Walking in their Footsteps: D-Day Landing

Omaha Beach

So this summer, I visited all the beaches of D-Day, a bucket list of mine for a very long time. I walked on the shores of Omaha, Utah, Sword, Juno, and Gold and the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc that Army Rangers had to climb to help D-Day be a success (Out of 500 Rangers, only 250 survived).

And as I stood on the s My long-standing fascination with World War II finds its roots in the stories of my Dad, an Argentinian Jew, who always shared how deeply grateful he was to America and the Allied forces who saved the world from Nazi Germany. So to stand on Omaha Beach, where 2,500 men gave their lives on the very sand I stood, filled me with profound humility.

As I walked along all the beaches with my family, I thought about the stories I had read, the movies I had watched, and the countless hours studying WWII and the D-Day landings. It is just impossible not to reflect on the immense bravery of all those young soldiers, some only 17 or 18 years of age, who surged onto those beaches with their courageous spirits guiding them through the unimaginable.

I thought about the planning for the invasion and the fear of failure that General Eisenhower must have felt as they set sail a day late because of the storm that delayed their attack for the 5th of June. As I walked, I could almost hear the sounds of gunfire and explosions and feel the fear and adrenaline of young American men as they fought for their lives. I visualized the absolute gauntlet they had to endure.

The Gauntlet

First, the dangerous descent into the water as gunfire rained on them, then the problematic wade to the beach out of the water while being loaded with about 80lbs of gear, some drowning because of the weight and then trying to evade intense machine gunfire and scramble for their life across a 100 to 200-yard stretch to find shelter behind the sandbar, while German artillery and Nazi machine gun nests continued to strike from above as if lightning was striking the ground every second on every inch of sand. But they persisted, surging forward until the beachfront was finally secured. It was the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany. 

And as I watched and listened to my children's laughter and joy ringing in the air as they played on the beach, I realized a profound and important Truth. The sacrifices made on those violent shores on June 6th, 1944, allowed my family to enjoy and play on these beaches. The legacy of those brave soldiers will resonate through generations, allowing other families to enjoy these beaches as my family did.

And as I stood there enjoying the sunset, I wondered if the spirits of those young and brave men who died on the beaches of Normandy, surrounded by the violent sounds of war, now lingered through the air enjoying the sounds of laughter, peace, and freedom.

Nothing gives you a better sense of the violence of that day, June 6th, 1944, than this opening scene of Saving Private Ryan.

"Never was so much owed by so many to so few."

- Winston Churchill

Images below are from all the beaches, Pointe Du Hoc, and the D-Day Cemetary.

The American Soldier Podcast

My recent interview with Chief Warrant Officer 5, Marine Gunner Mike Musselman, on The American Soldier Podcast. He was also known as Gunner. Gunner was Infantryman for 25 years of his 30 years with the Marine Corps. He has three combat deployments to Iraq and one to Afghanistan.