JUNE 6th, 1944------NEVER FORGET

Sixty-five years ago this evening, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt lead the Nation in prayer and to announce that the liberation of Europe, code-named Operation Overlord but known to history as D-Day, had begun in the early morning hours of that day....



It was formally titled "Operation Overlord", but is known to history as "D-Day" because the decision to go had had to be delayed 3 times due to bad weather over the English Channel.

It involved Troops from England, Canada, the United States, free-France, Poland, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, and Greece.

It officially began late in the night of June 5th, 1944, when some 822 aircraft, carrying Paratroopers and/or towing gliders, left Bases in England for France. This would only be a small part of the more than 13, 000 Allied aircraft, and Flight Crews, that would take part.

It comprised a Naval armada of 500 Naval vessels, including escorts and bombardment ships; 2,500 support ships; and 3, 000 landing craft from: the Royal Navy, which included ships and Sailors from Canada; the U.S. Navy; the Royal Australian Navy; the Royal Navy of Norway; and the Royal New Zealand Navy.

It involved a plan to land these Troops on 5 beaches, code-named: Juno, Gold, Sword, Omaha, and Utah.

It was planned to have all Allied Troops make their landing at their appointed beaches at the appointed times, break German forces, and have all Units meet up at appointed targets by the afternoon......or the early evening of June 6th, at the latest.

It had problems of logistics, egos among Allied Commanders, bad weather, and high numbers of fatalities and wounded.

It began the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe and didn't end until the German surrender on May 8th, 1945.

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We owe such a debt to those Allied Troops. A debt that ensures that what they endured will never be forgotten. A debt that is repaid whenever we take a moment to say, "Thank You" to men whose step may be slower...whose eyes may take longer to focus......but who ask for nothing EXCEPT for us to never forget them and their fellow Troops.

To all those who fought, who died, and to their families, I say THANK YOU and ask that God may bless you always.......just as he blessed 7 men who fought, recovered from their wounds, and returned home to their grateful families: 2 who fought in the Royal Canadian Army, 1 who fought in the British Army, 1 who fought in the Royal Air Force, 1 who fought in the Royal Canadian Air Force, 1 who fought in the U.S. Army Air Force and later the U.S. Air Force, and 1 who fought in the U.S. Navy.