The moment America became the leader of the Free World
posted at 10:00 am on June 6, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Photo: Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division landing onto Omaha Beach from a Coastguard landing craft (from the U.S. Coast Guard-manned USS Samuel Chase) on D-Day. (Chief Photographer’s Mate (CPHOM) Robert F. Sargent)
Sixty-four years ago today, Allied forces swept onto the beaches of Normandy to liberate France and put an end to Nazi domination of Europe. The D-Day assault comprised American, Canadian, and British forces, but the Americans led, and for the most part the Americans bled, especially on Omaha. This position of leadership and sacrifice heralded the emergence of America as the primary Western power, but on that day, no one could say for sure that we would succeed:
On June 5, 1944, General Eisenhower took advantage of a break in stormy weather to order the invasion of “fortress Europe.” In the hours before dawn, June 6, 1944, one British and two U.S. airborne divisions dropped behind the beaches. After sunrise, British, Canadian, and U.S. troops began to move ashore. The British and Canadians met modest opposition. Units of the U.S. VII Corps quickly broke through defenses at a beach code-named UTAH and began moving inland, making contact with the airborne troops within twenty-four hours. But heavy German fire swept OMAHA, the other American landing area. Elements of the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions and the 2d and 5th Ranger Battalions clung precariously to a narrow stretch of stony beach until late in the day, when they were finally able to advance, outflanking the German positions.
American and British beachheads linked up within days. While the Allies raced to build up supplies and reserves, American and British fighter aircraft and guerrillas of the French resistance blocked movement of German reinforcements. On the ground, Allied troops besieged Cherbourg and struggled to expand southward through the entangling Norman hedgerows. Earthen embankments hundreds of years old, matted with the roots of trees and shrubs, the hedgerows divided the countryside into thousands of tiny fields. The narrow roads, sunk beneath the level of the surrounding countryside, became deathtraps for tanks and vehicles. Crossroads villages were clusters of solidly built medieval stone buildings, ideal for defense. Small numbers of German infantry, dug into the embankments with machine guns and mortars and a tank or two or a few antitank guns for support, made advancing across each field costly.
On the first day, the Allies lost a total of 2500 troops, with another 7500 wounded. Within a week, the Allies had landed over 325,000 troops onto the beachheads of Normandy, and spent another month struggling to break out of the hedgerow country in the area. By mid-July, the victory had become so obvious that members of the German officer corps finally tried to assassinate Adolf Hitler to end the conflict.
The attack was a marvel of planning and cooperation between the Allies and the French Resistance. Mistakes were made, and men unnecessarily lost as a result. However, the largest amphibious invasion in human history eventually succeeded, overpowering fortified defenses seen as impenetrable. It dashed the remaining shreds of the fantasy of German invincibility and began the long, slow collapse of the Nazis.
Americans, Brits, and Canadians, most just out of their teens, poured onto those beaches to rescue a world gone mad. They sloshed slowly through waist-deep water and the crossfire of machine guns to liberate France and to stop the German war machine, and to defend the Western concepts of freedom and liberty against the forces of darkness and genocide. The Americans, who had started the European theater of war badly in North Africa and roundly dismissed by the Brits (after Kasserine Pass, for understandable reasons), had proven that democratic republics can produce the kind of men needed to defend them.
We owe these men, and our allies, the deepest gratitude and unfailing admiration for their sacrifice.
Update: I feel a little like Patton in the excellent movie of his exploits in WWII; I’m getting criticized for not mentioning the Soviet role in defeating the Nazis. Yes, obviously the Soviets bled far more than we did and pounded the Nazis, but let’s remember that it was the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact that put them in that position. If Stalin had listened to Churchill, the Nazis would have been stopped at Poland rather than at the gates of Moscow and Stalingrad, and may not have moved in that direction at all.
Moreover, the Soviets hardly “liberated” eastern Europe. Those unfortunate nations wound up with an equally oppressive regime, if not quite as murderous. And the Soviets didn’t participate in D-Day, either, and the point of this post was to honor our own sacrifice.
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“Lend Lease”
bernzright777 on June 6, 2008 at 12:55 PM
If you have never visited Normandy, you should. The main cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer is awe-inspiring and walking Omaha Beach was amazing. Go to the far right of the beach at Dog-Green landing zone to see where most of our soldiers were killed (also the section portrayed in Private Ryan).
