By Capt Joseph R. John, June 6, 2019 Op Ed #436

75th Anniversary of the Normandy Landing is commemorated today, June 6, 2019, to honor the sacrifices of a generation of allies that made up the invasion force of over 150,000 military personnel from the United States, Britain, Canada, and Free France.  The 80 photos in the attachment depict some of the real time historic wartime photos taken during the historic Normandy Landing.

In the weeks following the invasion, Polish forces and contingents from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, and the Netherlands, participated in the ground campaign; most also provided air and naval support alongside elements of the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the Royal Norwegian Navy.  (From Wikipedia Invasion of Normandy)

The Western Allies of World War II launched the largest amphibious invasion in history when they assaulted the beaches at Normandy, located on the northern coast of France, on June 6, 1944.  The invaders were able to establish a beachhead as part of Operation Overlord after a successful “D-Day,” the first day of the invasion.   (From Wikipedia Invasion of Normandy) 

The Normandy invasion began with overnight parachute drops and glider landings, massive air attacks, and naval bombardments.  In the early morning, amphibious landings commenced on five beaches code named Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha, and Utah, with troops from the United States landing on Omaha and Utah, Britain landing on Gold and Sword, and Canada landing on Juno. During the evening the remaining elements of the airborne divisions landed.  Land forces involved on D-Day sailed from bases along the south coast of England, the most important of those being Portsmouth.   (From Wikipedia Invasion of Normandy)

Millions of Americans of the Greatest Generation came together at home to support the World War II effort.  American young men trained at home, then went into combat on foreign fields of fire, in order to secure freedom for millions of suppressed and interned people under Hitler’s oppressive National Socialist Government; 6,388 of American military personnel were lost on the beaches of Normandy, and 407,300 American military personnel were lost in WWII.  

We Honor the memory of the American military personnel who gave their all, and were lost in the flower of their youth.  The free world is forever grateful for their heroic effort, that led to the vanquish of Nazi tyranny.  God Bless their noble souls.