70 Years Ago Today: They Stormed The Beaches At Normandy

The order of the day for June 6, 1944:

At 00:15 hours seventy years ago, pathfinders began dropping to mark the landing zones, and a minute later, the British Airborne landed gliders to take Pegasus bridge.


By 06:30, troops began an amphibious landing on five beaches - Omaha, Utah, Sword, Gold and Juno. By the day's end, 160,000 men would land on the beaches, but the first .

It was start of the greatest air and amphibious invasion the world has ever seen, nor will its like be seen again.


Saving Private Ryan, has an opening that gives one a view to what happened that day. Combine the opening of the film with some Sabaton and you have quite the tribute to the opening moments of the landings on the Sixth of June:




The invasion involved over 9,000 ships from Battleships participating in the bombardment to LCVPs transporting the assaulting infantry, 12,000 aircraft, and 160,000 men.

By the end of the day, one Canadian, three American, and three British infantry divisions, and three airborne divisions were established in Normandy, and it was the beginning of the end for the 1,000 year Reich in Western Europe.

4 Medals of Honor were awarded for actions on D-Day, including one to Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr.


One Victoria Cross was awarded for action that day - to Company Sgt Major Stan Hollis.


We shall not see the like of these men, nor a day like D Day again.