D-Day Operation Overlord: Commemorating Bravery and Sacrifice | Historical Remembrance

You have heard it referenced as D-Day, Operation Overlord, the Normandy Landings. We bring to mind this historic date in both American and world history it’s important to remember the sacrifices that eighty years ago brave men who lied about their age joined various branches of the military to fight for the freedom of the United States of America and the world.

The heroism of the men who stormed these beaches that day is often portrayed in many Hollywood films, but this is not just based on a true story. This actually happened!

At approximately 6:30AM, just after dawn on the beaches code-named: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword the Sea landings commenced. This operation was the largest amphibious invasion in military history. 156,200 soldiers stormed the beaches that day from the countries of the United States, Britain, and Canada. 6, 939 ships and landing vessels. In addition to the 2,395 aircraft and 867 gliders that assisted in the delivery of airborne troops.

There were Army Rangers scaling cliffs to take out heavily fortified German gun positions. As the sea landings continued into the morning as the landing vessel doors dropped soldiers encountered heavy machine gun fire that resulted in the loss of many soldiers. Others jumped into the water being held down by all the standard-issued equipment.

The invasion lasted a total of 85 days. The endless stories of heroism and bravery during this invasion resulted in a turning point in World War II to help liberate Europe from Hitler’s war machine.

Today and always, we shall never forget their sacrifices and those who gave their lives for us.

“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.”

President Ronald Wilson Reagan- June 6, 1984