Operation OVERLORD andME
Presented by Don Luidens
Holland Professional Club
September 12, 2014
Friendlyques-on:
• Whyshouldanan--wardudelikemehavesuchafascina-onwithWorldWarIIingeneralandwithD-Dayinpar-cular?
DALDisserta-onnexttoJosephus!
I:ScaleofOpera-onOverlord
• Myfascina-onwiththesheerscaleofOpera&onOverlordwhichsubsumed
• Opera&onNeptune,thenavalsupport;• Opera&onTransporta&on,theaircover;• Opera&onFor&tude,thecovertmanipula-onofmisinforma-onwhichcenteredonCalaisandNorway)
StevenAmbrose
• 175,000troops
• 50,000vehicles
• 5,333ships
• 11,000airplanes
FromStephenAmbrose’sD-Day
• “Itwasasiftheci-esofGreenBay,Racine,andKenosha,Wisconsinwerepickedupandmoved–everyman,womanandchild,everyautomobileandtruck–totheeastsideofLakeMichigan,inonenight.”(1995:p.25)
Opera&onFor&tude:PhaseI
DovertoCalais
“FirstUSArmyGroup”(FUSAG)
Opera&onFor&tude:PhaseII
Norwayasco-target
175,000menonD-Day;2millionmorethroughNormandy
II:CrusadeagainstFascism
EisenhowerAddressesTroops
• hdp://www.history.com/speeches/eisenhower-broadcasts-d-day-invasion-order#eisenhower-broadcasts-d-day-invasion-order
III:HeroesAbound
12:01AMJune6,1944Bri-shParatroopersHitPegasusBridge
82ndand101stHitSt.MereEglise&St.MarieDuMont
St.MereEglisetodaywithmemorial
OmahaCrescentBeaches
Look-outand88-MortarBunkersoverlookingOmahaBeach
OmahaBeachonD-DayPlusOne
FloodedFields,Hedgerows,Ar-lleryAwait
IV:TheLegacyofWWII/D-Day
• ColonialWorldontheEveofWorldWarII
PostWorldWarIIMap
ModernCommediadell’Arte
BaileyBridgesandAfricanAmericanTroops
9,000HeroesLieinColevilleCemetery