 1944 occupied France Overfortress Europe's standing silent century was the highly developed German radar system By June three days before D-Day enemy strength in Holland, Belgium and France had been increased to 60 divisions German headquarters expected an invasion, but wasn't sure where quite accidentally the crack 352nd Wehrmacht division was ordered on beach maneuvers to a sector in Normandy Which the allies secretly picked as Omaha Beach? The Atlantic wall was being reinforced Thinking the allies intended to strike directly across the channel at its narrowest point The enemy kept strong forces in the area and heavily fortified the part of Calais coastline I German brass inspecting fortifications facing England ordered heavier defenses Ever alert and expecting to drive the invaders back into the sea the enemy hoped his fortress was impregnable June 5th London Awaking metropolis didn't know General Eisenhower had given us the final decision The invasion of France would start this night All southern England was a military camp for days our troops had been boarding invasion transports If ever there was a German bombers paradise, it was a harbor like Portsmouth What sitting ducks we could have been but our air forces had cleared the way for invasion Late in the afternoon before D-Day Eisenhower spots and Bratton came to Newbury at headquarters of the 101st airborne They visited with the paratroopers who were getting ready to embark on their hazardous mission Many of them told their supreme commander that as soon as they dropped in France everything would be taken care of But the general and the private weren't kidding each other As spearhead of the invasion thousands of airborne troops were going to drop behind enemy lines Before the first assault takeoff in each man's ears rang Eisenhower's inspiring order of the day Soldiers sailors and airmen of the Allied 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 Your task will not be an easy one Your enemy is well trained well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savages But this is the year 1944 The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats our air offensive has seriously reduced Their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground The tide has turned. I have full confidence in your courage devotion to duty and skill in battle We will accept nothing less than foe victory Good luck and let us all beseech the blessing of almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking This was really it Here we were the ninth troop carriers vaulting the channel the vanguard of the second front One British and two American divisions Our mission to drop them behind German fortifications to flank and secure the invasion zone Tough young men making history which some of them would never get a chance to read Historic France with memories of ancient invaders was being invaded again This time airplanes had ferried hosts of allied warriors to the Normandy battle ground The element of surprise was effective as airborne troops some led by General Matthew Ridgeway Dropped in the appointed areas behind the proposed landing beaches Now the battle to control the gateway to France Then we had delivered from the skies were launching the liberation of Europe All this time hundreds of troop-laden invasion craft were leaving England June saw the highest winds and roughest seas experienced in the English Channel for 20 years D-Day was no picnic at busy airfields ranging from Devon to Lincolnshire We marked our aircraft with D-Day stripes and loaded them with reinforcements Everything from motorcycles to howitzers and armies of men Last-minute hookups were ordered Almost a year ago. We had run a similar glider operation to Sicily Then is now under the watchful eye of men like General White Vandenberg We prepared for the big show The plan after a night drop now called for reinforcements headed for Normandy to accomplish a miracle We were engaged in more than airlifting troops and weapons air power leading actor in the prelude to invasion Now played another important role in the unfolding drama that was D-Day Airplanes commanded by generals Kepner Anderson Cassata and Wayland rolled off British fields to cover and directly support the allied armies about to hit the beach The pre-D-Day timetable also called for our planes to warn the French Plains to divert the enemy planes to smash German radar and communications Plains to attack rail centers bridges and airfields 8,000 planes dispatched to isolate the battle area from the rest of France and help the allies grab a foothold on Western Europe as we left England all of us felt the high drama of armies of men joined in the historic flight across the channel Bearing witness to the mighty spectacle where the allied seaborn forces escorting the US first army and the British second army for the greatest The invasion schedule now called for a tremendous naval overture I'm axing the attack We went into demolish critical bridges key roads and rail arteries leading into the battle area as well as German radar and fortifications along the coast By D-Day 74 tunnels and bridges leading to Normandy were put out of business No one would have given our reinforcements and wooden gliders better than an even chance of living through the next hour Much less the next day In our favor we had mastery of the air. We achieved complete surprise We had guys with guts and faith and freedom on our side Flying cover over the invasion armada we watched our guys get ready to hit the beach Even the Germans didn't interrupt the show. No you boats practically no lukewarm freedom was on the mark Not realizing the extent of the force opposing them the Germans tried to stop the invasion General Ike had promised his assault troops if you see any airplanes. Don't worry. There'll be ours He was right We were there with a vengeance We flew in at right angles to the British assault points in the American beaches we called Omaha and Utah Paving the way we bombed continuously until minutes before the landing Then racing taught the beach the assault force opened up H hour and waves of free men hit the beach Normandy from the Sherburne Peninsula eastward to the mouth of the same shook with a tremendous roar of battle Hard crust of the German West wall was broken the landing stuck Unceasingly the allies poured man and material into the flame swept rim of France Try as he would the enemy could not push the allies into the sea Our planes hunted the German Air Force. Where were they? The cripple look water had been pulled back to defend their fatherland Protected by Allied air power the road to final victory was open That moment in history called D-Day will never die It spelled life to those who were enslaved a time of greatness to those who battled a Lesson to would be aggressors D-Day climax of many forces was spearheaded by the United States Air Force