The Greatest Generation

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction to the Battle of Normandy The Normandy Campaign The Itinerary Veterans Biographers The Museums The Organizations

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SUMMARY OF THE JOURNEY “I cannot but admit that the history of warfare knows no other like undertaking from the point of view of its scale, its vast conception, and its masterly execution…History will record this deed as an achievement of the highest order.” ~ Joseph Stalin, on the Normandy Invasion

The Greatest Generations Foundation and the College of Ozarks are proud to play its part in thanking the men and women of our past and present that have heard the call to arms in the defense of liberty. Their sacrifices have made it possible for all of us to enjoy the freedoms for which they shed their blood and gave their lives. What they have in common is that brotherhood and that shared experience. That is the cement that binds them over the years and none of them have been back to their battlefields.

These are very special people…real characters who have a unique perspective on the war…and we need to bring them back to the battlegrounds where they fought and bled, and record their thoughts and their emotions so that others can see what these Veterans did…and what they continue to contribute to our society today.

They are humble veterans seeking closure following an inconclusive decades of under-appreciation, but they all have a nagging desire to stand once more on the ground that represents a seminal experience in their lives. These men are the under-stated, under-appreciated heroes of our nation, and the nation rarely knows who they are or what they experienced. THEY ARE MEN OF THE GREATEST GENERATION. The Greatest Generations Foundation and the College of Ozarks has a unique opportunity on this battlefield tour to involve the historical expertise of Capt Dale Dye of Warriors Inc, the world’s premiere military advising company to Hollywood films. The quality of their work can be seen in such films as Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, and over fifty other projects. Our ability to collaborate with Capt Dye for this tour means that the documentation of the events will be of the highest quality and strongest emotional impact.

Together we will walk in the footsteps of the men who made this journey 65 years ago. We will retrace their steps beginning in England and follow them across the English Channel into France. This will be a learning experience unlike anything else and something that will stay with you for a lifetime. Enjoy it … earn it!

Timothy Davis The Greatest Generations Foundation

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Operation Overlord Overview Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of northwest Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation began with the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944 (commonly known as D-Day), among the largest amphibious assaults ever conducted. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on 6 June, and more than 3 million troops had landed by the end of August.

“The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory.� ~ General Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 6, 1944 Allied land forces that saw combat in Normandy on D-Day itself came from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Free French and Polish forces also participated in the battle after the assault phase, and there were contingents from Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, the Netherlands, and Norway. Other Allied nations participated in the naval and air forces. Once the beachheads were secured, a three-week military buildup occurred on the beaches before Operation Cobra, the operation to break out from the Normandy beachhead began.

The battle for Normandy continued for more than two months, with campaigns to establish a foothold on France, and concluded with the close of the Falaise pocket, the subsequent liberation of Paris on 25 August 1944, and the German retreat across the Seine, which was completed on 30 August 1944.

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Preparations for D-Day

In June 1940, German F端hrer Adolf Hitler had triumphed in what he called "the most famous victory in history", the fall of France. The British, although besieged, had been spared from annihilation when they evacuated 300,000 troops from Dunkirk.

United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill, in one of his famous speeches, would vow to invade France and liberate it from Nazi Germany.In a joint statement with Soviet Union Communist Party General Secretary Joseph Stalin and United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Churchill had announced a "full understanding" with regard to the urgent tasks of creating a Second Front in Europe in 1942. Churchill unofficially informed the Soviets in a memorandum handed to Molotov that the resources necessary for an invasion were lacking in 1942. However, the announcement had some effect as it caused Hitler to order preparations for an Allied descent on Europe.

The British, under Churchill, wished to avoid the costly frontal assaults of World War I. Churchill and the British staff favored a course of allowing the insurgency work of the Special Operations Executive to come to widespread fruition, while making a main Allied thrust from the Mediterranean Sea to Vienna and into Germany from the south, concentrating on the weaker Axis ally, Italy. Such an approach was also believed to offer the advantage of creating a barrier to limit the Soviet advance into Europe. However, the U.S. government believed from the onset that the optimum approach was the shortest route to Germany emanating from the strongest Allied power base (ie. Great Britain). They were adamant in their view and made it clear that it was the only option they would support in the long term. Two preliminary proposals were drawn up: Operation Sledgehammer, for an invasion in 1942, and Operation Roundup, for a larger attack in 1943, which was adopted and became Operation Overlord, although it was delayed until 1944.

The planning process was started in earnest after the Casablanca and Tehran Conferences with the introduction of British Chief of Staff of Supreme Allied Command (COSSAC) Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick E. Morgan with the aid of his American deputy, Maj. Gen. Ray Barker. The COSSAC and its operational elements were later absorbed into the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in November 1943-January 1944, led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

General Sir Bernard Montgomery was named as commander of the 21st Army Group, to which all of the invasion ground forces belonged, and was given charge of developing the invasion plan. In part because of lessons learned by Allied troops in the raid on Dieppe of 19 August 1942, the Allies decided not to assault a French seaport directly in their first landings. The short operating range of British fighters, including the Spitfire and Typhoon, from UK airfields greatly limited the number of potential landing sites, in order to maximize the possibility of air support. Geography reduced the choices further to two sites: the Pas de Calais and the Normandy coast.

Normandy presented serious logistical problems, not the least of which was that the only viable port in the area, Cherbourg, was heavily defended. Many among the higher echelons of command argued that the Pas de Calais would make a more suitable landing area on these grounds alone. Although the Pas de Calais was the shortest distance to the European mainland from the UK, it was the most heavily fortified and defended landing site. Normandy was hence chosen as the landing site.

Landings in force on a broad front in Normandy would permit simultaneous threats against the port of Cherbourg, coastal ports further west in Brittany, and an overland attack towards Paris and towards the border with Germany. Normandy was a less-defended coast and an unexpected but strategic jumping-off point, with the potential to confuse and scatter the German defending forces. At that stage, the COSSAC plan proposed a landing from the sea by three divisions, with two brigades landed by air. In total, 47 divisions would be committed to the Battle of Normandy: 19 British, 5 Canadian and 1 Polish division under overall British command, and 21 American divisions with 1 Free French division, totaling over a million troops.

On 7 April and 15 May, Montgomery presented his strategy for the invasion at St Paul's School. He envisaged a ninety-day battle, ending when all the forces reached the Seine, pivoting on an Allied-held Caen, with British and Canadian armies forming a shoulder and the U.S. armies wheeling to the right.

The objective for the first 40 days was to create a lodgment that would include the cities of Caen and Cherbourg (especially Cherbourg, for its deep-water port). Subsequently, there would be a breakout from the lodgment to liberate Brittany and its Atlantic ports, and to advance to a line roughly 125 miles (190 km) to the southwest of Paris, from Le Havre through Le Mans to Tours, so that after ninety days the Allies would control a zone bounded by the rivers Loire in the south and Seine in the northeast.

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Deception

In the months leading up to the invasion, the Allies conducted a deception operation codenamed Bodyguard, named by Churchill because “truth”, he stated, “deserves a bodyguard of lies.” This plan was directed at Hitler personally since he was the sole arbiter of Germany’s fate and was designed to support his pre-conceived ideas of how and where the invasion would take place.

The deception plan was designed to persuade the Germans that areas other than northern France would be threatened as well (such as the Balkans and the south of France). Then, in the weeks leading up to the invasion, in order to persuade the Germans that the main invasion would really take place at the Pas de Calais, and to lead them to expect an invasion of Norway, the Allies prepared a massive deception plan, called Operation Fortitude. Operation Fortitude North would lead the Axis to expect an attack on Norway; the much more vital Operation Fortitude South was designed to lead the Germans to expect the main invasion at the Pas de Calais, and to hold back forces to guard against this threat rather than rushing them to Normandy.

