Five Beaches
It has been 80 years since allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy launching the final phase of the war against Nazi Germany. Code named Operation Overlord, the invasion was the largest military effort ever undertaken; with over 7,000 ships and landing craft, roughly 195,000 naval personnel, and more than 155,000 troops landing on the beaches that first day, it was a massive effort, with potentially dire consequences. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of all allied forces representing principally the armed forces from the United States, Great Britain, and Canada and the architect of the ambitious plan; it was he who made the fateful decision to go on the 6th.
Leaving no stone unturned General Eisenhower prepared a message to the men who were about to lead this attack and had it read to them prior to their departure. His message is worthy of hearing again; both to consider what he said, and how the fighting forces would have heard it. “Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”
Powerful words delivered to a mass of men who were about to enter a living hell. He didn’t sugar coat it, he reminded them of the savagery that awaited, and yet, he offered hope and a purpose. It is a mark of great leadership. I often wonder what it must have been like to be one of the men who was in the first wave and listened to the general’s parting message. They knew the odds and the dangers; they had all been instructed to write letters home, and get their insurance policies in place for surviving family; they had to look at those around them and wonder who in the group wouldn’t make it home; would they make it home? I have never faced anything remotely close to this; almost none of us have, so it is difficult to imagine how I would have reacted and what my feelings would have been. I don’t know for sure, but I am confident they had doubts and privately felt hesitant to put their life on the line, but they did it. All of them did it.
Defeating the grip of Nazi Germany had become a collective effort; something that was bigger than their own lives. But it wasn’t a given Operation Overlord would work. Mirroring the individual doubts of each man was an undeniable concern that the allied forces may not gain a sustainable beachhead. This fear was felt all the way to the top as evidence by the letter General Eisenhower wrote, but never sent, to the American people in case they invasion failed. “Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”
As we know, the invasion didn’t fail, June 6th, 1944 became a important day to remember and honor those who fought and died for their country and the freedom-loving nations of the world; 4,414 allied soldiers perished on that day, 2,501 of them were Americans. It was a day of great gain and many lives lost.
Tom Brokaw wrote a book titled “The Greatest Generation,” about the men who fought in Normandy and around the globe to save the world and then returned to pursue their own personal American dream. It is a noble title and a well-deserved descriptor for the bravest of the brave. I hope you will read this book and the countless others that tell the story great men of the era.
I was fortunate to meet one such hero from the D-Day invasion, John C. Whitehead. John enlisted in the Navy in 1943 after graduating from Haverford College with a degree in Economics and immediately became an ensign on the USS Thomas Jefferson. John piloted landing craft on D-Day and led five missions, under heavy fire, delivering troops to Omaha Beach. Whenever he was publicly introduced, the story of his heroics would be shared as part of his bio introduction. Predictably John would softly smile and slightly shake his head as he humbly heard the retelling of that fateful day. He didn’t want acknowledgment, he had done his job, and that was good enough. John would return to the states after repeating his heroics at D-Day in the Iwo Jima and Okinawa landings, to become the Chairman of Goldman Sachs and later the Founding Chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the group tasked with developing the 9/11 Memorial. When he was asked why he accepted the role he said “All New Yorkers have been asking what they can do to help. This is what I have been asked to do—and I have said, enthusiastically, ‘Yes.’”
It was the spirit of saying yes that led John and the others, who braved the morning of June 6th, 1944. Their bravery led to the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. Simply put, in the face of uncertainty, they moved the line forward and won the war’s most decisive battle.
80 years since this historic day, and I still am humbled by the sacrifice and courage of those who answered the call. Our world is better because of their willingness to fight, and I am grateful. For some, they never made it ashore, for others the five beaches of Normandy—Sword, Juno, Gold, Utah, and Omaha-- were where they took their final steps, and for the survivors of that day it was an important moment in a life well lived.
Despite not knowing their private stories, I feel no hesitation in calling them my heroes. They make me proud of what America stood for and what America is today. God Bless those men.
