Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of
The Allied Expeditionary Force!
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the World are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.
Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely.
But this is the year, 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!
I have full confidence in your courage and devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!
Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Supreme Allied Commander
____________
Sixty-seven years ago this morning, June 6th, 1944, the Allied Forces landed in Normandy, France... to begin the liberation of France from Nazi Germany, and to try to facilitate the end of WWII in Europe.
Most models that the Allied planners ran on the invasion indicated mortality rates as high as 90%... Eisenhower had already written his letter of resignation from his role as Supreme Allied Commander, because there was no assurance that the invasion would succeed.
May God Bless...
~shoes~
(repost from 06/06/2010)
(repost from 06/06/2010)
Thank you for posting this and reminding us.
ReplyDeleteIt was announced this morning that 5 of our soldiers were killed in Iraq. I suppose someone will compare the huge loss of live in the Normandy invasion compared to Iraq but I pray we can get out of the Middle East honorably and quickly.
May the Gods bless all our military men and women, past and present.
ReplyDeleteVery nice of you to remember this and remind us of our world history.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a pleasure to find someone who honors those brave men who stepped into the breach and actually made a REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. Thanks for saying thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shoes xxxxxxxx
ReplyDeleteGreat speech, and a great way to honor the day. A perfect example of not giving up, even in extreme conditions.
ReplyDeleteMy Own Private Idaho
@ Anonymously... You know, I'm probably going to alienate some people with this comment, but someone somewhere once said, "War is Hell..."
ReplyDeleteWe don't fight wars so much to win anymore... we fight them with a public relations expert along side..
I saw the news today about the five soldiers in Iraq and I hurt for their families... the rest of those families' lives have been redefined forever...
God Bless them all...
Those brave souls on that day, like many since and many days before, made a difference in our Country...
~shoes~
Okay - LOVE this post.
ReplyDeleteGod bless our soldiers - those that have passed before us - those here with us - and those that don't know yet how brave they are...
xoxo
gobbles
Thanks for this post. During WW II, the whole country pitched in with many kinds of sacrifice. Consumer goods were diverted to the war effort, in a way that people felt every day. I wish some of that immediacy and shared sacrifice existed today, so more people would either support the effort or push for a different approach. For most Americans, having "national defense" mean nothing more than a tax burden takes away our appreciation of the huge sacrifices that other families are making. I hadn't realized how dire the expectations were for the Normandy invasion!
ReplyDeletenice post...but I still pause when I think what we sacrificed for France...and the ambivalence the French seem to feel towards Americans today. Maybe that's generalizing a bit too much, and I know basically the war was about freedom, rather than France, but still. Oops, sorry, didn't mean to hijack your post....
ReplyDeleteSuch a decision as that made by Eisenhower would not be possible today. I cannot imagine sending up to 90% of the troops to certain death. It's what it took at that time to get the job done. Our methods of war have become more sophisticated, so it is not necessary to make such decisions in this day and age. Still...the memory of that beach and the blood of our fathers is stunning. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post. Well done Shoes xo
ReplyDeleteRedShoes, what is the name of the Spiritual book that looked like it had a tree on front.
ReplyDeleteYes, God Bless ALL of those young men and women...
ReplyDeleteI heard something on the news last night... the news item said that Father Time was doing something that the Axis Powers in WWII were unable to do... kill off the Allied military force. It went on to say that the remaining WWII vets are dying at a rate of over 1,000 per day.
In the past, we would totally destroy the threat to our nation, our freedom, and today, we seem to give in to them... our military got Bin Laden, but we need to finish the job and eradicate Al Qaeda...
Great point, Blissed Out. I remember my Dad telling me about the days of rationed gasoline and tires back in the 40s... they had a definite opportunity cost of WWII... to our generation, as you say, it's a line item in our tax revenues....
Today, there still isn't a good number as to how many GI's died in Operation Overlord... the figure that most use is around 4,200 killed on the beaches and in the air drops behind the German lines, but some estimates go as high as 9,000. Imagine a story coming in from Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan... with losses around those numbers.
Anonymous... I am at the office now, but when I get home, I will check on that book and will post the title here.
