"IT WAS ALMOST TOO EASY"

 ALLIED INVASION OF NAZI-HELD EUROPE A HUGE SUCCESS

S.H.A.E.F. HQ* (JFK+50) On June 6, 1944, Associated Press reports that "Allied tank and infantry forces landed in the Normandy area of Northwest France today and have thrust several miles inland."

German opposition is reported as "slight" with Allied losses "much smaller" than expected.

The massive air, sea and land assault on "a history-making scale," was led before daylight by airborne troops.

German radio says the area of attack is a one hundred mile stretch of coast from Cherbourg to Le Havre.

JFK+50 NOTE

June 6, 1944 is widely known as "D DAY" although that is a military term for the day any military counter-attack or operation begins.  It seems the biggest surprise of that "D" day was the light Allied casualties. 

I am listening right now to Old Time Radio USA's CBS Radio Coverage of that day.  I just heard reporter Edward R. Murrow say that the invasion of France was "almost too easy." 

The reason why is given online as "meticulous planning, overwhelming force, effective deception and the bravery of Allied troops."  No argument with that.  The Allied force included 156,000 troops, 6939 naval vessels & 11590 aircraft.

*Supreme Headquarters American Expeditionary Force was the joint U.S. & British military command which planned the invasion of Western Europe during WWII.  SHAEF was established in Feb 1944 & led by US Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

SOURCE

"Allies Advance Several Miles In France Against Slight Opposition, Losses Small," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., June 6, 1944, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

 

 

Plans for Normandy Invasion

US Department of Defense

PD 

"THE HOPES & PRAYERS OF LIBERTY-LOVING PEOPLE EVERYWHERE MARCH WITH YOU"

JUNE 6:  D-DAY* 75TH ANNIVERSARY 

Normandy, France (JFK+50) On June 6, 1944, "the largest amphibious invasion in world history" took place on the beaches of Normandy.  Combat soldiers of the United States, Great Britain and Canada, supported by thousands of ships and aircraft, came ashore to free Europe from Nazi control.

The Allies put across the English Channel "the greatest armada in world history" composed of nearly 7000 vessels from 8 navies, 1200 plus combat ships, over 4000 landing craft, and 700 plus support craft.  In the air were more than 8000 airplanes including 3455 heavy bombers and 3824 fighters.

156,155 men made the landing and in less than one week 326,547 men and 54,186 vehicles were ashore.  The U.S. First Army, including airborne troops, attacked Omaha and Utah beaches.  Gold, Juno and Sword beaches were hit by the British Second Army which included airborne troops, the Canadian 3rd infantry and French commandos.**

Even with this massive war machinery, it took the efforts of some very brave men to win the day.  Dr. Rob Citno, senior historian at the National WWII Museum argues...

"It wasn't weaponry...the difference was a small number of brave GIS and officers who refused to knuckle under to catastrophe.  Men who refused to admit defeat."

Tom Brokaw appropriately refers to these men as "the Greatest Generation." 

General Dwight D. Eisenhower was supreme commander of Allied Forces for Operation Overlord.  On the eve of the invasion he spoke these words to his army...

"You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade.  The eyes of the world are upon you.  The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you."

*D stands for day, the beginning of a military operation.  Each day that follows is designated in numerical order, D+1, D+2, D+3, etc.  Just after midnight on June 6 1944, thousands of paratroopers were dropped behind enemy lines in France.  Air & naval bombardment began just before 6 a.m.  Allied infantry began landing at 6:30 a.m.   By midnight, all five beaches were securely held by the Allies.

**The landings, although successful, were not without cost.  It is estimated that 2499 Americans & 1914 other Allies paid the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of liberty.

SOURCE

'ARMS AND THE MAN':  REMEMBERING D-DAY, by Rob Citino, USA TODAY, Subscriber-Exclusive Special Section, June 2, 2019.

U.S. LCVP Landing Craft

Approaching Omaha Beach

June 6, 1944

US Army Signal Corps Collection

National Archives Photo

THE "GREAT CRUSADE" BEGINS!

JFK+50:  Volume 6, No. 1972

D-DAY WAS 72 YEARS AGO TODAY

Normandy, France (JFK+50) Seventy-two years ago today, June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops from the decks of 5,000 ships took part in the largest amphibious assault in world history.

