Echoes of Valor: The D-Day Legacy

Honoring the 80th Anniversary through the Harrowing Tales of Those Who Lived It – An Excerpt from ‘Fifty Strong’ by John Maino

It is the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Everyone with Civic Media believes it’s important to keep sharing the stories from those who were there so long ago.

Please watch and listen to this excerpt from the book ‘Fifty Strong’ by John Maino, host of Maino and the Mayor.

The story may be triggering and contains some graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.

The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944, brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history.

View the order of the day as issued to the military on June 6, 1944, here.

The operation, given the codename OVERLORD, delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France. The beaches were given the code names UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO, and SWORD.

The invasion force included 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by more than 195,000 naval personnel from eight allied countries. Almost 133,000 troops from the United States, the British Commonwealth, and their allies, landed on D-Day.

Casualties from these countries during the landing numbered 10,300. By June 30, more than 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies had landed on the Normandy shores.

Fighting by the brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the allied forces western front, and Russian forces on the eastern front, led to the defeat of German Nazi forces.

German General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender at Reims, France on May 7, 1945.