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Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Today in History - D-Day

Army troops wade ashore on "Omaha" Beach during the "D-Day" landings. They were brought to the beach by a Coast Guard manned LCVP. (June 6, 1944)


"we will accept nothing less than full victory."
-- General Dwight D. Eisenhower


This day in 1944, 160,000 Allied troops hit the sands on a 50-mile long stretch of sand in Normandy, France. The operation was supported by nearly 13,000 aircraft (close to 9,000 of those American), and more than 5,000 ships.

9,000 Allied troops were killed or wounded.

U.S. Army divisions involved in the ground assault were:
1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One)
2nd Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division
5th Infantry Division
8th Infantry Division
9th Infantry Division
28th Infantry Division
29th Infantry Division
30th Infantry Division
35th Infantry Division
79th Infantry Division
83rd Infantry Division
90th Infantry Division
2nd Armored Division
3rd Armored Division
4th Armored Division
6th Armored Division
82nd Airborne Division
For a detailed list of all involved units, go here

The U.S. Navy, in Operation Overlord, participated in the largest amphibious landing in history. Allied Naval forces did more than just transport troops -

- Minesweepers combed the waters for anti-ship mines.

- "Frogmen" - demolition swimmers - swam ashore in order to destroy obstacles that would harm landing craft.

- Transports carried troops to the pre-landing area, and landing craft took them to the beaches.

- Cruisers, Destroyers, and Battleships bombarded German fortifications.

- Naval beach battalions braved fire to handle logistics and tend to the wounded.

The U.S. Air Force was multi-tasking, too:

- The 8th U.S. Air Force deployed 1,729 bombers, dropping 3,596 tons of bombs. It suffered three losses.

- Heavy bombers also struck choke points near the beaches.

- 900 aircraft, and 100 gliders, dropped the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions behind enemy lines.

- Forward air controllers landed with U.S. Army Infantry units in order to direct bombers.

- 8th and 9th Air Force p-38's provided air cover for convoys approaching the beaches.

- B-26's and fighters attacked transporation targets and airfields, and supported heavy bombers attacking the shore defenses.

U.S. Marines were there - although perhaps not as big a part of common knowledge, U.S. Marine officers helped in the planning stages of the invasion, and they did a few other things, too.

And the U.S. Coast Guard? They participated as well. 4 US Coast Guard landing craft (LCI's) were destroyed on D-Day. They helped to land the Big Red One on Omaha beach. Four Coast Guard-manned LST's carried British troops and equipment to Juno, Sword, and Gold beaches.

Links
D-Day - General information
The National D-Day Memorial Foundation
Survivors Share Memories Of D-Day
The National D-Day Museum

Army
D-Day

Air Force
USAAF Chronology - D-Day
The United States Army Air Forces in WWII - D-Day
The Mighty Eighth

Navy
Navy Art Gallery Exhibit - The Normandy Invasion
D-Day Information at the Naval Historical Center

Marines
GyG's Old Corps Legends, Myths, etc.

U.S. Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard at Normandy

Must-See WWII Movies:
The Big Red One
The Guns of Navarrone
Saving Private Ryan
The Dirty Dozen
Memphis Belle
Band of Brothers
Patton
The Great Raid
The Great Escape


Must-Read WWII Books
by Gerald Astor

"The Greatest War, Volume I - From Pearl Harbor to the Kasserine Pass"
"The Greatest War, Volume II - D-Day and the Assault on Europe"
"The Greatest War, Volume III - The Battle of the Bulge to Hiroshima"
"Band of Brothers" and "Beyond Band of Brothers" by Major Dick Winters

Please add your book / movie suggestions / links in the comments section!

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RAPID RESPONSE — U.S. Army Spc. Thomas Quinn, a Division Rapid Response Force soldier for Battery C, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, stands guard as an AH-64D Apache helicopter takes off after a downed aircraft training mission at Camp Taji, Iraq, May 29, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Nathan J. Hoskins.

