(Lead photo – Monica Jorge/New York Times) – June 6th will mark the 75th anniversary of a seminal moment in world history. It was on that day, three quarters of a century ago, that the greatest invasionary force ever assembled landed in Normandy, France and took the fight to Nazi Germany on the continent of Europe. It was a combined effort like nothing the world had ever seen before. Land, air, and sea. Thousands of vessels, airplanes, and mechanized contraptions were involved in getting people onto the land and engaging the enemy on the literal bleeding edge of the continent.
We’re sure there are many tributes and celebrations planned for that day but none will be cooler, more interesting, or more hardcore than that of the “D-Day Squadron”. This is a group of pilots and enthusiasts who are flying the very airplanes used during the invasion, C-47 Dakota transports, from the USA to Normandy in order to fly over those beaches on June 6th. Seriously. The best part? They are taking the same transit route that the planes did in WWII to get from the USA to England! There are Douglas DC-3 aircraft in this mix as well as those planes were also pressed into service delivering soldiers where they needed to be and in June 75-years ago they needed to be in France.
The story below recounts not only the history of the event but with first hand interviews some of the more intimate details. This is a spectacular read on a spectacular program that is sure to being many, many wet eyes on Normandy Beach come this June 6th. Amazing stuff.
New York Times: The D-Day squadron heads to Normandy the hard way
11.500 Allied Aircraft 7.500 Allied Ships with 1.200 being Combat Ships . Astounding in Scope . My Late Father served in the RCN aboard Destroyers The HMCS St laurent that drew first blood in the Battle of the Atlantic and then the New HMCS Haida that sunk 14 enemy vessels in a 12 month period . He was on the Arctic Convoys to the Russian ports of Murmansk and Arc Angelsk . then attached to the 10th Destroyer Flotilla tasked with sweeping the English Channel in preparation for D-Day He told me that all the ships let loose on the Beach and it was the loudest thing he ever heard . He never considered himself a Hero he always said The Hero’s are still over there .. .He was Hero to Me . RIP Dad .
These flew over my shop last Wednesday. I imagined the noise was exactly what the Germans experienced before the BOOM.