Saturday, June 6, marks 71 years since Allied forces launched Operation Overlord and stormed the five beaches of Normandy to liberate France and invade Europe, marking the beginning of the end of World War II.Operation Overlord was the largest air, land, and sea operation undertaken before or since June 6, 1944. The D-Day landing on June 6, 1944 landing included over 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and over 154,000 troops.
Many of the first young men (most not yet 20 years old) entered the surf carrying eighty pounds of equipment. They faced over 200 yards of beach before reaching the first natural feature offering any protection. Blanketed by small-arms fire and bracketed by artillery, they found themselves in hell.When it was over, the Allied Forces had suffered nearly 10,000 casualties; more than 4,000 were dead. More precisely there were 2,499 American D-Day fatalities and 1,914 from the rest of the Allied nations. That’s 4,413 brave servicemen who died on one day.
Yet somehow, due to planning and preparation, and due to the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Forces, Fortress Europe had been breached.
It is hard to conceive the epic scope of this decisive battle that foreshadowed the end of Hitler’s dream of Nazi domination. Here then are some scenes taken back THEN during Operation Overload AND what the same scene looks like NOW thanks to the all the bravery and sacrifices of the Allied Forces to whom we are forever indebted.
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