one landed on Iwo Jima and received kisses from a liberated human and a shot of calvados for their troubles. It was arguably more isolating and a different kind of fighting. Jungles vs House to House.

It’s also important to remember it wasn’t only America in the fight. The British and Canadians had extensive forces. The British took Pegasus Bridge. Without them, D-Day would likely have failed. The Canadians were bloodied almost as bad as the Americans were when you look at Juno and Omaha. Conquered nations like Poland and France also had troops fighting on D-Day. D-Day was about more than just America.

At the same time D-Day was going on, Rome had been liberated two days earlier. June 4th was the day the Allies finally had made it far enough up the Italian boot to take Rome. If you want to learn about suffering, listen to oral histories or read books about the beach at Anzio. Two years earlier, it was the Battle of Midway. Americans sunk three Japanese carriers turning the entire tide of the Pacific war. Of course, in the initial attacks, most of the American naval aviators didn’t come back.

The month of June looms large in WW2. It was also the month Germany finally took France in 1940. Churchill gave one of his most inspiring speeches.

I am anxiously awaiting a documentary movie release about D-Day. This looks cool and I can’t wait to see it. I hope you can see it too. Can you imagine being one of those guys? Wow. A guaranteed death sentence for a job that had to be accomplished. How do you do that?

There are so many amazing stories from WW2. They are unfathomable. How do you volunteer to be a Doolittle Raider knowing you were ditching your plane and probably wouldn’t make it back?

This year for some reason the ones I can’t get out of my mind are the Pathfinders. Most people when they think about suicide missions that day think about the Army Rangers and Pointe Du Hoc. That was indeed brutal.

Of course, there isn’t anything about a war that’s not brutal. There was no safe space.

If you don’t know about the Pathfinders, they are the ones that went out on Jun 5th. They parachuted into France and set up radio stations and scopes to show the paratroopers where to jump. They were there by themselves. If the D-Day mission had failed, they surely would have been killed or taken prisoner. How’d you like to be that person?

Here are the Pathfinders from Plane #1.

TEAM "A" was scheduled to land at point on DZ "A" of 389-968 flying from NW to SE at 0020, June 6, 1944. Actual landing was made in vicinity of St. Germain-de-Varreville (394-994) and flying from ENE to WSW at approximately 0015. All three sticks dropped together and could be seen together but were considerably strung out with the last man in each aircraft landing near Beuzeville-au-Plain (370-985). Upon assembly and orientation it was the decision of Capt. Lillyman to select the best available field in the immediate area and establish the Radar and Light Aids. Enemy fire had been received from the vicinity of Fucarville, from the beach area and from the vicinity of Audouville la-Hubert. There was no enemy fire.

(Source: Report of D-Day Pathfinders activities - 1 July 1944)

SNAFU, but they overcame and did it like everyone else. We remember them today and thank them. They saved the world.