A huge thanks to Findmypast (one of our favorite resources!) for helping us uncover some fascinating details we incorporated into this documentary. Start building your own FREE family tree on Findmypast today and see what you discover!battleguide.co.uk/findmypast
I knew a man growing up who had been in the other companies that got slaughtered in minutes in front of WN62. He kept fighting despite being shot. He said he counted about 30 others who had made it through the initial run to the bluffs, and most of them were injured. When I asked him why they kept fighting, he said they knew the next wave was coming shortly behind them, so they had to do what they could to keep them from suffering the same fate. Truly the greatest generation.
How did he know it was WN62? All of the resistance points were identified and published on the famous Bogus maps distributed to all of the participants well in advance of June 6. But I did not uncover the enumeration and German nomenclature that labeled each one until much later. I would love to hear more about that hero soldier and his experiences!
At the 44 second mark, that soldier on the right side of the screen is my Uncle Marty. He was a member of the 2nd Ranger Battalion that took Point Dou Hoc. God bless you Uncle Marty. I almost fell off the chair when I saw his face . What a great surprise to see this man in his finest hour with all his brothers in Arms.
Its 10 AM on the 6th June 2024, watching these boys go ashore, many of whom would not return, from the comfort of my kitchen, struck by the significance of that, with growing emotion and gratitude. An excellent production.
Crazy that there’s still guys alive that fought here. They’re getting so few now. They were built different back then, I’m thankful for their sacrifice.
My Uncle was a Korean War vet... came home full of bullet holes, a lump of shrapnel from Chinese artillery lodged in the back of his head and one leg shorter than the other. He was some man!
I don’t think they were all that different from current generation. Look to Ukraine - when the bullies came calling again, the people of Ukraine fought like lions. We still have that in us. Never forget.
My grandpa landed on Omaha with the 1st division, 16th regiment I company. He had already served north Africa and Sicily. He has been gone since 2014 at age 95. Isn't a day goes by I don't think of him.
Mine landed in Utah, D-Day +4. He’d been drafted in 1939 and was literally on the train ride home after completing his service when the train stopped and an officer walked through to tell all the men that Pearl Harbor had been attacked and they weren’t going home. He ended up going to North Africa and Sicily, fighting over 200 combat days… had he not already seen so much action he’d probably have been in the first wave on DDay, and who knows if I’d be here today. Anyhoo, god bless our grandfathers and all the men who fought.
I worked with a man yrs ago he also did Africa an sicly an Normandy 18 young an dumb he said he lied his age to get it he was in the 16th all he ever said he watched over 1500 men die in a matter of 15 minutes he passed away in the early 90s Dean holden was his name from Ligonier indiana may he r.i.p
This is one of the best videos I've seen that describes the events on Omaha Beach. I visited Normandy and Omaha Beach several months ago and even though I have studied the Normandy invasion for years, I was surprised to see the high bluffs behind the beach that this video so well describes. I also visited the cemetery and witnessed the end of day retreat. Very moving ceremony. Those guys truly were the greatest generation!
the owner of the company I worked for in the 80s was on Omaha beach and he had our attention one day and told us what he went through on Omaha beach...his stories were amazing...such a wonderful man who saw horrors none of us could even imagine
We owe these men so much. My father was in the 82nd Airborne and jumped at Ste. Mere Eglise. He fought all the way to Germany and was in the 82nd Honor Guard, awarded a Purple Heart for being wounded by the shrapnel from a German "88" in Hurtgen Forest. He never much talked about it and looking back now I know he had PTSD for he turned to alcohol to ease the pain. Like many others, he suffered long after the war.
So sad for those who died and for the survivors who have to live with the PTSD trauma and pain and disabilities from wartime wounds. Salute to them - the greatest generation that ever lived. Sad that there are so few remaining survivors, in their late 90s and 100+ But glad that the 80th Anniversary is centred around them, sad that this will probably be their last major commemoration
@JamesHolben My great grandfather was in the 82nd for a brief moment. He was with the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment in North Africa (Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia) and later the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne in Sicily. After the campaign ended, he was then sent back to England to prepare for Operation Overlord when he was transferred to the 101st Airborne and jumped into Normandy, and again into Holland. He also participated in the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne and Operation Grenade (Central Europe). He had made 4 combat jumps during the war. He survived and passed away in 2006. Technician 4th Grade John J. Lower 1919-2006 Maybe he knew your father. Do you know what unit of the 82nd your father served in?