One of the saddest things you will see are the little grave plots spread across the countryside, ten or twenty crosses in each, marking a small firefight that took place as our soldiers advanced. The French still lovingly tend these plots with flowers, lawns and painted fences.
Bishop on June 6, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Free world… Cold War term… vs. Soviet dominated Eastern Europe.
So, actualy, yes, D-Day was when we became the leaders of the Free World. If we had not done D-Day Europe would have fallen to the Soviets, and there would, therefore, NOT have been a “Free World”.
Be sick all you want, but that is an accurate potrayal of what happened.
Romeo13 on June 6, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Unfortunatly, the sacrifices* made in that ONE DAY had the full support of a UNITED nation that understood the perceived threat, while today political ambitions are more of a priority than what is in the best interest of this nation.
* Sacrifice: To forfeit (one thing) for another thing considered to be of greater value.
Rovin on June 6, 2008 at 12:58 PM
Yeah, English is my second language but this one I knew. Occasionally I make strange typos.
freevillage on June 6, 2008 at 1:00 PM
I did forget to mention they starved and actually got into food lines, with the U.S. forces…
It is always interesting to learn about what happened after countries invade. I guess Japan didn’t do their homework..
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Bishop,
“One of the saddest things you will see are the little grave plots spread across the countryside, ten or twenty crosses in each, marking a small firefight that took place as our soldiers advanced. The French still lovingly tend these plots with flowers, lawns and painted fences.”
While having “tour guide duty” in port, and giving French visitors tours of the aircraft carrier I was on, I got to know a French family a little bit. They invited me to their house for dinner the next day, and were vere gracious hosts. But when they found out about my uncle being buried at Normandy, they could not do enough for me. Very, very grateful. I don’t know how much that applies to the younger generations there, though.
exhelodrvr on June 6, 2008 at 1:13 PM
My Literature Recommendations for what it’s worth:
Anything by Winston Churchill - “The Gathering Storm,” and “A History of World War II.” (from his perspective)
For Junito whose dad was on Okinawa: “Operation Iceberg”. After reading this you will hold him in awe! Okinawa had the greatest casualty/time ratio and one fourth of all US Navy casualties in the entire war, including Pearl Harbor, and was the main reason for Hiroshima.
Of coures William Shirer’s “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”
Old Country Boy on June 6, 2008 at 1:16 PM
So excellent Ed,Thank-you,as I’m typing, Rush is
talking about the landing on the beaches!
If Liberal’s are bemoaning Irag,then WW2 would of
had them in fits of rage,after all,I’m not sure but
landing on Normandy,after a day,the loss’s probably
equaled the loss’s of Irag!
And if General Patton was alive,I would love to see
a lefty journalist pose the question of surrender or
bugging out!
Here’s the famous Patton Speech!
http://www.pattonhq.com/speech.html
canopfor on June 6, 2008 at 1:23 PM
and was the main reason for Hiroshima.
Old Country Boy on June 6,2008 at 1:16PM.
Old Country Boy: On Hiroshima, I agree,dam(n)straight. :)
canopfor on June 6, 2008 at 1:27 PM
All but eleven, thank God. BTW, the image that heads this post is not one of the eleven. Photo credit, Ed?
ganeshpuri89 on June 6, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Pray tell, just which country did they.. ‘liberate’.
Reaps on June 6, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Did the commies give any land back to the original inhabitants after WWII? I know the US did.
csdeven on June 6, 2008 at 2:12 PM
My father, Liutenant Commander Reginald Haw, RNVR landed on the Normandy beach early in the morning of D-Day as chaplain of 45 Royal Marine Commando. As I write this I am looking at the map of the Port-en-Bessin area that he carried in his pocket during the landing. In the book “Omaha to the Scheldt” by John Forfar (45 RM Commando’s doctor), the author describes my father’s landing thusly:
“Spirits were raised by two developments, The padre arrived looking very spruce. Chaffed by the others for being one of the few to land dry, he explained that one baptism a day was enough for any chaplain and that as he had started the day with a baptism of fire they had been no need for him to engage in any further baptismal rites. He described his run in to the beach. As he had no duties to perform, he sat low down in the landing craft and could see nothing. As the boat moved in he heard all manner of crashes and bangs and felt very reassured by the intensity of the covering fire. His landing craft passed clear through the coastal minefield and he stepped ashore dryshod and in the best of spirits to see, suddenly, so many sinking landing craft and men swimming in the water, and realised then that most of the encouraging noise and explosions which he had heard were missiles coming in the opposite direction from which he had supposed.”
