D-Day

  • By mid-September 1944, the Allies had made substantial progress in their liberation of Western Europe following the successful Normandy landings in June. Operation Market Garden, launched on September 17, was a large-scale Allied offensive aimed at quickly advancing through the Netherlands, securing key bridges, and eventually entering Germany to end the war sooner. This operation

    Read more →

  • Overlord at 81-D-Day

    On Normandy’s shores ‘neath dawn’s pale light,Brave souls stormed forth to end the night.Steel met sand in thunder’s cry,While hopes and fears rode sea and sky. The tide of war began to turn,As freedom’s fire began to burn.Through blood and grit, the path was paved—By those who fought, the world was saved. Into the Jaws

    Read more →

  • (First published in 2019) Ireland remained neutral throughout World War II, but that is not to say there was no contribution from the Irish during the war. Many young Irish men did join the British army and also partook in Operation Overlord, more commonly known as D-Day. However, this blog is not about any of

    Read more →

  • A White Sea of Graves

    Beneath the whispering trees, they lie,In silent rows where poppies bloom,Their names inscribed against the sky,In fields that echo with the tomb. In foreign lands, on distant shores,Their stories linger, etched in stone,Brave souls who fought in global wars,Now rest in peace, their battles done. White crosses mark the endless sea,Of dreams cut short, of

    Read more →

  • First-hand accounts from soldiers who participated in D-Day provide a vivid and personal perspective on the events of June 6, 1944. These narratives capture the chaos, bravery, and camaraderie experienced by those who were there. Here are some notable accounts: Omaha Beach: Charles E. “Chuck” Shay Charles Shay, a Native American medic with the 1st

    Read more →

  • One of the men I owe my freedom is—LT Colonel Robert G. Cole. I do understand people will argue and say, “You were born a free man—long after World War II.” However, because of the sacrifice of men like Robert G. Cole, I was born a free man. Cole was born at Fort Sam Houston,

    Read more →

  • The Journey Home

    One thing about World War II I often wondered about was the transporting of injured troops back to the United States. The photo above shows the first American casualties from the Battle of Normandy arriving in the Eastern U.S. on 29 June 1944, after a 19-hour plane trip from the British Isles. The wounded—a U.S.

    Read more →

  • Free to Fish Again

    Something not much spoken about in the context of World War II is—after D-Day, how the slowly “normal” daily life resumed in France, especially in Normandy. By 25 July, with most German tanks drawn westward by the British Goodwood Offensive, the Americans faced a front almost denuded of armour—allowing dome freedoms to be—restored. 26 July

    Read more →

  • Although the tide had already turned for the Nazis , June 6-1944 was to become the final push for the allied troops to free Europe from the Nazi regime. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of former US President Theodore Roosevelt,was the only general on D-Day to land by sea with the first wave of troops. At

    Read more →

  • Only a few days ago we celebrated the 75th anniversary of D-Day. People often forget that D-Day did not mark the end of WWII, it merely marked the beginning of the end. So many sacrifices were still made in the days and months following D-Day. Thousands and thousands of mainly young men, some the same

    Read more →