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In Today's News - Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Quote of the Day
"Rangers, Lead The Way!"
-- Colonel Francis W. Dawson,
on the occasion of the Normandy Invasion, 1944

News of Note
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Cops Thwart Female Bomber in Iraq
GOP: Bush should adopt bipartisan plan

Homeland Security / War on Terror / Hamas-Hezbollah Happenings
Final JFK Terror Plot Suspect Surrenders
Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian in raid: medics
Flight 93 memorial land in dispute

Troops on Trial
Three Brothers go AWOL

Other Military News
U.S. Warship Fires Warning Shots Over Vessel Boarded by Pirates Off Somali Coast

Worldwide Wackos
Dictator Makes TV Appearance
Ahmadinejad: It's 'Too Late' to Stop Iran's Nuke Program
Republicans: Iran must not have nuclear arms
Cuba's Castro looks stronger, says in good spirits

Politics / Government
GOP Hopefuls Do Battle
Hot topics at debate include Iraq, immigration
Hillary Clinton: Faith Saved My Marriage
Bush: Putin 'Derailed' Reforms - PICS - VIDEO
Automakers to press energy agenda in Congress
Inflation to ebb but risks remain: Bernanke
House votes to investigate indicted lawmaker
U.S., Russian lawmakers to meet, discuss tensions - Video
House panel votes to boost domestic security
Electrical glitch worries Giuliani at debate
Ex-judge who fixed cases gets prison
Bush insists 'Russia is not our enemy'
Obama warns of 'quiet riot' among blacks (Come on, feel the noise...)

Illegal Immigration / Border Control
Senate Immigration Bill Appears in Trouble

In the Courts / Crime and Punishment / Law and Order
'Relentless' Hunt for Missing Teen - PHOTOS - VIDEO
VIDEO: Kelsey's Parents Say She's Loved by All
Divorce Suit Awards $184M to Chicago Woman
Reward For Missing Illinois Mom Now $50K
Man Detained in Woman's Dragging Death
Feds: Gangsters Ordered Murder From Jail
Judge now wants just $54M from cleaner

Adventures in Political Correctness
Greyhound bus trip provides snapshot of U.S. poor
CBS mulls axing 'Jericho' after protests

Media in the Media / Bloggers in the News / Watching the Web
Diana Photo Furor - Royals fail to stop TV showing of crash images

Science / Medicine / Technology
Beach Sand Found to Be Full of E. Coli Bacteria
Climate change battle could spell new disasters - Video
Skip Chemo? That could come soon for more patients
Senators seek jump in TB control spending
Blair says can win over Bush on climate: paper
NASA starts countdown for space shuttle launch
World Environment Day homes in on fear of melting ice
Bush must join in global climate fight: IEA
New Pac Man for Xbox is swan song for founder
Intel, Asustek plan low-cost laptop
Japanese robot likes sushi, fears president - Video
Study: Folic acid doesn't prevent polyps

Mother Nature
Powerful Cyclone Gonu Strikes Oil-Rich Persian Gulf
Florida Drought Uncovers Trove of Artifacts
Wildfire Singes Sierra Communities - PHOTOS
Cyclone Gonu's winds blast Oman coast

News from My Neck of the Woods
City OKs ID cards for illegal immigrants (Sometimes, I really flippin' hate this state...)

Oddities
Texas Man Buys Camera, Gets Surprise
Eating live frogs, rats "cures tummy upsets"
Radio station fined for bra removal contest
At an Indian hotel, guests check in to die
Principal gets probation in foot-kissing

Other News of Note
Searchers Find Boy, 6, in Minnesota Woods
Coast Guard: Human Remains Found in Search for Organ Transplant Team After Lake Michigan Plane Crash
Minor League Manager Suspended Over Tirade
Mass Grave Believed to Contain Thousands of Jews Killed by Nazis Found in Ukraine
Holocaust Diary of 14-Year-Old Dubbed the 'Polish Anne Frank' Unveiled
Indiana Girl Found After Disappearing During Storm
Freed Colombia rebel pushes demand for hostage deal
U.S. lawyers call accused Laos coup leaders "heroes"

Fox News
NEWS IN PICTURES: The Day in Photos
Pop Tarts: Lindsay Lohan Holds Vanessa Minnillo at Knifepoint
FOX 411: Kelly Clarkson: 'My December' Trouble

