D-Day, June 6, 1944: Enduring Lessons from the Beaches of Operation OVERLORD

Reflections on World War II Leadership, Strategy and Sacrifice from the Allied landings on Normandy

Perhaps no other military operation in history is as widely recognized by the simple military planning term as “D-Day.” On June 6, 1944, now 81 years ago today, the largest and most complex multinational amphibious assault in history began the liberation of Western Europe after four years of Nazi occupation. D-Day united forces from the U.S., U.K., Canada, and other Allies in a shared fight against tyranny and endures today as a powerful symbol of sacrifice, freedom, and democratic unity.

Operation OVERLORD, commanded by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, involved 156,000 Allied troops, including 24,000 paratroopers, supported by 5,000 ships and 12,000 aircraft converging on a 50-mile stretch of the Normandy coast. The names of the landing beaches—Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword —are forever etched in history as symbols of courage. By day’s end, over 4,400 Allied soldiers had lost their lives. OVERLORD opened the door to the final campaign that ended in the defeat of Nazi Germany on May …