Your dad saw some **** between St. Mere Eglise and the bloodbath that was the Hurtgen Forest. Nobody should have a gripe when this generation is called The Greatest Generation. One uncle was an Army Major in Germany. My dad was a sergeant stationed in Newfoundland. Two other uncles were in the Navy. All came back alive.
Whereas, our Prime Minister had none, deeming it more important to return to the UK to record a TV interview than paying his respects to all those who were killed and injured on Omaha and Utah beaches and standing, united in respect with the other world leaders, actions he has been rightly condemned for in all the UK media and online platforms.
I am writing this as I sit in the comfort of my AirBnb on Omaha Beach, literally within 50 meters of E1 Draw and WN 65. This is an absolutely amazing way to tell the story of these men, and the combination of modern aerial photography with historical photographs really brings things into perspective.
Yes I agree and that's so cool you get to be in an Airbnb in Omaha beach I hope you enjoyed that experience and History there and by the way I can't help but noticed the unique combat footage used from the Normandy landings I have never seen these footage anywhere
I stayed with my family in an AirBnB on Omaha Beach 5 years ago after the 75th anniversary. It’s truly humbling to be there and see firsthand what our soldiers and sailors faced and overcame on that fateful day!
My dad was also in the 29th infantry in the 2nd wave. He never talked about D Day and rarely about the war. He died of Alzheimer's at 94 yrs and in his last stages his mind had regressed back during the war time, which he got very sad and only talked about killing Germans. His name was Joe and they called him GI Joe. He did have some unusual souvenirs, a money belt with various notes and coins of the war time nations, and post cards of that time of various spots in Europe (which we donated to to the D Day museum in New Orleans). Another note: he had a twin and two other brothers (4 brother total) who fought in the war. They Had been separated by the military and assigned to different areas: Dad was ETO, his twin was in the PTO (Guam) and one was a Marine, PTO and the other was in the Navy PTO. They all made it through.
Having a Dad who fought in WW2, but in the Polish Army, I didn't hear any stories about events like D-Day from him or other Polish Army vets we knew. So thank you so much for making this well done video which explains the events so well. The graphics, and period photos, and current photos of the beaches etc helped me understand this important day better. Thanks so much for all your work!
I toured Omaha Beach and was shown a German mg position on the south end of the beach which was infiladeing the sea wall where the GIs were taking shelter. The French local history guide said this position probably was responsible for many, many deaths until Navy destroyers came in close and neutralized this position. I was an infantryman in the 70s and when I saw this field of fire a year came to my eyes thinking about the carnage. Glory to those soldiers who braved that fire and achieved victory. I will never forget.
I knew a man who was one of those who ferried American troops ashore in a landing craft that day. I've not seen him for a number of years, so I imagine time has caught up with him. He was still upset about what happened to those young men he'd landed (I spoke to him almost a decade ago); he knew many of them were killed. He hated landing them, but everybody had their job to do.
Fantastic!! I'm currently watching this at a camp site in france we have just returned from our visit to omaha Beach. The atmosphere there today has been ecstatic trucks,willie jeeps, dukw's!! This video is perfect timing!
This is an excellent reconstruction. I love the way you correlate historic photographs with the landscape today. I love the way you orientate the pictures from the position of the attacking troops again excellent job one of the best explainer videos out there on D-Day.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️ for putting this out. I am in absolute awe of these brave men who gave this lives in the name of freedom. God bless the allied force.
I've been studying this battle for 55 years, and never gained the insight that this presentation provided. Thank you. I just recommended it to my son who is an infantryman in the U.S. Army.