An entirely fictitious First U.S. Army Group (“FUSAG”), supposedly located in southeastern Britain under the command of General Lesley J. McNair and General George S. Patton, Jr., was created in German minds by the use of double agents and fake radio traffic. The reputation of General Patton as one of the top Allied commanders preceded him in the minds of the German military hierarchy and his link with this fictitious unit helped “sell” the Germans on the idea that FUSAG would be a key part of the invasion and that the invasion route would be farther east.

The Germans also had an extensive network of agents operating in the UK. Unfortunately for them, every single one had been “turned” by the Allies as part of the Double Cross System, and appropriate agents were dutifully sending back messages “confirming” the existence and location of FUSAG and the Pas de Calais as the likely main attack point.[35] Dummy tanks (some inflatable), trucks, and landing craft, as well as troop camp facades (constructed from scaffolding and canvas) were placed in ports on the eastern and southeastern coasts of Britain, and the Luftwaffe was allowed to photograph them. During this period, most of the Allied naval bombardment was focused on Pas de Calais instead of Normandy. The Allied Forces even went as far

as to broadcast static over Axis accessible radioways and convinced Germany to expend efforts to try to decode white noise, further leading Germany away from the upcoming Normandy invasion.

In aid of Operation Fortitude North, Operation Skye was mounted from Scotland using radio traffic, designed to convince German traffic analysts that an invasion would also be mounted into Norway. Against this phantom threat, German units that otherwise could have been moved into France were instead kept in Norway.

Operation Cover (June 2-5) used Eighth Air Force Missions 384,388, 389, & 392 to bomb transportation and airfield targets in Northern France and “coastal defenses, mainly located in the Pas de Calais coastal area, to deceive the enemy as to the sector to be invaded”.

The last part of the deception occurred on the night before the invasion: a small group of SAS operators deployed dummy paratroopers over Le Havre and Isigny. These dummies led the Germans to believe that an additional airborne assault had occurred; this tied up reinforcing troops and kept the true situation unclear.

On that same night, two RAF squadrons (No. 617 Squadron and No. 218 Squadron) created an illusion of a massive naval convoy sailing for the Cap d’Antifer (15 miles north of Le Havre). This was achieved by the precision dropping of strips of metal foil.

The foil caused a radar return mistakenly interpreted by German radar operators as a fleet of small craft towing barrage balloons.

The entire deception plan was aimed at supporting what the Germans believed they knew about the invasion. By knowing what the Germans believed to be true and then supporting those beliefs, the Allies gave the Germans the impression that their intelligence was correct. If the deception was to work it had to support the opinions already formed in the mind of the enemy; it must come from sources he trusts, and never be obvious.

This deception proved vital to the success of the invasion primarily because Hitler fell for it. It would be a full six weeks following D-Day before he was convinced that the beaches of Normandy was the invasion location. By then it was too late.

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Rehearsals and Security

Allied forces rehearsed their roles for D-Day months before the invasion. On 28 April 1944, in south Devon on the British coast, 749 USA soldiers and sailors were killed when German torpedo boats surprised one of these landing exercises, Exercise Tiger. The effectiveness of the deception operations was increased by a news blackout from Britain. Travel to and from the Irish Free State was banned, and movements within several miles of the coasts restricted. The German embassies and consulates in neutral countries were flooded with all sorts of misleading information, in the wellfounded hope that any genuine information on the landings would be ignored with all the confusing chaff.

In the weeks before the invasion, it was noticed that the crossword puzzles printed in the British Daily Telegraph newspaper contained a surprisingly large number of words, which were, codeword is relating to the invasion. MI-5 (the Security Service) first thought this was a coincidence, but when the word Mulberry was one of the crossword answers, MI-5 then interviewed the compiler — a schoolmaster Leonard Dawe — and were convinced of his innocence. According to National Geographic, in 1984 a former student of the compiler claimed that he had picked up the words while eavesdropping on soldiers’ conversations around the army camps and suggested their use in the puzzles. This assertion has not been independently verified, and Marc Romano, author of the book Crossword: One Man’s Journey into America’s Crossword Obsession, gives several reasons why the story is implausible.

There were several leaks prior to or on D-Day. Through the Cicero affair, the Germans obtained documents containing references to Overlord, but these documents lack all detail. Another such leak was Gen. Charles de Gaulle’s radio message after D-Day. He, unlike all the other leaders, stated that this invasion was the real invasion. This had the potential to ruin the Allied deceptions Fortitude North and Fortitude South. For example, Eisenhower referred to the landings as the initial invasion. The Germans did not believe de Gaulle and waited too long to move in extra units against the Allies.

armor from using them cross the river and disrupt the landings; second, to hold them against destruction by the retreating Germans so that they could be used by Allied armor and logistics as the invasion moved inland. The British amphibious assault units would attack through Sword and Gold Beaches. The United States had an airborne division and land units, which were to take Omaha beach, Pointe du Hoc and Utah Beaches. The Canadians would team up with British units to attack Juno Beach. The Invasion Fleet was drawn from eight different navies comprising of warships and submarines, split into the Western Naval Task Force (Rear-Admiral Alan G Kirk) and the Eastern Naval Task Force (Rear-Admiral Sir Philip Vian). Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay overall led the fleet.

Codenames The Allies assigned codenames to the various operations involved in the invasion. Overlord was the name assigned to the establishment of a large-scale lodgment on the Continent. The first phase, the establishment of a secure foothold, was codenamed Neptune, according to the Dday museum:”The armed forces use codenames to refer to the planning and execution of specific military operations. Operation Overlord was the codename for the Allied invasion of northwest Europe. The assault phase of Operation Overlord was known as Operation Neptune. (...) Operation Neptune began on D-Day (6 June 1944) and ended on 30 June 1944. By this time, the Allies had established a firm foothold in Normandy. Operation Overlord also began on D-Day, and continued until Allied forces crossed the River Seine on 19 August 1944.”

Allied Invasion Plan The British were to take an airborne assault on the River Orne. The British objective was to secure the Orne River bridges; first to prevent German

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German Preparations and Defenses Through most of 1942 and 1943, the Germans had rightly regarded the possibility of a successful Allied invasion in the west as remote. Preparations to counter an invasion were limited to the construction, by the Organisation Todt, of impressive fortifications covering the major ports. The number of military forces at the disposal of Nazi Germany, reached its peak during 1944 with 59 divisions stationed in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

In late 1943, the obvious Allied buildup in Britain prompted the German Commander-in-Chief in the west, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, to request reinforcements. In addition to fresh units, von Rundstedt also received a new subordinate, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Rommel originally intended only to make a tour of inspection of the Atlantic Wall. After reporting to Hitler, Rommel requested command of the defenders of northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands. These were organized as Army Group B in February 1944. (The German forces in southern France were designated as Army Group G, under General Johannes Blaskowitz).

Rommel had recognized that for all their propaganda value, the Atlantic Wall fortifications covered only the ports themselves. The beaches between were barely defended, and the Allies could land there and capture the ports from inland. He revitalized the defenders, who labored to improve the defenses of the entire coastline. Steel obstacles were laid at the high-water mark on the beaches, concrete bunkers and pillboxes constructed, and low-lying areas flooded. Given the Allied air supremacy (12,000 Allied aircraft against 300 Luftwaffe fighters, booby-trapped stakes known as Rommelspargel (Rommel’s asparagus) were set up on likely landing grounds to deter airborne landings.