He spent the night of June 6th burying and saying the funeral service for 14 Royal Marines killed by German flame throwers during the landing.
God bless you Dad and all who fought alongside you.
Trafalgar on June 6, 2008 at 2:19 PM
Europe was liberated by the Commies? Liberated?
There are a million hypotheticals and what-if scenarios that we could discuss for days on end.
The fact is the Allies would not have won the war without US involvement. That doesn’t mean that the US singehandedly won the war.
I know you like to come in here and start arguments by acting like a juvenile twit, but hijacking a D-Day thrad on June 6 is pretty pathetic.
reaganaut on June 6, 2008 at 2:21 PM
God bless your Dad and all who fought alongside him.
Limerick on June 6, 2008 at 2:22 PM
“Faulty intelligence. Ike and FDR lied. Unwinnable war. Quagmire. Atrocities. No exit strategy. How do you define success? Casualties too high. Too expensive. Collateral damage. Re-deploy. Blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah…”
Shut up and bow your heads, liberal twits, and say a prayer of thanks that you weren’t pulling the strings on D-Day. If you had been, the world would be a very different place today - and not in a good way.
whitetop on June 6, 2008 at 2:26 PM
Photo: Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division landing onto Omaha Beach from a Coastguard landing craft (from the U.S. Coast Guard-manned USS Samuel Chase) on D-Day. (Chief Photographer’s Mate (CPHOM) Robert F. Sargent)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_F._Sargent
ganeshpuri89 on June 6, 2008 at 2:27 PM
Credit added, and thanks!
Ed Morrissey on June 6, 2008 at 2:32 PM
Correction for you history wonks…my dad was with 47th Royal Marine Commando on D-Day (and later with 45 RM Commando).
Trafalgar on June 6, 2008 at 2:32 PM
Ref the update:
Hope you didn’t think I was bagging you Ed. Just trying to get between the two groups to remind them we all won the war together.
Limerick on June 6, 2008 at 2:35 PM
A beautiful tribute here.
RushBaby on June 6, 2008 at 2:36 PM
Thank you, Trafalgar.
exhelodrvr on June 6, 2008 at 2:44 PM
I recall my father and his wartime Royal Marine buddies spending a lot of time reminiscing and one thing which came up repeatedly was their admiration for American soldiers, especially their incredible bravery. Another thing they all remembered was that the Royal Marines had gin and scotch issued to them and the Americans had movies, cigarettes and chocolate. Whenever the Royal Marines camped anywhere near American troops in France there was a brisk, and very friendly trade going on!!
Trafalgar on June 6, 2008 at 2:54 PM
Pints on the bar, no strings attached.
Limerick on June 6, 2008 at 2:57 PM
Cheers!
Trafalgar on June 6, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Fine post, Ed.
The Ugly American on June 6, 2008 at 3:25 PM
Another wonderful story of US-British cooperation around D-Day from the same book mentioned above:
“On the evening of 8th June an officer patrol of Capt. Isherwood and Lt. Bennet (my god father) was sent out along the road leading westward towards the American sector to establish a link with the Americans at Omaha. Isherwood and Bennet were near to Omaha beach and it was getting dark when, in a relaxed mood, they decided to have a quiet smoke behind a hedge. As they did so they heard a vehicle approaching from the west. Lt. Bennet suggested that Cpt. Isherwood might jump out and challenge the vehicle while he (Bennet) kept him covered. Isherwood rejoined that as he was senior Bennet should do the jumping out while he, Isherwood, kept him covered. Shouting ‘Hande Hoch’, Bennet jumped out to be met by a voice from the darkness, ‘Say, are you British?’. ‘Yes, are you Americans?’. ‘No, we’re not Americans’ came the voice, ‘We’re Texans -do you need any help?’ Thus did the British join up with our American Allies, all two of them! 47th Royal Marine Commando now linked the British and United States armies as they embarked on a unique joint enterprise.”
Trafalgar on June 6, 2008 at 3:41 PM
And Hey!!! Just remembered!!!
Its the 15th anniversary of my divorce being final…
D-Day… has a whole other meaning for me…. LOL…
I still think the Judge, who was a Vet, had a sense of humor… should have been a couple of days later.