I'm from Owensboro, KY and several years ago I met one of Lt. Spalding's sons, who was the branch manager of the bank I was using. When he learned of my interest in World War II history, he told me about his father. He left that bank years ago and I have no idea where he went. I recently found the news paper article at the local library and made copies. I also found a few books that mention him as one of the heroes of D Day. I drove by his house a week or so ago, where he was killed, and it is still standing.
For those that don’t know a “cooper” is someone who makes barrels, not gun barrels, barrels for things like beer 🍺 and liquor 🍹, that’s what John Spaldings fathers trade was, and it was a highly skilled trade. It Is amazing that despite the meticulous planning and covert recce missions that the men ended up being dropped a lot further out from the shoreline than was planned, the conditions that day were about as bad as they could have been, whole sections being blown off course and the depth of the water they were forced to negotiate led to a situation where they might have failed, but due to their determination, training and testicles made of steel they succeeded in starting the drive to destroy the Nazis and allies in north Europe, there can be no argument, these men and all that served were and still are the greatest generation. Lest We Forget. Per Ardua Ad Astra, Rest In Peace, you did your part and can Stand-Down.
I have been researching the D-Day campaign since the 1970s. Spent days in the Captured Documents section of the National Archives in DC. Designed the wargame The Longest Day published by Avalon Hill in 1980. Although my research ended 40 years ago, I find this presentation unique and outstanding. The maps and graphics are exquisite and the photographs of the terrain are eye-opening. Clearly, I undervalued the bluffs and draws on Omaha that was made wonderfully apparent in your video. An amazing piece of work on your part. I commend you and thank you!
One of my history teachers back in highschool said his grandfather had landed on Omaha Beach in the first wave as a combat engineer. I'm not sure if he was apart of the 1st or 29th Infantry. There are 3 things I remember he spoke of during that day. * While running up the beach, a soldier next to him had his head blown off after an artillery shell landed not too far from them. * He was shot through the cheek and fell down onto the ground. As another GI came by to help him up. He was shot and killed. * Later that night as they had secured the beach. He remembers laying on the ground and shaking from being so cold. I very much enjoyed this video. I wish we had more videos on each of the sectors that those men had landed on. Its seems almost every video I see usually either shows Dog Green or Fox Red. There also isn't really a lot of details on those men that day had fought their way off the beach and inland. Clearing out pillboxes and trenches as fast as they could, while the poor souls still stuck on the beach were taking fire. Its hard to try and imagine the pure exhaustion, yet adrenaline these guys must have felt every step they took. Seeing your buddies get hit left and right and all you can do is push on in order to achieve the objective. Brave men that day and we can't forget them. Awesome video.
There is a monument to the combat engineers on Omaha beach. I believe they preceded the first wave. They were to blast out and remove beach obstacles. They took very heavy casualties.
Outstanding presentation. Most commentaries focus on the slaughter of the infantry who landed in front of the strong points, but there were boats that were able to land relatively unscathed between the strong points. Somebody was fighting successfully. The greatest words that were heard from the beach were “infantry advancing”.
My wife and I just returned from a trip to France and a day tour of Omaha beach. Your video is excellent. I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in D-Day to visit the Normandy beaches. It is a moving experience and you gain a full appreciation of the complexity of the operation and bravery of those boys. When you visit the cemetery it is overwhelming to see what 9,380 graves looks like. May all those heroes to whom we all owe so much rest in peace.
My buddy’s dad was named George Hjorth. He was an early TV actor as a child. He escorted Shirley Temple to the academy awards. He didn’t like acting and went behind the camera. When WWII started he joined and was assigned to the OSS (before the CIA). They would parachute him behind enemy lines to film V rockets and such. He was parachuted in a few days prior to D Day. He was assisted by the French resistance. He was told to stow his cameras at the bluff. He spent a few days in town wearing French clothes. He would go to the coffee shops while the Nazis were walking around. He followed orders and slept under the bluff and as ordered filmed back from the bluff. Georgetown University is looking for the missing film. George was with the OSS and was kicked out of the room. He never saw the film again and neither did anyone else. There was a nice article about this in the LA Times.