These works were not fully completed, especially in the vital Normandy sector, partly because Allied bombing of the French railway system interfered with the movement of the necessary materials, and also because the Germans were convinced by the Allied deception measures and their own preconceptions that the landings would take place in the Pas de Calais, and so they concentrated their efforts there.

The Germans had nevertheless extensively fortified the foreshore area as part of their Atlantic Wall defenses (including tank top turrets and extensive barbed wire), believing that any forthcoming landings would be timed for high tide (this caused the landings to be timed for low tide). The sector which was attacked was guarded by four divisions, of which the 352nd and 91st were of high quality. The other defending troops included Germans who were not considered fit for active duty on the Eastern Front (usually for medical reasons) and various other nationalities such as conscripted Poles and former Soviet prisoners-of-war who had agreed to fight for the Germans rather than endure the harsh conditions of German POW camps. These “Ost� units were provided with German leadership to manage them.

Rommel proposed that the armored formations be deployed close to the invasion beaches. Von Geyr argued that the Panzer formations should be concentrated in a central position around Paris and Rouen, and deployed en masse against the main Allied beachhead when this had been identified. When the matter was brought to Hitler, he gave an unworkable compromise solution, giving three tank divisions to Rommel, and allowing Von Geyr to scatter the other tanks across Northern France and the Netherlands. The other mechanized divisions capable of intervening in Normandy were retained under the direct control of the German Armed Forces HQ (OKW) and were initially denied to Rommel.

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Weather Forecast A full moon was required both for light for the aircraft pilots and for the spring tide, effectively limiting the window of opportunity for mounting the invasion to only a few days in each month. Eisenhower had tentatively selected 5 June as the date for the assault. However, on 4 June, conditions were clearly unsuitable for a landing; wind and high seas made it impossible to launch landing craft, and low clouds prevented aircraft finding their targets.

The Germans meanwhile took comfort from the existing poor conditions and believed an invasion would not be possible for several days. Some troops stood down, and many senior officers were absent. Rommel, for example, decided to leave to attend his wife’s birthday observance. At a vital meeting on 5 June, Eisenhower’s chief meteorologist James Stagg predicted a slight improvement in the weather for 6 June. This was based on weather reports transmitted from the Captain class frigate HMS Grindall, which, since April, had been on station in mid-Atlantic transmitting weather reports every three hours, day and night. The officer responsible for sending the weather reports was Lieutenant H.R. Curry R.N.V.R. On 4 June, his weather reports indicated a ridge of high pressure behind a deep depression. He forecast that the ridge would move in an easterly direction to reach the south-west approaches late on 5 June and show an improvement in the weather, which up to that point had shown very strong winds, heavy rain and very rough seas, resulting from the passage of a deep depression. On this basis, General Eisenhower, after much consideration, decided to commence the invasion, despite opposition from some of his staff.

The Invasion To eliminate the enemy’s ability to organize and launch counterattacks during the amphibious assault phase, airborne operations were utilized to seize key objectives, such as bridges, road crossings, and terrain features, particularly on the eastern and western flanks of the landing areas. The airborne landings some distance behind the beaches were also intended to ease the egress of the amphibious forces off the beaches, and in some cases to neutralize German coastal defense batteries and more quickly expand the area of the beachhead. The U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were assigned to objectives west of Utah Beach.

The British 6th Airborne Division was assigned to similar objectives on the eastern flank. 530 Free French paratroopers from the British Special Air Service Brigade, were assigned to objectives in Brittany from 5 June to August.

New Technologies The Allies had previously suffered defeat at the hands of the Axis, therefore new technologies were developed for Operation Overlord. Seeing as Operation Overlord was to be a beach assault, many of these technologies were of navy origin. One notable technology was known as a mulberry, which was a prefabricated concrete harbor which was entirely mobile, perfect for all the ships needed to assault Normandy.

Furthermore fuel was to be an important necessity for the attack. In order to ensure a constant supply of fuel, PLUTO was developed. PLUTO, or the Pipe-Line Under The Ocean was a line which ran under the English channel to ensure the fuel could be sent in a more safe manner. Finally some technologies were designed but never actually implemented, such as combining sea-ice with sawdust in order to provide landing strips on the water for aircraft. This never actually was implemented due to impracticality and failing tests.

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The Beaches On Sword Beach, the regular British infantry came ashore with light casualties. They had advanced about 8 kilometers (5 mi) by the end of the day but failed to make some of the deliberately ambitious targets set

by Montgomery. In particular, Caen, a major objective, was still in German hands by the end of D-Day, and would remain so until the Battle for Caen, 8 August.

The Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach faced heavy batteries of machine-gun nests, pillboxes, other concrete fortifications, and a seawall twice the height of the one at Omaha Beach. Despite the obstacles, the Canadians were off the beach within hours and advancing inland. The Canadians were the only units to reach their D-Day objectives, although most units fell back a few kilometers to stronger defensive positions.

At Gold Beach, the casualties were also quite heavy, because the Germans had strongly fortified a village on the beach. However, the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division overcame these difficulties and advanced almost to the outskirts of Bayeux by the end of the day. The linkup with commando units securing the Porten-Bessin gave the Allies a base to deploy their PLUTO pipeline, the first part of Operation Tombola.

The Americans who landed on Omaha beach faced the veteran German 352nd Infantry Division, one of the best trained on the beaches. Omaha was the most heavily fortified beach, and the majority of landings missed their assigned sectors. Commanders considered abandoning the beachhead, but small units of infantry, often forming ad hoc groups, eventually infiltrated the coastal defenses. Further landings were able to exploit the initial penetrations and by the end of the day two isolated footholds had been established.

The tenuous beachhead was expanded over the following days, and the original D-Day objectives were accomplished by D+3.

At Pointe du Hoc, the task for the 2nd Ranger battalion (James Earl Rudder) was to scale the 30 meter (100 ft) cliffs under enemy fire and grenades with ropes and ladders, and then destroy the guns there. The beach fortifications themselves were still vital targets since a single artillery forward observer based there could have called down accurate fire on the U.S. beaches. The Rangers were eventually successful, and captured the fortifications. They then had to fight for 2 days to hold the location, losing more than 60% of their men.

Casualties on Utah Beach, the westernmost landing zone, were the lightest of any beach, with 197 out of the roughly 23,000 troops that landed. Although the 4th Infantry Division troops that landed on the beach found themselves too far to the southeast, they landed on a lightly defended sector that had relatively little German opposition, and the 4th Infantry Division was able to press inland by early afternoon, linking up with the 101st Airborne Division.

Once the beachhead was established, the Mulberry Harbors were made operational around 9 June. One was constructed at Arromanches by British forces, the other at Omaha Beach by American forces. Severe storms on 19 June interrupted the landing of supplies and destroyed the Omaha harbor. However, the Arromanches harbor was able to supply around 9,000 tons of materiel daily until the end of August 1944, by which time the port of Cherbourg had been secured by the Allies. Despite this, the German 21st Panzer division mounted a concerted counterattack, between Sword and Juno beaches, and succeeded in nearly reaching the channel. Stiff resistance by anti-tank gunners and fear of being cut off caused them to withdraw before the end of 6 June. According to some reports, the sighting of a wave of airborne troops flying over them was instrumental in the decision to retreat.

The Allied invasion plans had called for the capture of Carentan, St. Lô, Caen, and Bayeux on the first day, with all the beaches linked except Utah, and Sword (the last linked with paratroopers) and a front line 10 to 16 kilometers (6–10 mi) from the beaches. In practice, none of these had been achieved. However, overall the casualties had not been as heavy as some had feared (around 10,000 compared to the 20,000 Churchill had estimated), and the bridgeheads had withstood the expected counterattacks.

