The invasion of Northwest Europe by the Allies, code-named Operation Overlord, saw more than 2 million troops land on French soil between D-Day and late August; hundreds of thousands of casualties and tens of thousands of deaths, constituted one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history.
Men of the 16th Infantry Regiment seek shelter from German machine-gun fire in shallow water
behind "Czech hedgehog" beach obstacles, Easy Red sector, Omaha Beach.
© Robert Capa/Magnum Photos.
When soldiers of the 16th Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division landed at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, photographer Robert Capa, in the employ of LIFE magazine, was among them.
Perhaps the best known of all World War II combat photographers, the Hungarian-born Capa had made a name for himself well before climbing into a landing craft with men of Company E in the early morning hours of D-Day. He risked his life on more than one occasion during the Spanish Civil War and had taken what is considered the most eerily fascinating of all war photographs. The famous image reportedly depicts the death of Spanish Loyalist militiaman Frederico Borrell Garcia as he is struck in the chest by a Nationalist bullet on a barren Iberian hillside.
It's D-Day, and as Van pointed out to me, it doesn't get much press anymore. WE are here because THEY were there. We owe these men so very much.
On Their Way
A convoy of U.S. ships, protected by barrage balloons, sails on its way toward the coast of Normandy
Waiting for Reinforcements
Allied troops on Normandy Beach, many falling down with wounds or from exhaustion, wait for reinforcements on June 6, 1944.
He Died for France
French fishermen look at the bodies of soldiers killed during the D-Day landing in this Robert Capa photo. Capa said he felt "a new kind of fear" on D-Day that made him tremble as he shot pictures.
Ike and Monty Review the Troops Before D-Day
Please view the rest of the D-Day pictures.
What follows is Ike's message to the troops on the eve of D-Day. It is an historical document of great import that is all but overlooked. Much thanks to Van, who every year sends me a wonderful D-day email. Great Americans chill at Atlas.
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!
Full text here.
Ike's message to the troops-audio
A sign outside Trinity Church in New York City invites worshippers to pray for the troops during the invasion of Normandy
The cemetery at Normandy Beach. Look at the American sacrifice to fight evil. The aerial view really shows the scale of all those crosses and the Normandy beach.
