One And Done : The Experience Of The Normandy Day

The United States has been involved in many wars throughout its history. However, World War II was by far the most horrific war the United States has been a part of, and the battle of Normandy is one of the most strategically thought out battles of all time. (Hine, 11)

"We stood around awaiting orders of some kind. General Quarters sounded and I started for my battle station in secondary aft. As I passed through casement nine I noted the gun was manned and being trained out. The men seemed extremely calm and collected. I reached the boat deck and our anti-aircraft guns were in full action, firing very rapidly. I was about three quarters of the way to the first platform on the mast when it seemed as though a bomb struck our quarterdeck. I could hear shrapnel or fragments whistling past me. As soon as I reached the first platform, I saw Second Lieutenant Simonson lying on his back with blood on his shirt front. I bent over him and taking him by the shoulders asked if there was anything I could do. He was dead, or so nearly so that speech was

As I arrived at the next safe spot, I said "See? That worked well. Lets do it again!" I started to unload and gave him his signal. He ran, I ran. He ran, I ran. We continued that method until he reached the wall of the bunker. He stepped out a foot, gave me the signal, and I ran my final run to the bunker. As I was running I pulled the pin, and chucked the ovoid object through the bar across the front of the bunker where no concrete was. I ran into the wall below it, crouched and covered my ears. I felt the explosion rattle my lungs and opened my eyes and looked up. There was a German soldier hanging, dead, half-in, half-out of the bunker, covered in soot from the explosion of the

World War II is one of the most historical wars in world history. There were many battles and many horrible acts committed. The Battle of Normandy, A.K.A D-Day, and Attack on Pearl Harbor were two of the many battles turning points.

This story brings back some harsh truths about warfare, and explains why so many naïve young men joined up, only to suffer deaths well before their time.

Immediately following the set containment pieces 3rd squad moved to continue clearance of the objective. The squad was on line as they moved uphill and crested a knoll during the clearance. As they crested the knoll, backlit by the high illumination, the squad took fire from multiple enemies firing positions, including a bunker and a machine gun nest. During the initial bursts by the enemy on the squad, Sergeant Ryan Olech and Specialist Dick Dallas were struck. Sergeant Olech suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso, biceps, and back while Specialist Dallas was shot in the helmet and body armor. At least one round tore through Spc. Dallas’s helmet through his NVG mount knocking him unconscious. As Sgt Olech lay wounded, unable to fight, Sergeant Kyle Oswald single handedly returned fire, eliminating several enemies. Spc. Dallas was able to displace to my location somewhat removed from the immediate fire. As Sgt Oswald continued to engage and suppress the enemy, my platoon sergeant, SFC Crouch moved to and pulled Sgt Olech from the immediate fire where he could be treated for his immediate life threatening wounds. Simultaneously, the isolation and containment elements of the platoon massed fires on known, likely, and suspected enemy positions in order to facilitate the retrieval of SGT

Operation Overlord was an attack in Normandy, France in WWII orchestrated by the U.S, Great Britain, and Canada. The purpose of the attack was to free France from Nazi rule. Having only one day for preparation was a chore to work around; Especially with having too little men, a precise landing schedule on an area with bare minimum landing space, all combined with the absolute brutality of Nazi Germany. Luckily the attack was successful and it started an uprising in Europe, as well as a turning point for the war.

The sounds of the aircraft's flying past the camp woke up Alex and I. I was nervous about are training so I asked Alex if he was ready to shoot a gun. Sgt Miller yelled “Rise and Shine magots.” Everyone in the sleeping quarters woke up to the yelling. Sgt Miller wanted us to get dressed and meet him at the gun range. Alex and I got their last. Sgt Miller handed me and Alex a M1A1 Carbine, the gun weighed a ton. Sgt Miller told everyone to go to a target and get ready to shoot. Alex and I were getting in position to shoot. Sgt Miller yelled “Fire.” Alex hit the left arm of the paper target. I hit right in the middle of the head. Sgt Miller said to me “Kevin shoot again for me.” I shoot again and it hit right in the middle of the head again.

The Battle of Normandy was the turning point in Europe; moreover, it was also conceived, by most, the beginning of the end of World War II. The Strategic objective of “Operation Overlord”, the code-name given to the invasion, was to enter the continent of Europe and undertake operations aimed at the heart of Germany and the destruction of her armed forces. The Allies fought and won battles using intangible armies, and furthermore, they gained the advantage in a battle of minds. The Allied leaders developed a deceptive plan called Fortitude North, with the purpose of keeping Hitler from moving the thirteen army divisions that he had stationed in Norway, Denmark, and Finland. More than a million German soldiers were occupied on the eastern

The sound of Mg42 machine gun bullets hit the boat; Pocketa, Pocketa, Pocketa. “Go, Go, Go”,yelled Wilson. The platoon jumped out of the the boat with fear and uncertainty. What did their future hold in store for them. The men dived into the water and got to the beach gasping for air. “Sir, we got a man down”, screamed

One, where was Frank, and two, it seemed much quieter than we’d expected from the German defenses. I then saw tracer shells light up the night all around me. I saw my old “friend” Frank fire several more shells before deploying his emergency eject. He had given up my position and turned to the side of the Germans. I sat there for a few more seconds recovering from my shock, but then that shock turned to white hot anger. I could not believe that Frank would do such a thing! Then, as I began to wonder about why he had done it, the first flak burst hit near my plane. It terrified me to no end, and at that moment, I almost gave up and accepted my fate. I then remembered my other friends and paratroopers. I had to win this for them, for Tom, and for all of the other lives that were already lost in the assault. I turned my plane around and began the maneuvers that I had been taught to evade flak fire. Somehow, the flak kept finding me. One of my engines was hit directly, and I realized that I would have to jump. Terror gripped me as I desperately looked for the emergency parachute. I then realized that an earlier burst must have destroyed it. My eyes then fell on Tom’s torn parachute. By now, the plane had begun a shallow dive which I had no control over, and I did not have much time. I jumped out of the cockpit and ran to the parachute. The plane then hit massive turbulence and I fell over. I crawled to the

Invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day or Operation Overlord, was a cross channel attack planned by the allies that took place over the English channel. Not only was D-Day the largest amphibious assault the world had seen, it was a critical point in World War II. (Locke, Alain, ed. Pg 203)

I look around the hill to my left and see five rebels standing in a circle talking. Palmer points to the bush on the other side of the muddy grave yard and tells me to run when he says. Five minutes pass and I’m stilling waiting for Palmer to tell me to run. I peek back around the hill and see the five men approaching us. I take the AK off of my shoulder and aim it near a rebel’s foot. I fire and the rebels go scattering behind their trucks. We take off across the graveyard as my feet get sucked into the mud every step. We randomly shoot behind us and they hide behind their trucks every time.

D-Day is a name for the day that Allied Forces invaded Normandy which was controlled by Nazi Germany at the time during World War One. The original date to invade was June 5, 1944, but it was postponed to the next day on June 6, 1944. Thousands of glider troops and paratroopers were already on the ground behind enemy territory, exit roads and securing bridges. It started at 6:30 in the morning. About 4000 Allied troops during this invasion died . On June 11, their beaches were completely fortified and more than 326,000 troops, over 50,000 vehicles and around 100,000 tons of equipment landed at Normandy.

Our friendlies on the bridge took advantage of this distraction and moved up in their own jeeps, catching the unsuspecting Germans by surprise. Those that could run, ran, and those that couldn’t were cut down one by one. The Germans that managed to escape regrouped at a small cluster of decrepit buildings on the edge of the forest.