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Casualties The cost of the Normandy campaign was high for both sides.

From D-Day to 21 August, the Allies had landed 2,052,299 men in northern France. The Allies lost around 209,672 casualties from June 6 to the end of August. Around 10 % of the forces landed in France. The casualties’ breaks down to 36,976 killed, 153,475 wounded and 19,221 missing. Split between the Army-Groups; the Anglo-Canadian Army-Group suffered 16,138 killed, 58,594 wounded and 9,093 missing for 83,825 casualties.

The American Army-Group suffered 20,838 killed, 94,881 wounded and 10,128 missing for 125,847 casualties. To these casualties it should be added that no less than 4,101 aircraft were lost and 16,714 flyers were killed in direct connection to Operation Overlord. Thus, total Allied casualties rise to 226,386 men. Seventy Eight Free French SAS (Special Air Service) killed, 195 wounded in Brittany from 5 June to the beginning of August. For Allied tank, losses there are no direct number. A fair estimate is that around 4,000 tanks were destroyed, of which 2,000 were fighting in American units.

The German casualty figures remain unclear. Estimates of the German casualties range from 288,000 men to 450,000 men. Just in the Falaise Gap the Germans lost around 50,000 men both killed and wounded. The majority of the German casualties consisted of POWs as nearly 200,000 were captured during the closure of the battle. The Germans committed around 2,300 tanks and assault guns to the battle in Normandy, and only around 100 to 120 were brought back across the Seine. The overwhelming majority of the German tanks destroyed were put out of action by the Allied air force, while very few of the Allied tank losses were inflicted by the Luftwaffe.

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THE NORMANDY CAMPAIGN

The Allies fighting in Normandy were a team of teams – from squads and crews through armies, navies and air forces of many thousands. See below summaries of critical periods during their campaign, and for the opportunity to explore unit contributions in greater detail.

- 6 JUNE ~ D-Day - 7-13 JUNE ~ Linkup - 14-20 JUNE ~ Struggle In The Hedgerows - 21-30 JUNE ~ The Fall Of Cherbourg - 1-18 JULY ~ To Caen and Saint-Lô - 19-25 JULY ~ Caen Falls - 26-31 JULY ~ The Operation Cobra Breakout - 1-13 AUGUST ~ Exploitation And Counterattack - 14-19 AUGUST ~ Falaise And Orleans - 20-25 AUGUST ~ The Liberation Of Paris

6 JUNE ~ D-Day Shortly after midnight the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions jumped into Normandy to secure bridgeheads and beach exits in advance of the main amphibious attack. Beginning at 0630 the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions stormed ashore at Omaha Beach against fierce resistance. Beginning at 0700 the 4th Infantry Division overwhelmed less effective opposition securing Utah Beach, in part because of disruption the airborne landings had caused. By day’s end the Americans were securely ashore at Utah and Commonwealth Forces at Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches. The hold on Omaha Beach was less secure, as fighting continued on through the night of 6-7 June.

7-13 JUNE ~ Linkup The 1st, 2nd and 29th Infantry Divisions attacked from Omaha Beach and were expected to expand the beachhead and link up with their allies. The 1st linked up with the British and pushed forward to Caumontl’Êventé against weakening resistance. The 29th fought its way south and west and linked up with forces from Utah Beach, while the 2nd attacked alongside both and secured the interval between them. The 101st Airborne Division seized Carentan after fierce fighting, and the 82nd Airborne Division, subsequently reinforced by the 90th Infantry Division, faced similarly tough opposition expanding bridgeheads across the Merderet River. The 4th Infantry Division battled its way along the coastline towards Montebourg, while Commonwealth Forces beat off fierce counterattacks around Caen. Behind the expanding beachhead an unrelenting buildup of troops and supplies continued.

14-20 JUNE ~ Struggle In The Hedgerows Emphasis shifted to over-running the Cotentin Peninsula and isolating the port of Cherbourg. The 9th, 79th and 90th Infantry Divisions and the 82nd Airborne Division attacked west from the Utah beachhead to cut the peninsula in two. Then the 90th and 82nd swung south to block potential counterattacks while the 9th and 79th Divisions swung north towards Cherbourg. The 4th Infantry Division continued its attacks along the east coast to close on Cherbourg as well.

The 101st Airborne Division and 30th Infantry conducted limited attacks and sustained an active defense securing Carentan and the vital link between forces operating in the Cotentin Peninsula and the rest of the expanding beachhead. The 29th and 2nd Infantry Divisions pushed through tough resistance towards Saint-Lô, while the 1st Infantry Division secured the right flank of Commonwealth Forces engaged in heavy fighting around Caen. The 2nd Armored Division served as a mobile reserve and dispatched subordinate elements to reinforce the attacks of sister units.

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21-30 JUNE ~ The Fall Of Cherbourg Allied offensives focused on Cherbourg and Caen. The 9th, 79th and 4th Infantry Divisions battled their way through formidable fortifications and fierce resistance to seize Cherbourg. The port itself fell on the 27th, and residual resistance had been mopped up by the end of the month. Meanwhile the 1st, 2nd, 29th, 30th and 90th Infantry Divisions and the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions sustained aggressive defenses in their sectors, protecting the rear of the attack on Cherbourg, furthering the attrition of the Germans, and covering the build-up for the breakout offensive.

The 2nd Armored Division continued as a mobile reserve, dispatching reinforcements to divisions in the line as necessary. The 3rd Armored Division and 83rd Infantry Divisions arrived and deployed, with the 83rd replacing the 101st at Carentan. Commonwealth attacks near Caen drew off the lion’s share of German armored forces, and forced them to deploy piecemeal rather than make concerted counter-attacks.

1-18 JULY ~ To Caen And Saint-Lô Breakout from Normandy required infantrymen fighting through a dense and difficult perimeter of marshes and bocage to reach ground suitable for mechanized warfare. In the American sector, such ground ran roughly from Coutances through Saint-Lô to Caumontl’Êventé. The 79th and 90th Infantry Divisions, supported for a time by the 82nd Airborne Division and then by the 8th Infantry Division, battled down the west coast to seize La Haye-du-Puits and approach Coutances. The 83rd and 4th Infantry Divisions battered their way forward from Carentan to the outskirts of Périers.

The 9th and 30th Infantry Divisions opened a route from Carentan to Saint-Lô, while the 2nd Infantry Division seized Hill192 overlooking Saint-Lô from the east. The 35th and 29th Infantry Divisions fought to the outskirts of Saint-Lô, and the 29th forced its way into the city itself. The 2nd, 3rd and the newly arrived 4th Armored Divisions supported these offensives with detachments and the 1st and then the 5th Infantry Divisions conducted aggressive defenses around Caumontl’Êventé. By 18 July the American Army was clear of the worst of the marshes and bocage, and suitably positioned for mechanized warfare. To their east Commonwealth Forces fought their way into Caen. The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions withdrew to England to prepare for further airborne operations.

19-25 JULY ~ Caen Falls Commonwealth Forces launched a major offensive that seized the rest of Caen and drew off the last of the much depleted German mobile reserves. Meanwhile the Americans positioned themselves for a major breakthrough attack, code-named COBRA. 2,500 planes would drop 5,000 tons of bombs within a six-milesector of the German front west of Saint- Lô. Following this “carpet bombing” the 9th, 30th and 4th Infantry Divisions would attack through the breach and secure a rupture in the German front, after which the 1st Infantry and the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions would pass through them to exploit deep into the German rear.