Romeo13 on June 6, 2008 at 3:55 PM
listening to those stories from older Vets are always fun.
upinak on June 6, 2008 at 3:59 PM
I thank God for the men and women of our armed forces.
God Bless You and Protect You.
In the name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
Red Pill on June 6, 2008 at 5:03 PM
Hillary twice reminded us of something else that happened on June 6th.
Red Pill on June 6, 2008 at 5:04 PM
As part of remembering the sacrifice made on D-Day, let us also remember the sacrifice made when Nazi submarines opened fire on a training exercise that was preparation for D-day:
Thank God that we didn’t have CNN back then. CNN would have been broadcasting the horrible loss of life, and interviewing grieving family members. The entire secrecy of the D-Day mission (Operation Overlord) would have been jeopardized, and we might have lost WWII.
Red Pill on June 6, 2008 at 5:19 PM
To clarify, June 6th is the day he died.
Red Pill on June 6, 2008 at 5:20 PM
So many have forgotten those great men.
That will be my only ‘White Guilt” Forgetting and not
doing enough to keep the memory of these folks alive.
Texyank on June 6, 2008 at 5:32 PM
Megga Dittos
Texyank on June 6, 2008 at 5:34 PM
Yeah. Until the day the Islamofascists take over France and destroy those “infidel” burial plots.
Sadly.
God Bless Our Troops.
newton on June 6, 2008 at 5:37 PM
Amen to that.
To hell with the Soviets, the lousy devils.
Zorro on June 6, 2008 at 5:50 PM
I’m watching the history channel as we post… thanks Dad, uncle jack and all those you knew….
jerrytbg on June 6, 2008 at 6:10 PM
I spoke to a vet who was on one of those landing craft and his account of the day was sobering. He described the soldiers’ fear as strong and very physical because they all knew and understood what awaited them. He said there was almost complete silence, except for the dry heaving (sorry!). No one cried or complained and when the ramp lowered, they just piled out, sometimes over the bodies of men shot directly in front of them. It was a horrendous day and to not remember with honor and respect those who sacrificed their lives, their limbs or their peace of mind (like the vet I spoke to) is criminal.
As far as the Soviets, I guess you could say they were responsible for my marriage. My mother-in-law lost her Hungarian father in the “liberation” of Budapest and the remaining family fled to America the following year to escape the Communists that came with it.
inmypajamas on June 6, 2008 at 6:21 PM
Would any of the HA denizens like to recommend a book about WWII?
“The Bitter Woods”, by Ike’s son
Janos Hunyadi on June 6, 2008 at 9:00 PM
God bless each and every one of those men who fought and were killed or injured on that day. My JR high football coach, Coach Nelson Bryan was one of those heroes. This battle will be remembered for eternity as one of the best.
carbon_footprint on June 6, 2008 at 9:42 PM
Indeed. The American, British and Canadian forces who bravely went ashore or jumped out of planes on D-Day — The Longest Day — will never be forgotten as long as I’m alive.
I praise and give thanks to those brave men who perished that day and to those who went on to contribute to the demise of the Nazi regime.
eanax on June 6, 2008 at 10:26 PM
And the ultimate beneficiaries to our men’s sacrifices will be the illegal immigrants storming our southern border.
At the end of the day Mexico wins.
And to think, they were allies to the axis powers.
TheSitRep on June 7, 2008 at 11:49 AM
My uncle, who died two months ago, was among those paratroopers who jumped into Normandy on D-Day. I also did a Battle Analysis on the Ranger Assault of Point-du-hoc in the opening hours of D-day… I will never cease to be amazed by the bravery and humility of the men who fought in WWII. It was a different time and a different country then… My experiences in Iraq were very much different. I don’t believe we have experienced the level of sustained combat and hardship. (not to in any way take away or diminish the sacrifice of todays veterans)…
BadBrad on June 7, 2008 at 2:13 PM
“And to think, they were allies to the axis powers” TheSitRep
What a calumious statement!!!
Small though it was, the 201th fighter squadron, Army of Mexico, faught valiantly on the side of the allies. They deserve the same honor that anyone that faught on our side in WW2 deserves. You are not only insulting the fallen of that squadron, but all the other Mexican fallen of WW2. Do not sell these people short. Their descendants are our spear points in Iraq.
Old Country Boy on June 7, 2008 at 7:53 PM
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