The 75th Anniversary of D-Day & the Extraordinary Providence of God

Troops from the U.S. 1st Infantry Division land on Omaha Beach, June 6, 1944.
Photographed by Robert F. Sargent (wikimedia).

By Eric Davis - Posted at The Cripplegate:

"Harrowing accounts surfaced from the men who survived Omaha. I recently had the privilege of hearing one of those accounts of a courageous American soldier. What follows is a first-hand account of the extraordinary providence of God in impossible war circumstances."

It was 75 years ago. The globe was deep into World War II, the deadliest conflict in history. Germany had conquered and gained control of much of Europe. Four years earlier, the Nazis had grabbed a tight grip on France. The United States officially joined the war and linked arms with the Allies in 1941 after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Among other things, the Allies had their eyes on Europe. Taking France from the Nazis was essential to liberating the continent. Enter Operation Overlord. General Dwight Eisenhower had been appointed Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force for the invasion of Europe. By the end of 1943, the Allies had pinpointed Normandy, the northern coast of France, as the key invasion point for May 1944.

Operation Overlord would be the largest amphibious invasion in history. Fifty miles of French coast were divided into five primary locations for the invasion: Gold, Juno, Omaha, Sword, and Utah. The Canadians and British were primarily tasked with taking Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches. The Americans were to take Omaha and Utah. As time approached, planners strategized the landing day based upon the ocean tides. Bad weather delayed the operation to June 6th.

D-Day had arrived. It was June 6, 1944. Minesweepers cleared the ocean lanes. An aerial front dropped bombs and paratroopers early that morning. However, weather complicated and hindered the effort. In the meantime, troops made their way across the English Channel to Normandy. Omaha Beach was key to linking the other four together so as to subsequently create a highway inland for the Allies. The Nazis knew this. And they were prepared. Omaha was the most heavily defended beach; more than the Americans expected. Even so, US troops arrived at 7:00am. Higgins boats full of soldiers pulled up, dropped their bow ramps, and troops faced an unspeakable hailstorm of gun and mortar fire.

Continue reading...


See also:

• Let’s Never Forget Just How ENORMOUS D-Day Really Was (The SITREP Military Blog)