To the west of the rupture the 79th, 8th, 90th and 83rd and newly arriving 28th Infantry Divisions would force the attack against the now outflanked Germans, and the 4th, 6th and newly arriving 5th Armored Divisions would exploit through them into Brittany and beyond. To the east of the rupture the 29th, 35th, 2nd and 5th Infantry Divisions would wheel east on line with the developing envelopment as it gathered momentum. At 1100 on 25 July the carpet bombing commenced. The Battle for Normandy had ended; the Battle for France had begun.

26-31 JULY ~ The Operation Cobra Breakout A Canadian diversionary attack southeast from Caen on July 25th had drawn German reserves into a major counterattack, while carpet bombing south of Saint-Lô with more than 4,200 tons of munitions stunned the Germans in that sector. After a day of hard fighting the German line crumpled, and American armored columns pushed through the wreckage at an ever accelerating pace. Coutances fell on the 28th and Avranches on the 30th.

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1-13 AUGUST ~ Exploitation And Counterattack An American corps led by two armored divisions sped past Avranches and quickly overran Brittany, forcing the few German units there not already committed to Normandy into fortified coastal enclaves. Further mobile columns pushed through the Avranches gap and swung south and east, some hooking towards Argentan to entrap Germans remaining in Normandy while others pushed towards Le Mans for a deeper penetration. A desperate German counterattack at Mortain attempted to break through to the sea and split the Allies in two, but was turned back after fierce fighting.

14-19 AUGUST ~ Falaise And Orleans The Polish armored division serving with General Bernard Montgomery’s Army Group linked up with the Americans near Chambois on 19 August, closing the Falaise pocket and trapping over 50,000 Germans within it. Tens of thousands more had been killed in the fighting or lost their equipment in the pursuit. In Brittany, Saint-Malo fell on the 17th and Brest, Lorient and Saint-Nazaire went under siege. General George S. Patton’s Third Army pushed on towards Paris, seizing Orleans on the 16th and forcing the Seine River at Mantes on the19th. The Allies poised for yet another encirclement of German forces and destroyed many others in the course of the pursuit.

20-25 AUGUST ~ The Liberation Of Paris The Allied advance encircled yet another group of fleeing Germans southeast of Rouen, and then closed to the Seine, seizing additional river crossings as they did so. Free French uprisings contested Paris with the occupying forces. Allied forces pushed on into Paris, liberating the city on 25 August. The French 2nd Armored Division made a triumphal entry into Paris that day, in the midst of wildly ecstatic crowds. Meanwhile other Allied columns pushed on past Paris, hoping to entrap or overrun further German forces in a general pursuit to the German border. Allied forces had landed in southern France on 15 August, and pushed rapidly northwards to join those who had come ashore through Normandy.

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THE ITINERARY

SATURDAY, MAY 30, DAY ONE –“WASHINGTON DC TO LONDON, ENGLAND” We shall journey over to the National World War II Memorial for a private service. The memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world.

It will inspire future generations of Americans, deepening their appreciation of what the World War II generation accomplished in securing freedom and democracy. Above all, the memorial stands as an important symbol of American national unity, a timeless reminder of the moral strength and awesome power that can flow when a free people are at once united and bonded together in a common and just cause.

After the World War II memorial, the group will proceed to Arlington National Cemetery for a private tour. More than 300,000 people are buried at Arlington Cemetery. Veterans from all the nation’s wars are buried in the cemetery, from the American Revolution through the Iraq and Afghanistan. Pre-Civil War dead were reinterred after 1900. We will also visit the Tomb of the Unknowns (also known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) which is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and in any weather by Tomb Guard sentinels.

Evening departure from Washington Reagan (DCA) to London (LHR) England with Delta Airlines.

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SUNDAY, MAY 31, DAY TWO –“WELCOME TO LONDON, ENGLAND” Welcome to London, England. This morning we will journey up to the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial site in Cambridge, England. The Cambridge American Cemetery lies on a slope with the west and south sides framed by woodland. The cemetery contains the remains of 3,812 of our military dead; 5,127 names are recorded on the Tablets of the Missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Most died in the Battle of the Atlantic or in the strategic air bombardment of northwest Europe.

From the flagpole platform near the main entrance, the great mall with its reflecting pools stretches eastward. It is from the mall that the wide, sweeping curve of the burial area across the green lawns is best appreciated. Along the south side are the Tablets of the Missing, and at the far end is the memorial with its chapel, two huge military maps, stained-glass windows bearing the state seals and military decorations, and mosaic ceiling memorial to the dead of our air forces.

We will head to Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire. Famous for its aeroplane collection, Duxford also has a Land Warfare Hall that houses tanks, vehicles and artillery from the First World War to the Gulf War. Duxford’s American Air Museum contains Duxford’s collection of American military aircraft from First World War biplanes to supersonic jets. It also serves as a memorial to the US airmen who lost their lives flying from British bases during the Second World War. Although most famous for its aero plane collection, Duxford also has a Land Warfare Hall that houses tanks, vehicles and artillery from the First World War to the Gulf War. Duxford has regular large air displays, which generally include Second World War fighters and bombers from many different nations, a variety of military jets, commercial aeroplanes and display teams such as the Red Arrows.

Late afternoon, we will continue our journey north to East Anglia to the U.S. Air Force Base Mildenhall.

The U.S. Air Force Base Mildenhall will serve as our home for the next three days. The U.S. Air Force Base Mildenhall was activated as the 100th Air Refueling Wing, host wing at RAF Mildenhall, England, Feb. 1, 1992. Since its reactivation, the 100th ARW has served as the lone air-refueling wing for U.S. Air Forces in Europe. The diverse mission of aerial refueling, special operations, air mobility, reconnaissance and intelligence makes RAF Mildenhall a unique U.S. Air Force base.

The entire group will gather for an evening welcome reception with introductions all around with the Commanding Officers of Mildenhall.

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MONDAY, JUNE 1, DAY THREE – “THORPE ABBOTTS -THE AIRMEN OVER EUROPE” During World War II, the Eighth Air Force was a United States Army Air Forces command and control organization, which primarily carried out strategic daytime bombing operations in Western Europe from airfields in eastern England from 1942 through the end of the war in 1945. Together with Sergeant Homer Goodman and Captain Harold Steinberg, we will honor the airmen who served with the Eighth Army Air Corps with a memorial service at Thorpe Abbotts, home of the “Bloody One Hundredth” Bomb Group.

During June 1943 to January 1944 the 100th Bomb Group concentrated its efforts against airfields, submarine facilities and aircraft industries in France and Germany.

During this time the Group was involved in the epic air battles over Regensburg-Aug.17, 1943 (for which it received it first Presidential Unit Citation) and Black Week-October 8-14, 1943 (Bremen, Munster, Marienburg and Schweinfurt-nicknamed “Black Thursday” because the 8th Air Force lost 60 bombers). Following the memorial service, we will tour through the bomb group museum, which is located in the old control tower and the surrounding buildings.

In the afternoon, we will continue our Airmen tour with a short five-mile drive to the 95th Bomb Group. The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for maintaining a tight defensive formation in spite of severe assault by enemy fighters and bombing the aircraft assembly plant at Regensburg on 17 August 1943. Withstanding concentrated attacks by fighters during the approach to the target and intense antiaircraft fire directly over the objective, the group effectively bombarded marshalling yards at Münster on 10 October 1943, being awarded a 2d DUC for the performance. The unit participated in the intensive campaign of heavy bombers against the German aircraft industry during Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944. The group received a 3rd DUC for action during an attack by Army Air Force bombers on Berlin on 4 March 1944. While many participating organizations, because of weather conditions, either abandoned the operation or struck other targets, the 95th proceeded to Berlin and successfully bombed a suburb of the German capital despite snowstorms, dense clouds, and severe enemy attack.

