D-Day

The United States invaded France on June 6, 1944. Some say it was triumph of intelligence coordination, secrecy, and planning. An invading army had never crossed the English Channel since 1688. They were carrying somewhere around 150,000 men and 30,000 vehicles to the beaches of Normandy. The invasion showed the bravery in the individual soldiers having to run up the beach. Watching their troops fellow men being killed by the thousands within 30 minutes.

The U.S. invaded Normandy during World War II to make “the world must be made safe for democracy.” These words from Woodrow Wilson in World War I. Applies to Normandy and to the problems the United States of America is having now with terrorists. Dwight D. Eisenhower had two million men involved in providing support services. Had many tasks one of them was to organize around a million combat troops.

On the 6th June, 1944 around 2,727 ships sailed to Normandy coast. On their first day 156,000 men landed on a thirty mile front. It was one of the largest and most powerful armadas ever to sail. They had to sail across the English Channel which would be very hard with that many ships. When they arrived at Omaha they saw that there were many steep cliffs that were in favor for the Germans. This was a result that the United States of America suffered 2,500 casualties.

They sent in three airborne divisions two which were American and one Division was British. Of the three airborne divisions 23,000 of the airborne troops, 15,500 were Americans. Of these 15,500 men 6,000 men were either killed or seriously injured in their drops.

The Allied forces numbers were around 1,000,000 they then began to fight into the middle of France. Paris was liberated on August 25th. After the battle of the bulge the allies crossed the Rhine on March 7, 1945.

Dwight D. Eisenhower born October 14, 1890, Denison, Texas U.S. died March 28, 1969, Washington, D.C. In December 1941 Dwight was appointed to the army’s war plans in Washington. He helped to make a strategy for an allied invasion of Europe. He was later promoted to major general in March of 1942. In June he was selected of 366 senior officers to be commander of the United States troops in Europe. He advanced in his army career very fast because he was liked by everyone and he was very good with persuading. This was a great slogan when he ran for president which was “I like Ike”.

Some of the weapons used at