June 6, 1944

Yes, Dwight Eisenhower was an amazing man. As was Gen Omar Bradley, who my dad worked under. June 6 and the Invasion, which took weeks, not one day, is significant for me as my dad landed on Omaha Beach during the Invasion. He and I walked Omaha Beach together, in silence, when I was 7 yrs old, even then I understood.

Ike missed his son's (John's) graduation from West Point, which was on the same day, June 6, 1944. Higher priorities I guess.

From the archives of The Atlantic Monthly, based on on-the-scene research:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1960/11/first-wave-at-omaha-beach/303365/?

"Unlike what happens to other great battles, the passing of the years and the retelling of the story have softened the horror of Omaha Beach on D Day."

"This fluke of history is doubly ironic since no other decisive battle has ever been so thoroughly reported for the official record. While the troops were still fighting in Normandy, what had happened to each unit in the landing had become known through the eyewitness testimony of all survivors. It was this research by the field historians which first determined where each company had hit the beach and by what route it had moved inland. Owing to the fact that every unit save one had been mislanded, it took this work to show the troops where they had fought."

I just finished watching "Ike: Countdown to Today". In one scene, while watching a news reel that mentioned the Warsaw Ghetto, one of Ike's aides pointed out that the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto resisted the German army for twice as long as the "well fed" French army did in 1940. Interesting perspective.

Going, wow, I did not know that. Priorities for sure, but still, to miss your son’s graduation from West Point is significant.

I haven't been yet, but Juno Beach has been on my radar for a long time. https://www.junobeach.org/museum/permanent-exhibitions/. As a child of the 1970's, my idea of war came from GI Combat and Sgt Rock comic books, and even after taking units in High School on WW1 and WW2, I don't think I really understood the horror of war until watching that opening scene in Saving Private Ryan.

If you have an interest in the build-up to D-Day, I highly recommend Macintyre's book "Double Cross" about the spies, deception
& misinformation campaign that led the Germans to keep reinforcements away from Normandy before D-Day and even for several weeks afterwards whilst they awaited the "main attack" in Calais that never came. Monty was a big fan. There is also a TV programme based on the book - it was repeated last week as part of the build up to D-Day anniversary, which is why I remember it.

Nick, thank you for that.

Susan, I suspect for Eisenhower there was a zero percent chance he could even consider attending his son's graduation.

EP: Ouch.

No, of course he would not have even considered it, I understand. Just sayin it was a big deal to miss that. Graduating from West Point is not like graduating from almost anywhere else. But of course, the Invasion was far more important.

YouTube is teeming with visual documents on D-Day (and indeed just about any war you might mention). They vary in trustworthiness and enjoyment, from dry scholarly lectures through tales illustrated only by amateur drawings to official combat film. The role of air power, the floating "Mulberry" ports, and the Hollywood-worthy schemes of deception, are worth arguing over. Seeing more about the days after the landing enriches the experience, especially the mobile tactics and urgent tank battles around Caen and the Falaise Pocket, where the invasion was at deep risk of being lost to counter-attacks.

https://www.google.com/search?q=falaise+pocket&rlz=1C1SQJL_enCA890CA890&oq=falai&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j46j0l7.5081j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

One of the most trustworthy sources, in my estimation, are the brief and well-reasoned YouTube clips from Mark Felton, author of 20 books and an unending stream of stories dryly delivered in convincing detail. There are plenty more contributions, enough to distract you from the mundane details of actually planning your travel arrangements.

Big Mike - thanks for posting and asking if anyone wanted to share. My friends aren't interested in hearing my memories and thoughts on this subject so I appreciate the opportunity to share!

I visited Normandy and toured the American D Day Beaches back in 2016 with my husband. We spent 3 nights just outside of Sainte-Mere-Eglise and took a tour with a guide. I have always been interested in WWII history as my maternal grandfather served with the 9th Armored Division during the war.

Growing up, I heard many stories from him about his experiences. As a teen in 1988, my parents took us and my maternal grandparents to Germany. One objective was to visit Remagen, where the 9th Armored discovered in March 1944 the bridge across the Rhine still intact. Also on that trip, we also took my grandparents to the hometown of my paternal grandparents who were German immigrants. I remember meeting my great-uncle who had fought in the Battle of the Bulge against my grandpa. Talk about a weird moment when they met and realized this! After a brief, odd pause, shook hands and had a shot of schnapps together.