The 95th interrupted its strategic operations to strike coastal defenses and communications during the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. The group hit enemy troop concentrations and thus assisted the Allied breakthrough at St Lo in July 1944. The unit dropped ammunition, food, and medical supplies to Polish troops in Warsaw on 18 September 1944, and attacked enemy transportation during the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 - January 1945 and bombed airfields in support of the Allied assault across the Rhine in March 1945.

In an effort to learn from each other, learn from our veterans and to slow down from all the running and touring during the day, we’ll be holding one-hour ROUNDTABLE sessions from 730pm-830pm in the evenings at a location TBD. It will give everyone a chance to interact with each other, share thoughts, feelings and ask questions. During this time we’ll also get a chance to have our veterans address the group and talk about whatever they’d like to share. We’ll also be able to address the group and brief everyone on the following day’s activities, dress codes, meeting times, etc.

Evening will be spent with a short ROUNDTABLE session followed by a World War II movie “MEMPHIS BELLE” or “12 O’CLOCK HIGH”. Sgt. Goodman and Capt. Steinberg will be invited to speak

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TUESDAY, JUNE 2, DAY FOUR – “BATTLE OF BRITAIN” This morning we will journey into London to experience a city tour focusing on the bombing of London during World War II. Our first stop of the day will be a private tour of the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. The Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms is a museum in London and one of the five branches of the Imperial War Museum. The Cabinet War Rooms are an underground complex that had been used as an operational command and control centre by the British government throughout the Second World War. Located beneath the Treasury building in the Whitehall area of Westminster, the facilities were abandoned in August 1945 after the surrender of Japan.

We will continue our journey with a special visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral. The Cathedral is home to the American Memorial Chapel and honors American service members and women who died in World War II, and was dedicated in 1958. The roll of honor contains the names of more than 28,000 Americans who gave their lives while on their way to, or stationed in, the United Kingdom during the Second World War. The group will enjoy lunch in Trafalgar Square, site of the 1945 Victory in Europe Day also known as (VE-Day). Following lunch, we will continue to take in the sites of Buckingham Palace, The Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, and Piccadilly Circus site of the famous road junction and public space of London’s West End in the City of Westminster.

In the afternoon, we will drive down to the seaside village of Portsmouth. If time permits, we will visit the award winning D-Day Museum. The museum’s unique and dramatic film, which includes original historic footage and archive film, is an equally moving experience. The D-Day Museum was opened in 1984 to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of D-Day. Its centrepiece is the magnificent Overlord Embroidery commissioned by Lord Dulverton of Batsford (1915-92) as a tribute to the sacrifice and heroism of those men and women who took part in Operation Overlord. The Museum was extended in 1994 for D-Day 50. The Dulverton Wing is a multi-purpose space which is used amongst other things for lectures, exhibitions and work with schools.

In the evening, we board the cross-channel ferry for our journey to Normandy, France

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, DAY FIVE “BRITISH AND CANADIAN BEACHES” On arrival to Caen France, our tour begins where the first shots were fired, at the crucial Pegasus Bridge.

On the night of 5/6 June 1944, a force of 181 men, led by Major John Howard, landed in six Horsa gliders to capture Pegasus Bridge, and also “Horsa Bridge”, a few hundred yards to the east, over the Orne River. The force included elements of B and D Companies, 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, a platoon of B Company, Royal Engineers, and men of the Glider Pilot Regiment. The object of this action was to prevent German armour from crossing the bridges and attacking the eastern flank of the landings at Sword Beach. Five of the Ox and Bucks’s gliders landed 40 yards from their objectives at 16 minutes past midnight.

The attackers poured out of their battered gliders, completely surprising the German defenders, and took the bridges within 10 minutes. They lost two men in the process, Lieutenant Denholm Brotheridge and Lance-Corporal Fred Greenhalgh. Lieutenant Brotheridge thus became the first member of the invading Allied armies to die in combat on D-Day. One glider, assigned to the capture of Horsa Bridge, landed at the bridge over the River Dives, some 7 miles off. Most of the soldiers in this glider moved through German lines towards the village of Ranville where they eventually rejoined the British forces. The Ox & Bucks were reinforced half-an-hour after the landings by 7th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment and linked up with the beach landing forces with the arrival of Lord Lovat’s Commandos.

Afternoon, we continue traveling down the coast through Sword, June and Gold Beach’s. Sword Beach was the codename of one of the five main landing beaches in Operation Neptune, the initial assault phase of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. Stretching 8 km from Ouistreham to Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer it was the furthest east of the landing points and around 15 km from Caen. The initial landings were achieved at low cost, but the British forces ran into heavily defended areas behind the beachhead. The British landings were the only Allied sectors that faced German Panzer Divisions on 6 June 1944.

Six hundred and thirty men were killed and wounded during the sword beach landings.

Juno Beach was the second most heavily defended of the five landing sites chosen. General Wilhelm Richter was in charge of the 716th Division guarding the beach, with 11 heavy batteries of 155 mm guns and 9 medium batteries of 75 mm guns at his disposal. Additionally, pillboxes and other fortifications were present all along the beach, most heavily concentrated in the Courseulles-sur-Mer region. The seawall was twice the height of Omaha Beach’s, and the sea was heavily mined. It was situated between Sword Beach and Gold Beach. It is also known as the Canadian beach, as it was assigned to the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division (with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade). Juno Beach stretched from Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer on the east to Courseulles-sur-Mer on the west. Both assault formations were placed under the command of British I Corps for the initial phase of the invasion, and did not come under Canadian command again until July 1944 and the establishment of II Canadian Corps headquarters in Normandy. 739 casualties were reported from June beach with 340 dead.

On Gold Beach, the primary D-Day objectives were for the 50th Infantry Division to establish a beachhead between Arromanches (crucial for the deployment of the artificial Mulberry harbour) and Ver-sur-Mer and then head south towards Route Nationale 13 (RN 13) reaching Bayeux and cutting the road to Caen. The 231st and 69th Infantry Brigades were to be first ashore and establish a beachhead. The follow-up 56th and 151st Brigades would aim to push south-west towards RN 13 supported by the tanks of the 8th Armoured Brigade. To the west, the 47 Royal Marine Commando’s mission was to capture Port-en-Bessin and link-up with American forces landing on Omaha Beach. The 50th Infantry Division would also aim to head east to meet the Canadian troops coming from Juno Beach. There were 400 casualties reported from Gold Beach.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, DAY SIX “82ND & 101ST AIRBORNE AND UTAH BEACH” We travel east to St. Mere Eglise, the first town to be liberated and made famous in the film “The Longest Day”. The American airborne landings in Normandy were the first United States combat operations of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy by the Western Allies on June 6, 1944. Roughly, 13,100 paratroopers of the U.S. 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne Divisions made night parachute drops early on D-Day, June 6, followed by 3,937 glider troops flown in by day. As the opening maneuver of Operation Neptune (the assault operation for Overlord) the American airborne divisions were delivered to the continent in two parachute and six glider missions.

Both divisions were part of the U.S. VII Corps and provided it support in its mission of capturing Cherbourg as soon as possible to provide the Allies with a port of supply. The specific missions of the airborne divisions were to block approaches into the vicinity of the amphibious landing at Utah Beach, to capture causeway exits off the beaches, and to establish crossings over the Douve River at Carentan to assist the U.S. V Corps in merging the two American beachheads.

