D-Day; The Cost of Freedom

Muskegon GOP
12 minutes ago
3 min read

by Michelle Hazekamp

June 6, 2025

The Greatest Military Operation of All Time

Today marks the 81st anniversary of the greatest military operation of all time, D-Day, when during WWII many of our young men in uniform joined forces with England and Canada for an allied assault on the beaches of Normandy, France, and would face fierce opposition by the German Army. Also referred to as "Operation Overlord," it took over a year to prepare and was the largest military operation by air, sea and land to date. Too many gave the ultimate sacrifice, while others would fight onward to see the final victory. As we reflect on the legacy of this day and the heroes who conquered this great feat, we are reminded of what our freedom's have cost to maintain.

Getting a Foothold on the Western Front

Although by this time the Russian counteroffensives had pushed back the perimeter of Hitler’s Europe in the east, the Nazi's and their allies still controlled the whole of mainland Europe, except for neutral Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, and Sweden. It was crucial for the Allies to get a foothold in France, who had been occupied by German forces since May, 1940, and open a second front in Western Europe, thereby relieving pressure on Russia in the Eastern Front, and thereby surround the German armed forces. By landing in Normandy, the Allies were able to push eastward and liberate Europe.

The Armada

In the early hours of June 6, 1944, 822 aircraft, carrying parachutists or towing gliders, roared overhead to the Normandy landing zones; a fraction of the air armada of 13,000 aircraft that would support D-Day. The seaborne units began to land about 6:30 AM;. the British and Canadians landing on Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches with light opposition, and the Americans at Utah Beach.. The U.S. 1st Division at Omaha Beach, however, encountered heavy attacks by machine gunners as the troops waded ashore, and the landing at Omaha was threatened to fail. Dedicated local leadership eventually got the troops inland—though at a cost of more than 2,000 casualties.

That morning, an, armada of 3,000 landing craft, 2,500 other ships, and 500 naval vessels, escorts and bombardment ships, containing 156,000 troops, left the ports of England, crossing the English Channel towards the French coast. More than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded in those first 24 hours, but D-Day is largely considered the successful beginning of the end of Hitler's tyrannical regime.

Liberation Day

Once the beaches had been secured by U.S., British and Canadian forces, troops pushed inward fighting the German offenses with the Airborne and tank divisions pushing in from the opposite direction, liberating the French towns along the way. After 10 weeks of intense fighting, the Allies proceeded to Paris. On August 25, the German city commander in Paris, Dietrich von Choltitz, surrendered to the French Resistance and to Jacques-Philippe Leclerc, the 2nd Armoured commander. On August 26 Gen. Charles de Gaulle, head of the Free French, made a triumphal parade down the Champs-Élysées to Notre-Dame Cathedral, where a mass of victory was celebrated.

What was Happening on the Pacific Side of the War?

In the meantime U.S. forces were fighting the Japanese in the Pacific after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and on June 5th, the Pacific forces completed the first mission by B-29 Super fortress bombers, as 77 planes bombed Japanese railway facilities at Bangkok, Thailand. Then on June 15th, U.S. Marines and Army troops, supported by a massive fleet, invaded Saipan in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific.

The Cost of Freedom

Liberation had come at a high cost; more than 200,000 dead, wounded, and missing from the Allied armies and more than 300,000 from the German forces. French civilian losses numbered more than 12,000. U.S. casualties in the Pacific amounted to over 16,000, with nearly 3,000 killed during The Battle of Saipan.

The Longest Day

D-Day is often referred to as the "longest day" due to the immense scale and complexity of the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II. D-Day was a crucible of courage that forged the path to victory in World War II. The men who stormed the beaches of Normandy exhibited unparalleled bravery, facing a storm of bullets and the uncertainty of what lay beyond the shoreline. Their sacrifices and determination turned the tide of the war, marking a pivotal moment in history.