D-Day June 6...Remembered and revered

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- It was seventy years ago today when the Western Allied forces amassed the largest seaborne invasion in history, on the beaches of Normandy, France. The date was June 6, 1944...D-Day, a military term for the day on which the combat attack took place.

The D-Day Normandy landing, codenamed Operation Neptune. The amphibious attack consisted of 5,000 vessels, and were comprised of armed forces from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, aided by the free French forces, with a 1,200-plane airborne assault from the Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Included in the allied forces was the Royal Norwegian Navy. In all, over two million allied troops landed in France.

In a letter written on D-Day by M/Sgt. Paul G. Werner of the United States Air Force, to his fiancé, Patricia Collerain of Houston, Texas, he commented on the invasion…

“Well, it won’t be long anymore, the invasion of the mainland sure was good news to me,” wrote M/Sgt. Werner. “I don’t envy the fellows who are in it though. I’m perfectly satisfied with giving them air support.”

The Normandy invasion began with overnight parachute and glider landings, massive air attacks, and naval bombardments. In the early morning, amphibious landings began on five beaches codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno,and Sword.

Although the Allies invasion of France was successful, it came at a heavy loss. The Allies suffered 209,672 casualties from June 6 to the end of August, of which 36,976 were killed, 153,475 wounded, and 19,221 missing in action. America’s losses alone totaled 20,838 killed, 94,881 wounded, and 10,128 missing; 125,847 casualties in all.

Allied tank losses were estimated at around 4,000, of which approximately half were American fighting units. The Air Forces weren’t without their losses. The Allies lost 4,101 aircraft, and 16,714 airmen were killed or missing.

No doubt the Allied invasion contributed significantly to victory over German-occupied western Europe, and it’s only fitting that it be acknowledged and celebrated on the 70th anniversary if this historic event.