As returning veterans Wilson Colwell, Alvin Henderson and John Cipolla will explain, the assault did not succeed in blocking the approaches to Utah for three days. Numerous factors played a part, most of which dealt with excessive scattering of the drops. Despite this, German forces were unable to exploit the chaos. Many German units made a tenacious defense of their strong points, but all were systematically defeated within the week.

From St. Mere Eglise, we travel down the causeway to Utah Beach. The landings on Utah Beach were added to the invasion plan towards the end of the planning stages, when more landing craft became available. Despite being substantially off course, the U.S. 4th Infantry Division (part of the VII corps) landed there with relatively little resistance, in contrast to Omaha Beach where the fighting was fierce.

Utah beach, about 3 miles (5 km) long, was the westernmost of the five landing beaches, located between Pouppeville and the village of La Madeleine, which became the right flank anchor of the allied offensive along the left bank of the Douve river estuary.

Whilst en-route to Utah Beach we visit the monument to members of Easy Company of the 506th, portrayed in the Band of Brothers who were killed when their C47 was shot down near Ste Mere Eglise, and visit Brecourt Manor, made famous by the “Band of Brothers.” Returning veterans Buster Simmons and William Simpkins will talk about their experience coming ashore on Utah Beach. We also visit the northern stretches of the beach where General Patton’s army came ashore later in the battle.

The final port of call for the day will be a visit to the German Battery at Azeville and other German Defense posts. Situated on the east coast of the Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy, the German coastal battery - Stützpunkt 133 - had a 170 men garrison, and four blockhouses with 105 mm heavy guns. On 6 June 1944, it was unsuccessful in repulsing the Allied Forces landing on Utah Beach; indeed, the guns were at their maximal range. In the evening of 7 June, the 4th Infantry Division was pinned down by Azeville and Crisbecq-Saint-Marcouf defences. On 8 June, the assaults of the 22nd Regimental Combat Team broke against battery of Azeville. In the meantime, at the request of his commander, Azeville battery opened fire on Crisbecq-Saint-Marcouf blockhouses, to drive back American infantry penetrations.

But, Azeville was encircled and shelled, then attacked with flame thrower, the battery fell on 9 June.

In the evening, ROUNDTABLE 730-830PM. 101st Airborne Vets will be invited to speak

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FRIDAY, JUNE 5, DAY SEVEN “THE ATLANTIC WALL AND POINT-DU-HOC” For the first time in 65 years, today, German, British and American World War II veterans come together to commemorate the 65th Anniversary of D-Day at the LaCambe cemetery. The German war dead from the Normandy campaign were scattered over a wide area, many of them buried in isolated or field graves - or small battlefield cemeteries. In the years following WW2, the German War Graves Commission, Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, decided to establish six main German cemeteries in the Normandy area, with the one here at La Cambe started in 1954. During this period, the remains of more than 12,000 German soldiers were relocated to LaCambe from 1,400 locations in the departments of Calvados and the Orne. The cemetery was finished in 1961, and inaugurated in September of that year.

Since this date, more than 700 soldiers have been found on the battlefield, and are now buried here. In total, there are 21,222 German soldiers commemorated here, of which 207 unknown and 89 identified are now buried in a kamaradengraben (or mass grave) below the central tumulus.

After lunch, together with the German and British veterans, we shall journey over to a forgotten German Gun Battery in Normandy, part of Hitler’s Atlantic Wall in Normandy near Omaha Beach - has been unearthed 60 years after the war, and it is about to re-write the story of D-Day. At Pointe du Hoc (often spelled as its Parisian French name “Pointe du Hoe” in official Army documents), the Germans had built, as part of the Atlantic Wall, six casemates to house a battery of captured French 155mm guns. With Pointe Du Hoc situated between Utah Beach to the west and Omaha Beach to the east, these guns threatened Allied landings on both beaches, risking heavy casualties in the landing forces. Although there were several bombardments from the air and by naval guns, intelligence reports assumed that the fortifications were too strong, and would also require attack by ground forces. The U.S. 2nd Ranger Battalion was therefore given the task of destroying the strongpoint early on D-Day. Prior to the attack, the guns were moved approximately 1 mile away. However, the concrete fortifications were intact, and would still present a major threat to the landings if they were occupied by artillery forward observers. The Ranger Battalion commanders and executive officers knew the guns had moved, but the rest of the Rangers were not informed prior to the attack. The popular perception that the guns were “missing” on D-Day may be attributed to this decision not to inform the troops prior to the attack.

The Ranger battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Earl Rudder. The plan called for the three companies of Rangers to be landed by sea at the foot of the cliffs, scale them using ropes, ladders, and grapples under enemy fire, and engage the enemy at the top of the cliff. This was to be carried out before the main landings. The costliest part of the battle for the Rangers came after the cliff assault.

Determined to hold the vital ground, yet isolated from other assault forces, they fended off several German counterattacks over the next two days, until reinforced from Omaha Beach. The original plans called for an additional, larger Ranger force of eight companies to follow the first attack, if successful.

Flares from the clifftops were to signal this second wave to join the attack, but because of the delayed landing, the signal came too late, and the other Rangers, mostly of the U.S. 5th Ranger Battalion, landed on Omaha instead of Pointe du Hoc. The added impetus these 500+ Rangers provided on the stalled Omaha Beach landing has been conjectured to have averted a disastrous failure there, since they carried the assault beyond the beach, into the overlooking bluffs and outflanked the German defenses. At the end of the 2-day action, the initial Ranger landing force of 225+ was reduced to about 90 men who could still fight. One of the battleships who helped the battalion was the USS Texas (BB-35).

In the evening, ROUNDTABLE 730-830PM. Sgt. Simpkins with the 4th ID will be invited to speak

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SATURDAY, JUNE 6, DAY EIGHT “BLOODY OMAHA - 65th ANNIVERSARY” We will spend the morning at Omaha Beach where the Americans took the German fortifications after a stupendous fight. Losses were especially high in the first wave of landings and by the battle’s end; nearly a quarter (2,400) of all casualties suffered during the invasion took place here. We will study the battlefield; cross the beach, analyze the maps and imagine the courage that saved our freedom that day.

We will also pay our respects (at the hundreds of crosses and stars of David) to the fallen Americans with a private service with American World War II veterans. We will also experience Omaha Beach with a boat ride via Port-en-Bessin. (Please Note: this all depends on the tide-charts) In the afternoon, we will attend the official International commemoration events on Omaha Beach with the United States and European Government Officials. Please Note: At the time of planning this itinerary, the President of the United States schedule has not been release to the general public. Our schedule will most likely change to benefit the Presidential schedule.

Omaha Beach Sector 2.30 p.m: American Cemetery - Ecumenical religious service - Laying of wreaths 3.30 p.m: Saint Laurent sur Mer at the Signal Monument - Laying of wreaths

Utah Beach Sector 5.00 p.m: Sainte Marie du Mont and the Federal Monument US - Raising of Colours - Official Speeches - Laying of wreaths - March Past 6.30 p.m: Sainte Mère Eglise at the Signal Monument - Laying of wreaths - Church concert

In the evening, ROUNDTABLE 730-830PM. Sgt. Simmons Medic, 30th ID will be invited to speak Page/22

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, DAY NINE “EIGHT HUNDRED YARDS OF HELL” This morning we start the day attending early service in St Lo, followed by a short drive into La Fiere to witness the 65th Anniversary Commemorative Airborne Drop with soldiers of the United States military. The commemorative airborne drop is comprised from United States, and NATO soldiers that are actively serving in today’s military.