Reuters: Top News
Mexican cardinal faces grilling on priest abuse
"Sopranos" filming locations draw mobs of fans - Video
Hollywood activists Larry and Laurie David split
Nikkei flat: Canon down, but trade houses gain
Google sets Salesforce alliance, shares hit record
Interest-rate worries drive losses on Wall Street
Oil firms above $70 - Video
Dollar steadies from 2-day slide, ECB hike eyed
Video: - Exclusive summit interviews
Power companies split on coal
Investor Burkle eyes bid for Dow Jones: union
Nabors CEO says N. Amer markets still weak
Telecom-equipment on buyout radar with Avaya deal
Whole Foods, Wild Oats to challenge FTC lawsuit

AP World News
Report: Donovan almost out, Van Gundy in
Fans lining up for Bob Barker farewell
Honda to discontinue hybrid Accord sedan
Ducks wing home, smelling Stanley Cup
Henin extends win streak at French Open
Aikman fights migraines, not concussions
Vatican plans to tap solar energy
Spears is subject of unflattering photos
Feds appeal Posada's dismissal
Fatal fire's lessons added to training

Military.com
Going to War With His Mother-in-Law
Def Tech: An Answer to Hollow-Tip Ban
Blog: Training the Iraqi Army
Op-ed: Soft Power Unplugged
Seattle Career Fair - June 7th
Ten Step Guide to Joining the Military
Road Warriors: Pimp Your Ride Now
Warfighter’s Forum D-Day Special

CENTCOM: News Releases
FOUR SUSPECTED SECRET CELL TERRORISTS DETAINED
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE VISITS TROOPS AT KANDAHAR AIRFIELD
SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA LEADER, 17 OTHERS DETAINED
AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR JUNE 4
UPDATE - ANA, COALITION FORCES ENCOUNTER ENEMY FIGHTERS IN NORTHERN KANDAHAR
MNF-I CONDEMNS TERRORISTS’ TACTICS
SUSPECTED EFP FACILITATOR DETAINED
TERRORIST LEADER, NETWORK MEMBERS CAPTURED
AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR JUNE 3
ANP PROVIDES SECURITY, AID TO BESIEGED TRUCK DRIVERS
SADR CITY RESIDENT LEADS PARATROOPERS TO MORTAR SYSTEM
ATTACK THWARTED BY COALITION FORCES
ANA, COALITION FORCES ENCOUNTER ENEMY FIGHTERS IN NORTHERN KANDAHAR
MND-B APACHES DISRUPT ENEMY ATTACK ON AIRCRAFT
SEVEN DETAINED, VBIED DESTROYED IN COALITION RAIDS
IRAQI NATIONAL POLICE SEARCH MOSQUE FOR WEAPONS
PARATROOPERS FIND, DESTROY 24 IEDS IN FIVE DAYS
SEARCH CONTINUES FOR MISSING SOLDIERS
SUSPECTED TERRORIST BOMBER, TWO OTHERS CAPTURED IN ADHAMIYAH RAID
ISF, MARINES KILL AQI, DESTROY TRUCK BOMB FACTORY

USJFCOM
Transformational program demonstrates developing logistics support concept
Noble Resolve 07-1 yields new opportunities for experimentation - podcast
USJFCOM testing Sense Through Structures capabilities - podcast

Multi-National Force-Iraq
Security efforts assist market re-openings, electricity supply
Iraqi AF flies high with safety course
Saving robots to save battlefield lives
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers building 12 new schools
SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA LEADER, 17 OTHERS DETAINED
Four Suspected Secret Cell Terrorists Detained
Wanted insurgent captured during Operation Eagle Sweep
Small arms fire targets MND-B patrol
Iraqi Army forces detain two suspected al-Qaeda insurgents
Helicopters conduct air strike

DefenseLink
President Discusses Oppression, Dissent
Bush: Missile Defense System No Threat to Russia
Gates, French Defense Minister Reaffirm Ties
Gates ‘Puzzled’ By Response to Missile Plan
Secretary Wants to See Faster Progress in Iraq
Gates Emphasizes Importance of Krygyz Air Base
WRAMC Therapists Help Amputees Regain Skills

