D-DAY---REMEMBERED!

THE WEATHER WAS SO BAD ON JUNE 4, 1944 THEY COULD NOT GO.  THE THOUSANDS OF TROOPS HAD BEEN LOADED ON THE SHIPS READY TO GO AND STANDING BY IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL WHEN THE ORDER CAME TO WAIT.  ASSAULT TROOPS AND THEIR GEAR WERE CRAMMED INTO EVERY SPACE AND MANY WERE EXPERIENCING SEA-SICKNESS.  THEY LEFT THE NEXT NIGHT IN CALMER WATERS BUT THAT CHANGED WHEN THEY APPROACHED NORMANDY  EARLY THE NEXT MORNING.  THEY LANDED IN ROUGH SEAS AND PAID THE PRICE.  IT WAS JUNE 6,1944.
EACH MEMBER OF THE INVASION FORCE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING LETTER FROM:            SUPREME HEADQUARTERS ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
YOU ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK UPON THE GREAT CRUSADE, TOWARD WHICH YOU 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.  IN COMPANY WITH OUR BRAVE ALLIES AND BROTHERS-IN-ARMS ON OTHER FRONTS, YOU WILL BRING ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE GERMAN WAR MACHINE, THE ELIMINATION OF THE NAZI TYRANNY OVER THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE OF EUROPE, AND THE SECURITY OF OURSELVES IN A FREE WORLD.
YOUR TASK WILL NOT BE AN EASY ONE.  YOUR ENEMY IS WELL TRAINED, WELL EQUIPPED AND BATTLE HARDENED.  HE WILL FIGHT SAVAGELY.
BUT THIS IS THE YEAR 1944!  MUCH HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE NAZI TRIUMPHS OF 1940-41.  THE UNITED NATIONS HAVE INFLICTED UPON THE GERMANS GREAT DEFEATS, IN OPEN BATTLE, M,AN-TO-MAN.  OUR AIR OFFENSIVE HAS SERIOUSLY REDUCED THEIR STRENGTH IN THE AIR AND AND THEIR CAPACITY TO WAGE WAR ON THE GROUND.  OUR HOME FRONTS HAVE GIVEN US AN OVERWHELMING SUPERIORITY IN WEAPONS AND MUNITIONS OF WAR, AND PLACED AT OUR DISPOSAL GREAT RESERVES OF TRAINED FIGHTING MEN,  THE TIDE HAS TURNED!  THE FREE MEN OF THE WORLD ARE MARCHING TOGETHER TO VICTORY!
I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN YOUR COURAGE, DEVOTION TO DUTY AND SKILL IN BATTLE.  WE WILL ACCEPT NOTHING LESS THEN FULL VICTORY!
GOOD LUCK!  AND LET US ALL BESEECH THE BLESSING OF ALMIGHTY GOD UPON THIS GREAT AND NOBLE UNDERTAKING.  SIGNED: DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
71 YEARS AGO....Medicineman