La Fiere is a famous little village located outside St-Mere-Eglise were paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division landed in the fields at night through a torrent of gunfire into the swamped Normandy countryside. Known as the bloodiest small-arms battle in the history of U.S. warfare, hundreds were killed before they landed. Many drowned. La Fiere Causeway relives the horrific fight that opened a route to victory for troops storming Utah Beach on D-Day. Those who survived faced a deadly and vital mission. They had 800 yards of hell to cross. They were outnumbered and outgunned. Their only passageway: a narrow, elevated road surrounded by floodwater. As the hours and days passed, the water turned to blood in a battle of no turning back. Victory would bore a hole into Nazi-occupied France. It all came down to the heart, courage and will of heroes like PFC Charles DeGlopper, Gen. James Gavin, 1st Lt. John “Red Dog” Dolan, Private Bob Murphy and Lt. John Marr who could be found everywhere on D-Day. After lunch, we will set out for Paris. During our drive to Paris, we will make a short d-tour visit the small village of Graignes. The story of Graignes remains one of the least told but most dramatic battles of all World War II..

Shortly after 2:00 am on D-Day, twelve planeloads of paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion 507th PIR were scattered throughout the marshes south of Carentan. They were supposed to have been dropped eighteen miles to the northwest at drop zone “T” near Amfreville, but instead they ended-up in the vicinity of the village of Graignes. Theirs was the worst misdrop of any airborne unit on June 6, 1944. After sunrise, several small groups of these men slogged their way out of the marsh, gravitating toward the small agrarian community whose XIIth century Roman Catholic church was silhouetted against the rising sun. Because the troopers were deep behind enemy lines and far from their drop zone, the decision was made to remain where they had landed and defend Graignes. The episode that would unfold in this obscure little village over the course of the next five days stands as one of the most dramatic and tragic of the entire Normandy campaign.

Check into the Novotel Paris Vaugirard Montparnasse for two nights. Please refer to hotel section below for contact information.

In the evening, ROUNDTABLE 730-830PM. Tech Sgt. Williams Kamsler (102nd ID) will be invited to speak

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MONDAY, JUNE 8, DAY TEN – PARIS We begin our day with a tour of the Louvre museum which will concentrate on 3 world-famous masterpieces: the Venus of Milo, the Victory of Samothrace and the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci at the beginning of the 16th century. Then you will be free to visit the other parts of the world’s biggest museum. We will enjoy lunch at the Arch of Triumph. The excursion will carry on in the afternoon for a visit of Notre-Dame Cathedral. The tour will also include the, the Champs-Elysees, the Concorde, the Eiffel Tower and Saint-Germain-des-Pres.

TUESDAY, JUNE 9, DAY ELEVEN - BACK TO THE UNITED STATES Morning departure for Paris Charles DeGaulle Airport back to the United States via London, England.

HOTELS ENGLAND United States Military Base – Mildenhall.

NORMANDY ETAP HOTEL - Mlle LEPROVOT Elodie 151, Boulevard Strasbourg Parc de l’Europe 50 000 Saint-lô Tel: 0892.70.02.37 PARIS Novotel Paris Vaugirard Montparnasse 257 Rue de Vaugirard 75 015 PARIS Tél: 01.40.45.12.91

FLIGHTS WASHINGTON DC TO LONDON, ENGLAND Delta Flight:1134, 30th May 2009, Depart: DCA 559P - JFK 736P Delta Flight:1, 30th May 2009, JFK Depart: 830P - LHR 925A PARIS, FRANCE TO WASHINGTON DC Delta Flight: TBD Delta Flight: 4, 09 JUN 2009, Depart: LHR1005A - Arrive: DCA 530P

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THE MUSEUMS

CHURCHILL MUSEUM - Location: London England

The Cabinet War Rooms, now known as the Churchill Museum, were constructed in 1938 and were heavily used by Winston Churchill during World War II. Engineered as a bunker, the facility was equipped with a steelreinforced “roof”. However, the Cabinet War Rooms were vulnerable to a direct hit and were abandoned not long after the war.

D-DAY MUSEUM - Location: Portsmouth, England The Museum The D-Day Museum was established in 1984 to tell the story of Operation Overlord from its origins in the dark days of 1940 to victory in Normandy in 1944. The Museum’s centerpiece is the Overlord Embroidery. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, it is a moving tribute to the efforts and sacrifices of the Allies in defeating Nazi Germany.

MEMORIAL ‘PEGASUS’ MUSEUM - Location: Caen – Normandy The capture of this bridge over the Caen Canal was vital to the success of the British airborne assault on D Day and the story of the glider attack that achieved this has become one of the most famous of the day. The original bridge was replaced when the canal was widened but it may still be seen in the excellent Airborne Museum nearby.

BAYEUX TAPESTRY MUSEUM - Location: Bayeux – Normandy Famous throughout the world the Bayeux Tapestry (French: Tapisserie de Bayeux) is a 50 cm by 70 m (20 in by 230 ft) long embroidered cloth which explains the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion of England as well as the events of the invasion itself. The Tapestry is annotated in Latin. It is presently exhibited in a special museum in Bayeux, Normandy, France.

MUSEE-AIRBORNE - Location: St-Mere-Eglise, Normandy The museum tells the story of the American parachute landings early on the morning of D-day, and is interestingly built on the house that was destroyed by fire early on the morning of D-day. The museum house many important relics of the liberation, including a DC3 transport aircraft used on D-day. In another hall is a WACO glider that was used to transport the glider troops into Normandy later on morning of 6th June. In the grounds there is a Sherman tank & several other historic vehicles & guns.

1944 MUSEUM - Location: Utah Beach – Normandy The Utah Beach Landing Museum is set up at the site of the U.S. landing on the 6th of June, 1944. The Utah beach museum is built on three German bunkers that formed part of the Resistance Nest, known as WN5. The museum tells the story of the D-day landings, which took place just in front of the museum, and a good view and understanding of landings can be had with the help of models dioramas. On display are a two DUKS and a German Goliath.

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THE ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF OZARKS Founded in 1906 by an early missionary, College of the Ozarks is a Christian, independent, co-educational four-year Work College. Located near the tourist Mecca of Branson, Missouri, the College’s 1,400 students pay no tuition, but rather work at one of 80 campus workstations; the College openly discourages debt. College of the Ozarks offers bachelor’s degrees in 47 programs of study, including a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The College has received national recognition for academic excellence and debt-free education for students. Central to the institution, since its beginning, has been providing a Christian education to young people from the Ozarks who are deserving, yet financially unable to procure such training.

The vision of College of the Ozarks is to develop citizens of Christ-like character who are well-educated, hard-working, and patriotic. To achieve this vision, the College has academic, vocational, spiritual, cultural, and patriotic goals. An education of the heart, head, and hands is essential at College of the Ozarks. Emphasis on good character and strong Christian principles is part of everyday life.

ABOUT THE GREATEST GENERATIONS FOUNDATION The Greatest Generations Foundation is an IRS 501 (c)(3) International nonprofit educational organization committed to documenting and preserving the stories of our country’s combat Veterans by providing the opportunity for veterans to revisit their sites of their battlefield campaigns FREE of charge to the veterans.

The Greatest Generations Foundation is dedicated to Honor veterans for their timeless and selfless dedication to duty, which has ensured our freedoms that endure today, educating generations, young and old to the extraordinary history of sacrifice and the noble accomplishments of brave men and women, as they revisit their former battlegrounds. Their sacrifices have made it possible for all of us to enjoy the freedoms for which they shed their blood and gave their lives, while remembering and reflecting on those who gave for their nation, their full measure of devotion, so that the lives they gave were not in vain.