More Headline News
Al Qaeda Support Waning in Iraq’s Diyala Province
Insurgency Connected to Afghan Opium Industry
Official: Forces Have Upper Hand Against Taliban
Problems, Solutions Mark Iraq Training Landscape
U.S., Iraqi Troops Transform ‘Purple Heart Boulevard’

Military News
Video: Coast Guard Assists in Lake Michigan Plane Crash
Exercise Tests Fast-Response Unit's Capabilities
Army Helps Prepare Hurricane States for Season
Joint Forces Ready for Red Flag-Alaska

America Supports You
Golfers, NASCAR Honor Troops
Actors Honor Real-Life Army Counterparts
Group Honors Wounded
Grant Helps Group Expand Services
Golf Tourney Honors Troops

War on Terror
Troops Capture Insurgents
Seven Soldiers Killed
Search for Soldiers Continues
Forces Detain Militants

Transformation
New Pentagon Channel Show Helps Make Troops ‘Fit for Duty’
Program Helps Recruits with College
Dover Gets First Globemaster

Face of Defense
Top Blood Platelet Donator
Lava Dog Returns to Sandbox
Vietnam Vet's Last Flight
Navy Was Natural Choice

DefendAmerica
BLOGGERS' ROUNDTABLE with U.S. ARMY Lt. Col. Morris Goins
Al Qaeda Support Waning in Iraq’s Diyala Province, General Says - Story
Bloggers' Roundtable Web Site

NEWS UPDATES
Gates Wants Faster Progress in Iraq - Story

ON THE GROUND
Academy Graduates Its First Female Officers - Story
Supplying Electricity a Top Priority in Baghdad - Story
Chaplain Visits Religious Leaders, Teachers - Story
Surge Creates Model Neighborhood in Baghdad - Story
K9 Team Brings Special Skills to the Fight - Story

IN IRAQ
Iraq’s Busiest Trauma Center Sees Progress
Marines Block Euphrates River to Insurgents
Guard Detachment Racks Up High Numbers
Soldiers Build School, Business in Southern Iraq
Engineers Complete Water Pump Stations
Joint Forces' Operation Succeeds in Al Kut
Iraqi, Coalition Forces Open Municipal Center
Movie Theater Helps Marines Relax in Haditha
Civil Affairs Help Make a Difference for Iraqis
Marine Engineers Hone Demolition Skills

IN DJIBOUTI
Medical Techs Keep Troops Mission-Ready
New Water Drilling Rig Arrives In Djibouti
German Navy Donates Vehicles, Suppport

IN AFGHANISTAN
Reporters Visit Bagram Airfield for Media Day
Task Force Anzio Takes on New Command

Weather
Afghanistan
Bost/Laskar Ghurian Herat Kabul Qandahar

Germany
Ansbach Aschaffenburg Berlin Berlin-Tempelhof Berlin/Schonefeld Bremerhaven
Darmstadt Frankfurt Frankfurt/Main Freiburg/Breisgau Garmisch
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Geilenkirchen Gelnhausen Giessen Kitzingen
Hanau Am Main Heidelberg Mainz Mannheim Nurnberg Stuttgart Trier
Wiesbaden Wurzburg

Gitmo

Guam
Agana Agana Heights Agat Andersen AFB Asan Barrigada

Iraq
Al Azamiyah Al Basrah Al Hillah Al Karkh Al Kazimiyah Al Kut
An Nasiriyah Baghdad Baqubah Mosul Najaf Nineveh Tall Kayf

