Robert Capa / Magnum / AARP
The Normandy Invasion Changed the World in Ways That Still Matter
June 6 marks the anniversary of the invasion of Normandy, when Allied forces began the liberation of Western Europe. It was arguably the most critical single day in America’s effort to help rid the world of Nazi tyranny. D-Day is remembered, too, as a pivotal moment in establishing America’s role as a world leader after World War II. But the personal connections to the day live on as well. Here are some recollections from people who played a part in making history that day, and facts about a moment in time we should never forget, along with some poignant letters home read by actor Bryan Cranston.
The First Wave
Pfc. Dominick "Dom" Bart recounts the horrific experience of war during the Omaha Beach invasion
A Sky Full of Fire
Pfc. Jim “Pee Wee” Martin writes of his first taste of battle as a paratrooper in the D-Day invasion
A Total Victory
Ensign Jay Kay describes his experience piloting a landing craft filled with U.S. troops
Small Virginia Town Remembers Its Sacrifice
One sister recalls the price her family and Bedford, Va., paid on June 6, 1944
The Story Behind D-Day's Iconic Images
Robert Capa took the most famous photos, but is the story behind those pictures a myth?
D-Day by the Numbers
The troops: 156,000 Allied soldiers, mostly from the United States, Great Britain and Canada
The ships: Over 5,000 floating vessels, including six battleships took part in the assault
Allied casualties: At least 2,501 Americans and 1,913 British, Canadian and other Allied troops were killed
The vehicles: 50,000 vehicles, from tanks to jeeps were transported to the beaches
The span: Nearly 50 miles, stretching west to east from Utah Beach to Sword Beach
The planes: About 11,000 American and British planes, flying 14,674 missions on D-Day alone
What They Said About D-Day
"The first twenty-four hours of the invasion will be decisive.… For the Allies as well as Germany, it will be the longest day.”
— German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
"We shall see who fights better and who dies more easily: the German soldier faced with the destruction of his homeland or the Americans and British, who don't even know what they are fighting for in Europe.”
— General Alfred Jodl, German high command
“There are two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: Those who are dead and those who are going to die.”
— Col. George A. Taylor, commanding the 16th Infantry Regiment
"The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone.”
— A letter Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote to be issued if the invasion failed. It was retrieved from his trash can by an aide.
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