Today marks the sixty-ninth anniversary of D-Day, the Allied Invasion of Normandy in World War II and the largest amphibious military operation in history. Parachute drops over Normandy began in the early morning hours of June 6, and at 6:30 A.M. the land invasion commenced at five Normandy beaches. The Allied forces encountered light resistance at Gold, Juno, Sword, and Utah beaches. The battle to take Omaha Beach was a desperate fight, as 2000 troops lost their lives in the attempt. The tenacity of the combined Allied forces saved the day, and by evening all five beaches were under Allied control. Many regard D-Day as the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe.
Two movies that depict the bravery of the Allied forces on D-Day are The Longest Day (1962) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). The HBO mini-series Band of Brothers (2001) also has an episode detailing the Normandy Invasion.1
References:
1History.com, “June 6, 1944: D-Day”, D-Day – History.com This Day in History – 6/6/1944 (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/d-day: 6 June 2013).
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