Japan
Kadena Air Base Okinawa Tokyo Yokohama

Today in History
1523 - Gustavus I becomes king of Sweden (Swedish National Day)
1639 - Massachusetts grants 500 acres of land to erect a gunpowder mill
1813 - US invasion of Canada halted at Stoney Creek (Ont)
1816 - 10" snowfall in New England, the "year without a summer" (Krakatoa)
1844 - Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) founded in London
1862 - Battle of Memphis-the city is surrendered
1882 - Cyclone in Arabian Sea (Bombay India) drowns 100,000
1882 - Electric iron patented by Henry W. Seely, NYC
1889 - Great Fire in Seattle destroys 25 downtown blocks
1911 - Nicaragua signs treaty turning over customs to US (not ratified)
1914 - 1st air flight out of the sight of land (Scotland to Norway)
1918 - Battle of Belleau Wood, 1st US victory of WW I
1924 - S Belyavskij discovers asteroid #1031 Arctica
1925 - Walter Percy Chrysler founded Chrysler Corp (Iacocca was 8 months old)
1931 - G Neujmin discovers asteroid #1210 Morosovia
1932 - US Federal gas tax enacted
1933 - 1st drive-in theatre opens (Camden, NJ); US Employment Service created
1934 - Securities & Exchange Commission established
1936 - Aviation gasoline 1st produced commercially Paulsboro NJ
1941 - 1st navy vessel constructed as mine layer Terror launched
1942 - 1st nylon parachute jump (Hartford CT-Adeline Gray); Japanese forces retreat, ending Battle of Midway; Nazis burn village of Lidice Bohemia, as reprisal of killing Heydrich
1944 - D-Day: 150,000 Allied Expeditionary Force lands in Normandy, France; Theodore Roosevelt Jr receives congressional medal of honor
1953 - J Churms discovers asteroid #2025
1966 - Activist James Meredith shot in Mississippi
1967 - 6 day war between Israel & Arab neighbors begins
1971 - Air West filght 706 collides with Navy Phantom jet over LA, 50 die; Soyuz 11 takes 3 cosmonauts to Salyut 1 space station
1972 - Explosion at world's largest coal mine kills 427 (Wankie Rhodesia)
1975 - British voters decide to remain in Common Market; Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam established
1977 - Supreme Court tossed out automatic death penalty laws
1978 - Proposition 13 cuts California property taxes 57%
1982 - 30,000 Israeli troops invade Lebanon to drive out PLO
1984 - 1,200 die in Sikh "Golden Temple" uprising India
1985 - Body of Nazi criminal, Dr Josef Mengele located & exhumed; Soyuz T-13 carries 2 cosmonauts to Salyut 7 space station
1988 George Bush makes campaign promise to support reparations for WW II
Japanese-American internees (promise broken, May 1989)
1991 - Dana Plato receives 6 yr suspended sentence for robbing a video store
2012 - Transit of Venus (between Earth & Sun) occurs

Birthdays
1436 - Regiomontanus (Johannes Mller) prepared astronomical tables
1755 - Nathan Hale hanged patriot, had but one life to give for his country
1756 - John Trumbull, US painter (Declaration of Independence)
1850 - Karl F. Braun codeveloped wireless telegraphy (Nobel 1909)
1868 - Robert Falcon Scott, leader of ill-fated south polar expedition
1872 - Alexandra, last Russian tsarina (1894-1918)
1875 - Walter Percy Chrysler, found Chrysler Corp (1925)
1901 - Sukarno Java, PM of Indonesia (1945-67)
1928 - George Deukmejian (Gov-Cal)
1932 - David R. Scott, Col USAF/astronaut (Gem 8, Apol 9, 15)
1935 - Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet's Lamaistic Buddhists

Passings
1862 - Gen Turner Ashby, killed near Harrisonburg, VA
1967 - Edward G. Givens, Jr., astronaut, dies in an auto accident at 37
1968 - Robert F. Kennedy (Sen-NY), assassinated in LA by Sirhan Sirhan
1976 - J. Paul Getty, oil magnate, dies at 83 in London

Reported Missing in Action
1964
Klusmann, Charles F., USN (CA); RF8A shot down, escaped August, 1964 - alive and well as of 1998

1967
Son, Ha Van, Vietnam Commando; released February, 1989 - alive and well as of 1998

1968
The following USMC personnel reported MIA when their CH46A was shot down, all KIA:
Burgard, Paul E. (OR); remains recovered June, 1968

Harper, Ralph Lewis (IN); BNR

LaPlant, Kurt Elton (KS); BNR

Palacios, Luis Fernando (CA); BNR

Sanchez, Jose R. (NY); BNR

1972
Fowler, James A., USAF (ND); F4D shot down (w/Seuell), believed KIA

Seuell, John W., USAF (MO); F4D shot down (w/Fowler), believed KIA

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