Just came back from going to Normandy with our children and grandkids. I fought in Viet Nam for almost 2 years and while I was in Normandy I thought how these men didn’t have tours they did their job day in and day out with no sight of going home, unless they were wounded badly or killed. Very humbling place, especially looking at all the crosses and what all these men gave. God bless you all and thank you for your service.
On this Day in 1944, 6th June, my Grandma and Grandad would have been children, hiding in the Bomb shelters with their Mothers and other distant past family members, R.I.P to all those Soldiers and innocent lives that died during WW2.
My Dad survived Pearl Harbor on the USS West Virginia. After his wounds, he jumped on the USS Pensacola and was involved in many, many battles. Double Purple Heart recipient.
@@johnfontana8707 I wonder if they knew each other? My dad died in 2010. Clarence Tibado was his friend. This YT video talks about my dad a bit: th-cam.com/video/wK4KRnjIdVI/w-d-xo.html
This is an excellent account of that fateful day and the bravery and sacrifice of those men tasked with securing Omaha beach. It is chilling to think of what they must have been through. Not to mention the long-lasting effects suffered by the survivors.
I went to normandy last year. Visited all the beaches. Checked out many of those WN'S. I have watched many of documentaries about d-day, and films, but its not until you actually stand in the place where it all began it really hits you, Great video mate, loved it!!!.
My father and I stayed in an AirBNB right next to the Vierville draw on Omaha last year, walking all the way out on the beach at low tide and looking back at that vast expanse of beach in front of you gives a perspective you just can't get when looking at pictures and films. The thought of having to cross that distance while cold, wet and loaded with gear and under fire is staggering. The men that performed this task can never be given enough respect.
Thank you for telling the story of the unit. You can miss the personal story when D day was so massive. And to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice I sey THANK YOU . AND TO ALL THOSE THAT CAME HOME I SAY THANK YOU
A stark contrast from your accomadations to theirs. Bless them. Their sacrifices gave us our freedom. And you can physically see where it happened. That is a gift thats not easily afforded. You'll treasure it for the rest of your life.
Outstanding initiative on your and your production team's part Dan! I don't think I've ever seen a finer breakdown of a company-sized combat action than what you've presented here in under 20-mins. Geo-referencing current topography to 1944 geography made all the difference too, bringing your audience as close to "being there" as possible. I've read dozens of history and biographies re WWII, and this is the only means by which I've been able to follow the action so closely in both space and time. Also, by personalizing it to a few key individuals as proxies, you did justice to the men who fought alongside them. Clearly, these men had a hole card in TSgt Streczyk who already had earned three Silver Stars! Thanks greatly for taking the time and making the effort to create this Battle Guide episode. It worked on all fronts! ...and yes, that Polish machine gunner was VERY fortunate to survive the day. Very fortunate indeed. BZ!
My wife and I were at Coleville-sur-Mer in 2019 to pay our respects to the fallen heroes. It was a very traumatising and humble experience . Near the statue of Our Lady there are steps leading from the bluff down to the beach. Each metre there was a block of granite inscribed with brief statements made by the survivors who made it from the landing. They read * IT WAS MURDEROUS * TO HAVE SURVIVED IS THE REAL TRIUMPH * WE ALL HAD A SENSE OF PURPOSE * MY GUARDIAN ANGEL MUST HAVE BEEN WITH ME We couldn't walk any further out of respect to the fallen as we felt it was sacred ground. Around us were people from all places that had tears in their eyes. So did we. We are not Americans but everyone owes much to the men who gave their lives so we can live without tyranny. thank you for the opportunity to share out story.
Thanks to all the heroes! Alive or dead it doesn't matter today June 6... From a Swede who celebrates both the national day of Sweden and of course thinks of D-Day! Will never be forgotten
Excellent video, it was small groups of brave determined men who broke Rommel’s Atlantic Wall. Thanks for filling in this part of the battle. I had the privilege of visiting Omaha years ago, hallowed ground.
