Operation Overlord a.k.a. Hell on Earth 6.6.06

June 6, 2006, a day that has been jokingly referenced to as the day of the devil, marks the 62nd anniversary of the invasion of Normandy during World War II. The event, known as D-Day, has been acknowledged as the battle that changed the course of the war and, to some, one of the greatest events in history. Although the attack did not occur on 6.6.06, June 6, 1944 still signifies hell on earth to the soldiers who remember storming the beach years ago. Operation Overlord, the name given to the plan, used the skill of thousands of American, British and Canadian troops combined, along with the first official airborne troops, to undermine the powerful Nazi Germany. Today, 150 people gathered at Utah Beach, one section of the large coast, to honor veterans from the 101st Airbourne Division. “Never forget the horror of war,” stated D-Day soldier Jack Dickson, “and never forget that men died on these Normandy beaches to free the world.”

Recalling the summer reading prior to our AP course, the tome I read was Steven Ambrose’s historical account of D-Day. As I learned throughout my reading, although Winston Churchill was not an American, he had a profound effect as a leader on the United States, as well as the world. During a time of major crisis in his country, he was able to comfort his people while also taking hte necessary actions to bring an end to the devastating war, including forming an alliance with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Known as the “British Bulldog”, Churchill was one of the key members who united the World War II Allies to overpower the Axis countries, Germany, Italy and Japan. Winston Churchill served as the English Prime Minister for three terms, in which he lead his people through two wars, World War II and the Cold War, and established the foundation of the post-war order in England. Additional honors include being invested as a Knight of the Garter, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the Charlemagne Award. “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”