Anyways, back to how that history ties into Normandy and the beaches/D Day sites. My grandpa died in early 2014. He told me he'd always regretted not making the trip to Normandy to pay his respects. He had come through Normandy after landing in France but they moved out immediately to Paris and eventually the border with Luxembourg. I told him that I would go to Normandy for him.

While there in 2016, I met a vet sitting in front of the church in Sainte-Mere-Eglise. I introduced myself, told him about my Grandpa and asked about his service. I think we made each others day!

2 years later, we went back and did the same tour but this time, brought our kids. It was important to me for them to understand the sacrifice that was made during that time by so many regular people like their great-grandfather. I plan on going back again someday as I find myself drawn to that area and the history.

I've always been very interested in military and conflict history (especially WW-2) and have visited many historic sites around Europe, including Canadian, British and U.S. sites in Normandy. It's a large area to cover and there are so many places, museums, bunkers, etc. to see. During some of my visits, I've had some excellent guides who were able to explain the history of the landings in great detail, including "then & now" photos.

After visiting Omaha Beach, it was easy to see why events there turned out as they did. Fortunately the landings at Utah Beach were somewhat easier. In addition to the bad weather (which prompted Rommel to go back to Germany for his wife's birthday), there were a lot of other factors that helped including some very good deception, the fact that no one wanted to wake Hitler and also some good luck.

One of the very best books I've read on the landings is D-Day by Antony Beevor. He has written a number of very well researched books about WW-2. There were some good documentaries on TV here on the 6th, featuring interviews with soldiers from various countries who were actually there.

If you have a real interest in D-Day and can happen to be in England around the weekend closest to the 6th June there is an excellent commemoration of D-Day in the village of Southwick just outside of Portsmouth. It's a two day festival called the D-Day Revival and consists of a variety of festivities to commemorate D-Day and WW2 in general https://www.southwickrevival.co.uk. Southwick is a little village that has changed little since WW2, actually well before then, and was the base of operations where Eisenhower and Montgomery planned the landings. The Golden Lion is the pub that served as the unofficial Officers Mess and Eisenhower and Montgomery regularly drank there. It's a pub that dates back to the Tudor period (still maintains the 16th century fireplace) and little has changed since 1944.

Portsmouth itself commemorates D-Day more than any other place and the most recent addition to the city is the last surviving landing craft tank that has been fully restored and now takes pride of place outside the D-Day musuem. It's an incredible piece of restoration work and really is an impressive sight https://theddaystory.com/plan-your-visit/what-to-see-at-the-d-day-story/d-day-landing-craft-tank-lct-7074/

I think an ideal trip would be to do Portsmouth area first with its excellent D-Day Museum and then head to France and do the D-Day beaches. It gave me chills to be in Portsmouth and look out across towards France.

JC, thank you for your post and your excellent info. My dad was one of the planners of DDay but I never knew about Southwick as my dad didn’t like to talk about the war. I have good friends in Pagham and will have to visit Southwick as I’m sure my dad must have spent time there. Thank you.

Susan, you're welcome. If your dad was involved in planning for D-day and he was based in the UK then there is a likelihood that he could have worked at Southwick, most likely at Southwick House which was the base of operations, https://www.liberationroute.com/pois/349/southwick-house-allied-naval-headquarters. The house is currently home to the Defence School of Policing and Guarding (I took my advanced interview training course there, not a bad place to study!) so it's only open to the public by appointment.

As Pagham is just down the road it would be well worth a visit if you're over this way.

JC, you’re the best.

amyk, thank you for your story. I'm glad your grandfather survived the war, lived a long life, and would talk about the war. It was as dangerous inside of a tank as outside of one. Heavy losses with the tankers.

Patty, couldn't agree more.

JC, great information.

The best option in America would be New Orleans.

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/

"Going, wow, I did not know that. Priorities for sure, but still, to miss your son’s graduation from West Point is significant."

Many, many soldiers an sailors missed all important events in their family lives for several years. There were no trips home for anyone. Yes, Ike missed this graduation but if he had gone (even if it had been on another date) he would have lost the respect of all his troops because that is what they were required to do. Ike was just doing what every other man and woman serving our country were doing. It was no different during the Korean and Viet Nam wars.

Of course, it probably helped the Allies that Rommel was able to go home for his wife's birthday.