It was 75 years ago today that the largest air, land, and sea invasion in human history began on the shores of Normandy, France.

 It involved 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes, and over 155,000 Soldiers, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen, and Airmen. The code name was “Overlord,” and it was the result of years of intensive planning, training, and applied innovation on a scale that’s difficult to fathom even now.

 It would prove to be one of the decisive battles and turning points in the war against Adolph Hitler’s Third Reich.

When the doors and ramps opened at dawn on June 6, 1944, many of these Soldiers were not yet 20 years old.

 “You get your ass on the beach,” Colonel Paul R. Goode told the men of the 175th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division before D-Day. “I’ll be there waiting for you and I’ll tell you what to do. There ain’t anything in this plan that is going to go right.”

Lieutenant Colonel Robert L Wolverton, who was commanding 3rd battalion, 506th PIR, announced:

Men, I ...

Whenever I'm in Normandy, I always make a point to visit the Dick Winter's Leadership Monument.  You can't miss it.  It's right off the causeway on your way to Utah Beach.  In many ways, I believe it represents all of the values and principles of leadership that should be recognized during any visit here, and in any study of D-Day and the Battle for Normandy.  Here's a quick video from that monument to the young leaders who fought and won this monumental battle.

Paratroopers from 2d Battalion, 506th PIR loading for their Albany mission, 
intended to jump on the DZ "C" in Hiesville at 0120 hours. 

This photo was taken on Upottery airfield in Devon on the evening of June 5, 1944. 
The aircraft is a C-47 (#42-93004 from 94th Squadron - 439th Troop Carrier Group - 
Chalk number # 78 - serial # 12). The pilot (back) is 2nd Lt. Martin N. Neill. 
2nd Lt.  Carl E. George (co-pilot) helps the paratroopers to board.  


William G. Olanie, Frank D. Griffin, Robert J. Noody, Lester T. Hegland

The 506th PI...