The landings, which were made in Normandy on the northern coast of France, were preceded by airborne assault landings by 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French troops.

A beachhead was established along a fifty mile stretch of beach divided into five sections code named... Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

The Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, said in a radio address to the troops before the historic day began...

"Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the American Expeditionary 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."

D Day Landing

 Photo by Robert F. Sargent, USCG

RFK DIED 48 YEARS AGO 

Los Angeles, California (JFK+50) Forty-eight years ago today, June 6, 1968, New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy died at the Good Samaritan Hospital here in Los Angeles.

The Senator was pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m. more than 25 hours after he was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel* following a speech celebrating his California primary victory. 

Doctors operated on Senator Kennedy for 3 hours and 45 minutes but were pessimistic due to the extent of bullet and bone fragments they found scattered through the brain.

RFK had been walking through the hotel kitchen pantry and was shaking hands with some employees when 24 year old Sirhan Sirhan** opened fire.  The assassin fired 8 shots from a 22 caliber Iver Johnson pistol.  3 shots hit RFK.  

Five other people were struck by bullets but all survived.  They included...
Elizabeth Evans, Ira Goldstein, Paul Schrade, Irwin Stroll and William Weisel.
With the Senator at the time of death were his wife Ethel, sister-in-law Jacqueline Kennedy, brother Ted, Peter Lawford and Steven Smith.

    
*The Ambassador Hotel (1921-1989) was located at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.  Designed by Myron Hunt and offering 500 rooms, it was frequented by many Hollywood celebrities.  Six Academy Award ceremonies were held there.  The hotel was the home of the famous Coconut Grove night club.  It closed in 1989 and was demolished in 2005.

**Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was born in Jerusalem in 1944 and emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 12.  Described as a Palestinian Christian with Jordanian citizenship, he was tried for the murder of RFK in 1969

SBS was convicted and sentenced to death but received a commutation to life imprisonment in 1972. He has been held in solitary confinement at the Pleasant Valley State Prison in Colinga since Oct 2009.

SOURCE

 "RFK assassination witness willing to testify for Sirhan Sirhan's lawyers," by Brad Johnson and Michael Martinez, www.cnn.com/. 

Robert F. Kennedy on Campaign

Photo by Evan Freed (1968)

RFK DIES IN LOS ANGELES

BOB KENNEDY DIED 47 YEARS AGO

Los Angeles, California (JFK+50) New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy died forty-seven years ago this morning, June 6, 1968, at the Good Samaritan Hospital here in Los Angeles.

The Senator's death at 1:44 a.m. came more than 25 hours after he was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel* following a speech celebrating his California primary victory.  Doctors operated on Senator Kennedy for 3 hours and 45 minutes but were pessimistic due to the extent of bullet and bone fragments they found scattered through the brain.

RFK had been walking through the hotel kitchen pantry and was shaking hands with some employees when 24 year old Sirhan Sirhan** opened fire.  The assassin fired 8 shots from a 22 caliber Iver Johnson pistol.  3 shots hit RFK.  

Five other people were struck by bullets but all survived.  They included...
Elizabeth Evans, Ira Goldstein, Paul Schrade, Irwin Stroll and William Weisel.
With the Senator at the time of death were his wife Ethel, sister-in-law Jacqueline Kennedy, brother Ted, Peter Lawford and Steven Smith.

SOURCE

 "RFK assassination witness willing to testify for Sirhan Sirhan's lawyers," by Brad Johnson and Michael Martinez, www.cnn.com/. 

Robert F. Kennedy on Campaign

Photo by Evan Freed (1968)

"Bobby is now in the realm of legend and myth, and even in death inspires an effort to improve the lot of humanity."

                                   William J. Eaton, 1969
     
*The Ambassador Hotel (1921-1989) was located at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.  Designed by Myron Hunt and offering 500 rooms, it was frequented by many Hollywood celebrities.  Six Academy Award ceremonies were held there.

The hotel was the home of the famous Coconut Grove night club.  It closed in 1989 and was demolished in 2005.

