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D-Day
D-Day
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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D-Day by Bill Bennett and John Cribb
Dwight D. Eisenhower once described the Allied forces assembled in Britain for the D-Day invasion of northern France as “a great human spring, coiled for the moment when its energy would be released and it would vault the English Channel in the greatest amphibious assault ever attempted.”
In the early hours of June 6, 1944, that tense, coiled spring was finally released as the Allied fleet reached Normandy. Hundreds of planes dropped paratroopers behind German lines to capture bridges and railroad tracks. At dawn huge battleship guns began blasting away at German coastal fortifications. Amphibious craft landed on five beaches, and thousands of American, British, Canadian, and French troops fought their way ashore.
U.S. forces landing at Omaha Beach struggled with high seas, fog, mines, and enemy fire that poured down from high bluffs. Many soldiers were shot getting off their boats and died in the surf. Those who reached the sand met a wall of bullets. One commander told his men that only two types of people would stay on the beach – those dead and those going to die – so they’d better push forward. In some units on Omaha, 90 percent of the troops were killed or wounded. But the assault force managed to cross the beach and drive the Germans inland.
At Utah Beach, the other U.S. landing zone, the first wave of troops found themselves 2,000 yards south of where they were supposed to be. It was a lucky miss since the area was not as heavily defended as the original target. Quick-thinking commanders ordered troops to follow the first wave ashore to secure a beachhead.
Before D-Day was over, 155,000 Allied troops were ashore. Months of hard fighting lay ahead. But the Allies had at last established a toehold in northern Europe.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen CPT Jack Durish Sgt (Join to see) 1SG Steven Imerman SGT (Join to see) LTC David Brown MSgt David Hoffman SPC Randy Zimmerman SCPO Morris Ramsey LTC (Join to see) SPC Douglas Bolton SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth Maj Marty Hogan SPC Mark Huddleston PO1 Steve Ditto SPC Michael Oles SR PVT Mark Zehner MSgt (Join to see)
Dwight D. Eisenhower once described the Allied forces assembled in Britain for the D-Day invasion of northern France as “a great human spring, coiled for the moment when its energy would be released and it would vault the English Channel in the greatest amphibious assault ever attempted.”
In the early hours of June 6, 1944, that tense, coiled spring was finally released as the Allied fleet reached Normandy. Hundreds of planes dropped paratroopers behind German lines to capture bridges and railroad tracks. At dawn huge battleship guns began blasting away at German coastal fortifications. Amphibious craft landed on five beaches, and thousands of American, British, Canadian, and French troops fought their way ashore.
U.S. forces landing at Omaha Beach struggled with high seas, fog, mines, and enemy fire that poured down from high bluffs. Many soldiers were shot getting off their boats and died in the surf. Those who reached the sand met a wall of bullets. One commander told his men that only two types of people would stay on the beach – those dead and those going to die – so they’d better push forward. In some units on Omaha, 90 percent of the troops were killed or wounded. But the assault force managed to cross the beach and drive the Germans inland.
At Utah Beach, the other U.S. landing zone, the first wave of troops found themselves 2,000 yards south of where they were supposed to be. It was a lucky miss since the area was not as heavily defended as the original target. Quick-thinking commanders ordered troops to follow the first wave ashore to secure a beachhead.
Before D-Day was over, 155,000 Allied troops were ashore. Months of hard fighting lay ahead. But the Allies had at last established a toehold in northern Europe.
COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen F. Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen CPT Jack Durish Sgt (Join to see) 1SG Steven Imerman SGT (Join to see) LTC David Brown MSgt David Hoffman SPC Randy Zimmerman SCPO Morris Ramsey LTC (Join to see) SPC Douglas Bolton SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth Maj Marty Hogan SPC Mark Huddleston PO1 Steve Ditto SPC Michael Oles SR PVT Mark Zehner MSgt (Join to see)
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Lt Col Charlie Brown
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen - thanks and can't wait to hear about your visit with COL Mikel J. Burroughs
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Lt Col Charlie Brown It was awesome. Funny how it happened, he sent me a message last night saying he was coming by but I never saw it because I went to bed early. Vicki and I were out in the garage adjusting the car seat for her because a few weeks back we had to replace the AC evaporator. To do that they had to pull the entire dash so all the seat settings were lost. She hadn't driven since than and since she had to drive me home from the hospital we went out to do it. Just finished getting her set up, heard a noise,looked up and there was COL Mikel J. Burroughs climbing off his bike. Talked for a while and could have gone on forever but I had to leave for the hospital and he had to head to Ft Myers. Chalk it up as a strange meet and greet
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Thank you my friend MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. for posting on the day after the initial assault on fortress Europe.
Thank you my friend Lt Col Charlie Brown for mentioning me.
Thank you my friend Lt Col Charlie Brown for mentioning me.
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