The Daily Record
Remembering D-Day
The following is Sen. Ron Rabin’s (N.C. District 12) D-Day message which he delivered on the Senate floor Monday. Sen. Rabin is a retired U.S. Army colonel.
By SEN. RON RABIN
On January 24th 1943, in Casablanca, Morocco, U. S. President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met and agreed that the price to be paid by Germany and Japan for plunging the world into World War II would be their unconditional surrender.
In pursuit of that objective, on June 6, 1944, a day now known as D-Day, nearly 160,000 Allied troops from 12 nations landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. They landed at places called Utah, Omaha, Sword, Juno and Gold, and they conducted airborne operations at places called St. Mere Eglise.
On the eve of D-Day, General of the Armies Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces Europe sent a message to the invasion force that called for nothing less than full victory. It read, in part: “Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Military Force …” “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. …” “You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed …, and security for ourselves in a free world …” “Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened. He will fight savagely …” “I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory! …” “Good luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”
So, the soldiers of the “greatest generation” knew the objective of the war was the unconditional surrender of our enemies. They knew they were fighting for liberty and freedom. They knew the enemy was Germany and Japan. They knew the enemy was tough. They knew they had the support of the people of the United States of America. . And they knew the importance of prayer and God in our lives and to the preservation of our unalienable rights.
We have all seen movies and old newsreels of the events of D-Day. But only when you look at some of the data concerning the invasion – the largest airborne/seaborne invasion in history – can you get an idea of its staggering proportions.
Before the invasion, more than 13,000 bombs and uncounted rounds of naval gunfire were used to soften the 50 linear miles of the objective area. On D-Day, more than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the Allied invasion force of about 160,000 about two-thirds which were U.S. troops. For perspective, that makes the number of troops involved equal to nearly 80% of the population of Fayetteville, NC today.
Over 15,000 American troops parachuted or landed in gliders to seal off the Normandy beach area where about 60,000 American forces landed at Utah and Omaha beaches. It took the Germans 4-years to build Hitler’s “Atlantic” or “West Wall”. It took our troops at Utah beach about one hour to breech it and less than 1 day to do the same at Omaha Beach.
By day’s end, the Allies gained a foothold in Continental Europe. But the cost was high. In one day, the Allies suffered nearly 10,000 casualties including 4,414 who paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I could not find reliable data on U.S. casualties but if they were in proportion to the force, U.S. casualties were in the range of 6,500 with about 3,000 KIA. We owe them!
In all military operations once the shooting starts chaos follows. Such was the case during the initial landings at Normandy. To their great credit and because they were well trained and informed, most of the U.S. troops were able to adapt and get the job done – despite the fact that only 15% had previous combat experience. it is that ability to adapt and be creative that makes our soldiers the best in the world. Here are some D-Day comments from them: “At that time, we didn’t know it was D-Day … we just knew we had a job to do”.
“We didn’t ask questions … we took orders”.
“They didn’t tell us anything we didn’t need to know … heck! Some of the guys on our ship thought we were headed to Japan not Normandy.”
“Just 6 months earlier, we were in high school or working odd-jobs … we weren’t soldiers, at least not yet”.
On memorial day we remembered that since 1776, 1,190,000 Americans including those who sacrificed on D-day have given their lives so that we can continue to be the land of freedom and opportunity and continue to be the nation that inspires other nations and motivates immigrants to aspire to live here. We should also remember that unknown numbers sacrificed in mind and body in the same cause and we honor them as well. We owe them all for the sacrifice they made for us and our great nation.
We owe them, but the big question is: “How do we pay the debt?”
We can pay part of the debt by making an extra effort to keep America number one in this highly competitive world.
We can pay part of debt by resurrecting the fact that we are an exceptional Nation and by working to make it so.
We can pay part of debt by reestablishing the idea that winning is good and that rewarding excellence is basic to being competitive and successful in the real world. Think about the words “unconditional surrender” and “nothing less than full victory”. These words are about winning. D-Day was not about winning hearts and minds it was about winning. Ironically, we won their minds on the battlefield and their hearts followed making Germany and Japan great friends of America today.
We can pay part of debt by being sure that our government works for the people and does not get so large that the people begin to work for the government. This is critical to ensuring that we enjoy the very freedoms and liberties fought for by the DDay heroes and their predecessors and successors who sacrificed in all of our wars.
The final payment would require us to dust off the Great Seal of the United States and look closely at our Nation’s motto: “E Pluribus Unum”. Translation: Out of Many, One. An absolute statement of the need for national unity.
I was 12 years old on D-Day and can tell you for sure that the U.S. Forces at Normandy – the forces of the greatest generation – were united as a force and as a people. They were a product of such unifying events as WW I and the great depression. They were the product of a melting pot that fused fiercely proud Americans who were here with people who immigrated here to become patriotic Americans.
America no longer has that kind unity. Political spin and political correctness are partly responsible for some of the erosion. Secular progressives seeking political gain by dividing us by race, gender, income, ethnicity, ideology, socio-economic class and even religion have further eroded our unity. You name it and it has been used as a wedge to drive between us.
If you want to burn our flag, find a better one to live under. If you want to fly another flag, go there to live. “A house divided cannot stand”.
We cannot pay the debt we owe our fallen heroes in full if we remain a divided people and nation. We can only repay the biggest part of our debt if we rekindle the fire under the melting pot and start focusing on being Americans working in unity so that we can take up the torch to replace the greatest generation.
WE OWE THEM THAT!
Rabin