~shoes~
My dad was in WW2 - died last year. He never talked about the war much. I have all his letters sent from his five years.
ReplyDeleteI like your red shoes.
@ MidLife Job Hunter...
ReplyDeleteI am SO sorry to hear about your Dad and his passing. Those fellows who went and fought, then as today, tend to not talk a great deal about what they witnessed... my late brother-in-law was at Omaha Beach on D-Day, and later at the Battle of the Bulge... we can NEVER even come close to imagining what they had to endure...
Re: my Red Shoes... thank you! :o)
~shoes~
Redshoes, I found the name of the book. I was determined to find the name of that book before I left work today. So I just kept going through ur blog. No need to look at home. I found it.
ReplyDeleteYes. Every movie depiction of Normandy has been horrific. All war is sad. I agree with your comment somewhat, about fighting to win. I really don't have all the facts. Thanks for the post!
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ReplyDeleteWow, this was just brilliant, Shoes. Thank you so much for sharing, and for giving this story the perspective it deserves!
ReplyDeleteFabulous! So interesting!
ReplyDeleteAs usual, fantastic writing!
Cool post. I wonder sometimes if the generations rising up today have the slightest idea what the previous generations went through for their benefit? I don't think they do.
ReplyDelete@ Wine And Words... you know, the beach scenes in 'The Longest Day,' a 60's John Wayne film pale in comparison to the first 20 minutes in 'Saving Private Ryan'... When I was a kid, my late brother-in-Law told me of the front of his landing craft falling down so they could disembark, and how red the water was that they off-loaded... I can't imagine.
ReplyDeleteRe: Fighting to win... i.e., the terrorist organizations need to be destroyed... to the last person. Whether one agrees with Israel's position or not, they are renown for what they are willing to not willing to tolerate. They are respected for that position.
@ Anything Goes... thank you! Those fellows deserve it... as do the men and women serving today!
@ Anonymous... your comment didn't git this post so I removed it.
@ Sandra... thank you!
@ Epic Fail... I doubt it... as time passes, so much changes... Hell, even history gets re-written. Views and perspectives change. Thank you for your comment.
~shoes~
I apologize. Please forgive me and my comment. I meant no disrespect.
ReplyDeleteSee, those were real men.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous... It's all ok... comments about my failures and short comings just didn't belong on a post about the anniversary of D-Day...
ReplyDelete@ Memphis Steve... Yeah, they were... they went over there and kicked ass... some died... many of those who came home lived the rest of their lives playing out much of what happened over there...
~shoes~
You misunderstood what I was communicating. I did not mean that at all. My mistake I did not use the correct words I suppose and have since learned that u can go back and make comments on old blog spots. I thought u had to be making comments on the latest blog otherwise they would not be referred back too. But another lesson learned for me say what u want to say in person so u can explain what one really means. I did get the blog. Lost my grandfather on those beaches. Affected my mother's life which affected my life. I just don't wallow in self pity or share stuff like that. But let me clear the comment up I was reaching out to u not shooting u down. I do not think u failed nor do I think u have shortcomings. U will have to delete this one as well. But I did want u to know that is not what I meant at all. I need to keep my comments to myself and I will try very hard too. So sorry.
ReplyDeleteThank you for doing for me what I am trying to do for younger generations...remind them of the sacrifices before their time so that they may better appreciate the freedom they have today. My grandfather was at The Battle of the Bulge and not until I watched a documentary on it did I fully understand what that meant. When you said that casualty percentage was expected to exceed 90% and Eisenhower had already handed in his resignation...well, that's powerful to me. Eisenhower becomes a man in a tight spot instead of just a freeway in Macon, GA.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post, enjoyed reading it. I proudly wore my poppy that day.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous has some issues!
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ReplyDeleteOK... I'm ready for this nonsense to stop...
ReplyDelete~shoes~
Ok nonsense has stopped. Enlighten us with something thought provoking. I need something to stimulate intelligently. Promise no more nonsense. What are some good books to read or movies to watch?
ReplyDeleteI was born on the anniversary of D Day. :)
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ReplyDeletethat certainly is an epic speech
ReplyDelete+followed