That day 7,000 ships approached the shores of Normandy carrying 195,000 assault troops. Most of them were young Americans, Canadians and Brits. Almost all were less than 25 years old. The American troops for the most part were in their first combat ever. The young Americans with no combat experience landed on Utah and Omaha beaches, the two toughest beaches of the five where allies landed. It was a slaughter for those young men 4,414 American boys died on those two beaches. Of all the beaches assaulted, the German army had those two beaches zeroed in with machine guns and cannons. Many of those Americans were killed as or before they left the landing boats. It was a horror show.
The 101st airborne division was parachuted into Normandy sometime after midnight on the 6th of June, they too were mostly never before in combat. President Eisenhower expected 75 to 80% of those troops to die. The drops were scattered and much of the division was widely spread out in the night. Easy company lost most of their weapons before they hit the ground. Some of those men did not weigh 160 pounds but they parachuted out of the planes with that much gear on them. When the chutes opened their gear sheared off them and they landed with nothing but a parachute knife. They were so scattered no one knew where the rest were. Easy company had the task of knocking out 4 German artillery guns that were trained on Omaha beach. Just 12 men continued on their way toward those artillery pieces, picking up arms and ammo from corpses of their comrades. Those 4 artillery pieces were manned by 50 German soldiers. Those 12 (none ever in combat before) assaulted, overtook the German positions and killed all of them while they destroyed the 4 guns, one by one. This was the courage of young army men that did much to save that day.
The 101st airborne and Easy company went on to do several other dangerous missions in the days that followed. Their ranks were decimated on "D" day, their replacements were all young men never been in combat before, but they went on tirelessly when they parachuted into Holland months later and then they were sent to the battle of the bulge where they were surrounded and pounded by a superior number of German forces, but they continued to hold on no matter what the odds were. The 101 was sent to Bastone to reinforce those soldiers there. They were sent to Bastone without weapons, ammunition or winter clothing and that was just before Christmas in the worst winter in 50 years there. They were turned loose from army trucks short of the field of battle. They gathered weapons and ammo from troops leaving the scene there. They dug in on the perimeter of the Bastone defense and held the Germans back for days through constant artillery barrages and ground assaults.
The U.S. Marine corps has always had the image of being Americas finest fighting force. They are really tough, but army troopers, especially the 101 are in my opinion equals. The 101 has been to Iraq, Afghanistan and some are headed to Ukraine, still on the front lines today. I do not mean to discount the marine corps, it's more to give some great army troopers their due. One other outfit I want to credit is the army's 10th mountain division that has served in every theater of war from 1944 on. They were battling in the mountains of Italy while the Normandy invasion was going on. Taking those mountains back from the Germans was equally as vicious as was Normandy. I am proud to say our nephew Patrick has served for over a decade in the 10th. He was in Panama, Iraq 2 times and in Afghanistan. He has now retired after 23 years in the U.S. army.
Copyright Bill Weber 2006-2019 and beyond.
The 101st airborne division was parachuted into Normandy sometime after midnight on the 6th of June, they too were mostly never before in combat. President Eisenhower expected 75 to 80% of those troops to die. The drops were scattered and much of the division was widely spread out in the night. Easy company lost most of their weapons before they hit the ground. Some of those men did not weigh 160 pounds but they parachuted out of the planes with that much gear on them. When the chutes opened their gear sheared off them and they landed with nothing but a parachute knife. They were so scattered no one knew where the rest were. Easy company had the task of knocking out 4 German artillery guns that were trained on Omaha beach. Just 12 men continued on their way toward those artillery pieces, picking up arms and ammo from corpses of their comrades. Those 4 artillery pieces were manned by 50 German soldiers. Those 12 (none ever in combat before) assaulted, overtook the German positions and killed all of them while they destroyed the 4 guns, one by one. This was the courage of young army men that did much to save that day.
The 101st airborne and Easy company went on to do several other dangerous missions in the days that followed. Their ranks were decimated on "D" day, their replacements were all young men never been in combat before, but they went on tirelessly when they parachuted into Holland months later and then they were sent to the battle of the bulge where they were surrounded and pounded by a superior number of German forces, but they continued to hold on no matter what the odds were. The 101 was sent to Bastone to reinforce those soldiers there. They were sent to Bastone without weapons, ammunition or winter clothing and that was just before Christmas in the worst winter in 50 years there. They were turned loose from army trucks short of the field of battle. They gathered weapons and ammo from troops leaving the scene there. They dug in on the perimeter of the Bastone defense and held the Germans back for days through constant artillery barrages and ground assaults.
The U.S. Marine corps has always had the image of being Americas finest fighting force. They are really tough, but army troopers, especially the 101 are in my opinion equals. The 101 has been to Iraq, Afghanistan and some are headed to Ukraine, still on the front lines today. I do not mean to discount the marine corps, it's more to give some great army troopers their due. One other outfit I want to credit is the army's 10th mountain division that has served in every theater of war from 1944 on. They were battling in the mountains of Italy while the Normandy invasion was going on. Taking those mountains back from the Germans was equally as vicious as was Normandy. I am proud to say our nephew Patrick has served for over a decade in the 10th. He was in Panama, Iraq 2 times and in Afghanistan. He has now retired after 23 years in the U.S. army.
Copyright Bill Weber 2006-2019 and beyond.
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