The Ambassador Hotel

Los Angeles, California (2004)

**Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was born in Jerusalem in 1944 and emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 12.  Described as a Palestinian Christian with Jordanian citizenship, he was tried for the murder of RFK in 1969

Sirhan was convicted and sentenced to death but received a commutation to life imprisonment in 1972. He has been held in solitary confinement at the Pleasant Valley State Prison in Colinga since October 2009.  

INVASION!
JUNE 6 1944

London, U.K. (JFK+50) More than 160,000 Allied troops from the decks of 5,000 ships took part in the largest amphibious assault in history seventy-one years ago today, June 6, 1944.

 The landings, which were made in Normandy on the northern coast of France, were preceded by airborne assault landings by 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French troops.

A beachhead was established along a 50 mile stretch of beach divided into five sections code named... Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

The Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, said in a radio address to the troops before the historic day began:

"Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the American Expeditionary 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."

D Day Landing

 Photo by Robert F. Sargent, USCG

D DAY JUNE 6 1944

D-DAY INVASION 70 YEARS AGO 

London, U.K. (JFK+50) More than 160,000 Allied troops from the decks of 5,000 ships took part in the largest amphibious assault in history 70 years ago today, June 6, 1944.

 The landings, which were made in Normandy on the northern coast of France, were preceded by airborne assault landings by 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free French troops.

A beachhead was established along a 50 mile stretch of beach divided into five sections code named...

Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

The Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, said in a radio address to the troops before the historic day began:

"Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the American Expeditionary 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."

 D Day Landing

 Photo by Robert F. Sargent, USCG

RFK DIED 46 YEARS AGO 

Los Angeles, California (JFK+50) New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy died 46 years ago this morning, June 6, 1968, at the Good Samaritan Hospital here inn Los Angeles.

The Senator's death at 1:44 a.m. came more than 25 hours after he was shot in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel* following a speech celebrating his California primary victory.

Doctors operated on RFK for 3 hours and 45 minutes but were pessimistic due to the extent of bullet and bone fragments they found scattered through the brain.

Senator Kennedy had been walking through the hotel kitchen pantry and was shaking hands with some employees when 24 year old Sirhan Sirhan** opened fire.

The assassin fired 8 shots from a 22 caliber Iver Johnson pistol.  3 shots hit RFK.  One entered at point blank range behind the right ear while the other two entered behind RFK's right armpit.

Five other people were struck by bullets but all survived.  They included...

Elizabeth Evans
Ira Goldstein
Paul Schrade
Irwin Stroll
William Weisel

With the Senator at the time of death were his wife Ethel, sister-in-law Jacqueline Kennedy, brother Ted, Peter Lawford and Steven Smith.

Robert F. Kennedy was 42 years old.

Just as in the JFK and MLK assassinations, there has been discussion about the possibility of a conspiracy in the killing of RFK.

Last year, as reported by Brad Johnson and Michael Martinez of CNN, eyewitness Nina Rhodes-Hughes, who was standing a few feet behind RFK when he was shot, offered to testify at the next parole hearing that she heard 12 to 14 shots.

SOURCE:  "RFK assassination witness willing to testify for Sirhan Sirhan's lawyers," by Brad Johnson and Michael Martinez, www.cnn.com/. 

http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/08/justice/california-rfk-second-gun

       Robert F. Kennedy on Campaign
           Photo by Evan Freed (1968)

"Bobby is now in the realm of legend and myth, and even in death inspires an effort to improve the lot of humanity."

                                                                                    William J. Eaton, 1969
     
*The Ambassador Hotel (1921-1989) was located at 3400 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.  Designed by Myron Hunt and offering 500 rooms, it was frequented by many Hollywood celebrities.  Six Academy Award ceremonies were held there.

The hotel was the home of the famous Coconut Grove night club.  It closed in 1989 and was demolished in 2005.

                     The Ambassador Hotel
             Los Angeles, California (2004)

**Sirhan Bishara Sirhan was born in Jerusalem in 1944 and emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 12.  Described as a Palestinian Christian with Jordanian citizenship, he was tried for the murder of RFK in 1969

Sirhan was convicted and sentenced to death but received a commutation to life imprisonment in 1972. He has been held in solitary confinement at the Pleasant Valley State Prison in Colinga since October 2009.