Stryker Brigade News

Setting The Stage

"The plan for Operation Overlord entailed landing nine divisions of sea and airborne troops, over 150,000 men, along a 50-mile stretch of coast in just 24 hours.

On D-Day, three airborne divisions, one British and two American, would drop behind the landing beaches. Their job,seize beach exits, capture key transportation and communication points, and block German counterattacks.

Six divisions would assault the five landing beaches. Each beach had a code name. Utah Beach was assigned to the U.S. 4th Division. The US 29th and 1st Divisions would land at Omaha Beach. Further east, the British 50th Division would assault Gold Beach and the Canadian 3rd Division would attack at Juno Beach. The British 3rd Division would take Sword Beach." (Source)

The Words

Read the full text of General Dwight D. Eisenhower's Order of the Day on June 6, 1944.

If you prefer your speeches laced with a few more expletives, try General George S. Patton's D-Day address to his troops (consider yourself warned!).

Read President Roosevelt's D-Day Prayer.

The Details

The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans is likely the single best source of online information regarding Operation Overlord and the invasion of Normandy. The education section provides an excellent summary of events. Dr. Stephen Ambrose, the author of many bestselling books about WWII, founded the museum. Can anyone tell me why the museum is located in New Orleans?

Other sites of interest include Military History Online, The History Channel, and The History Net.

"First Wave At Omaha Beach" is the unvarnished account of Able and Baker Companies, 116th Infantry, 29th Division on D-Day. The article was written by S.L.A. Marshall, a combat historian with the Army.

Blackfive has posted an impressive collection of stories and essays examining many different aspects of the Normandy invasion.

D-Day veterans recall the days leading up to the invasion in this article.

The Washington Post has an excellent five-part series examining different aspects of WWII.
Part 1 - "Home Front's Call to Duty"
Part 2 - "Brutal Battle In the Forest"
Part 3 - "Employee Explosion Transformed Washington"
Part 4 - "Black Soldiers Battled Fascism and Racism"
Part 5 - "The Middle Class Rose, as Did Expectations"

The Anniversary

WWII 60th Anniversary - Official DOD website commemorating the anniversary. The site has a section devoted to D-Day as well as a links page with a wealth of information.

D-Day 60th Anniversary - The Army has created a multi-media presentation to celebrate the anniversary.

11 WWII paratroopers will recreate the airborne assault in Normandy on June 7th by parachuting into Ste. Mere Eglise. Remember, these guys are all in their 70's and 80's. Because of safety concerns the Pentagon will not allow them to participate in the festivities on June 6th, but the French government will allow them to jump a day later.

The Memorial

National WWII Memorial - Official website of the recently dedicated memorial in Washington, D.C. Browse photos, learn about the design and construction, or view a registry of veterans' names.

WWII Memorial Dedication - Official DOD website with photos of the memorial and stories from veterans.

Phil Carter visited the WWII Memorial recently and describes the experience. He also has some thoughts about the GI Bill (a WWII creation), which many believe is responsible for building the middle-class in this country.

The Washington Post also has a wonderful multi-media tribute titled, "WWII Remembered."

Volunteers from the Library of Congress spent Memorial Day weekend collecting 3,000 interviews with WWII veterans in an effort to capture their memories for posterity.