Thank you for this. Infantry courage, suffering, and resolute commitment to mission accomplishment should always be honored and never taken for granted. God Bless for keeping their memory alive.
I've grown so weary and skeptical of videos on TH-cam about WWII and D-Day, particularly because so many of them are narrated by 19-year-olds or ridiculous A.I. voices, both of which obviously were obviously researched only on Wikipedia. This video is clearly well researched and is narrated by a genuine mature commentator. Nicely done.
Thank you so much for this. I was at that very location just two weeks ago. It was incredibly emotional and moving for me to stand on the beach realizing all the sacrifices those brave young men made to provide our freedom. God Bless Them.
In the 80th anniversary on Normandy I had the privilege of talking with one of the few survivors left of that day. I was on my holidays and I was curious because I wanted to know from of them about that day. He was carrying a flamethrower in D-Day. There was so much respect for the soldiers carrying that weapon, because they all knew the terrifying deaths this weapon could inflict both to the enemy and the soldier himself if it got shot. He told me he still remembered the stench of blood in the beach, the bullets scratching his helmet twice and the red water from all the corpses. He would still feel shocks whenever fireworks were fired where he lives, reminding him of that horrific day. They were truly heroes.
Very well done video! Pointing out the concrete block was an eye opener for me as I did see it on several occasions looking for a trace of the ruins. Incidentally this was the same spot where war photographer Capa went ashore, just left of the Roman ruins. As you pointed out very well it was a dead spot between two German WN's (62 and 63).
My uncle Andrew was KIA on D-Day on Omaha Beach. After doing some research I found that he was buried in the Normandy American Cemetary located in Collevile-Sur-Mer France. Does anyone know if that is the cemetery where Omaha Beach casualties were buried? I ask because there was a further rumor that Andrew survived the Beach landing but was KIA in another secret in-land action. The location of the cemetery seemed to indicate he might have been killed more inland. My father and 3 uncles who all served in the European theater have all passed on now. I cannot imagine the bravery of the men of the Greatest Generation. And everyone literally ran to Enlist. My Uncle Stanley served in a Chemical Batallion as well as became a "Flame Thrower". He never would speak a word of his experiences. My Aunt later told me as she was the Matriarch and the last surviving family member of that generation. I only knew that they said Stanley had 9 lives as all the Flame Throwers were killed in quick fashion. Geez. Right makes Might. I also notice how the video mentioned a couple of time of Polish soldiers from NJ....my three uncles were all Polish, my grandfather born in Warsaw where he married my grandmother. Those Polish men were fearless.
It is powerful because it tells not only of these great heroes battles and war, but the battles with PTSD after coming home. These men mostly kept the agony within their minds and souls strictly to themselves. After being seriously wounded in South Vietnam, I was fortunate enough to find a group of other Vietnam veterans who would also lost their legs and skied. Meeting them literally changed the trajectory of my life.
Killer video guys. Great job as always. Really appreciate the amount of legwork that went into putting this together, ensuring our vets aren't forgotten.
Thanks very much... yeah site visits are oft under-appreciated on YT videos, but our team certainly put in the leg work. Very little of our drone or on the ground footage is others work!
This has to be the best video on Omaha I have ever seen! The way you laid out overlays on today's photos and then tell about the men, well, I was hooked before 2:06. When you mentioned Higgins boats my chest filled up with happiness and longing for my grandmother who died in 1966. She was Andrew Higgins' personal stenographer and chief of the stenography section. Her name was Rhue Nolan McKinnon. She and my grandfather left Jackson, Mississippi, for the duration of the war. Grandpa had navy service in WW1 as one of the first Sonar operators aboard a submarine, the K2. In New Orelans he joined the volunteer coastguard and was made officer because of his previous experiences. He worked the night shift guarding the piers at Higgins. His name was Norman Arnold McKinnon and I wanted to grow up to be like him... too close for comfort though, both my grandmother and wife died of the same cancer at the same age. I have loads of Higgins stuff and grew up in my grandfather's home, there were pictures of Andrew Higgins and the landing craft and PT boats and the battleship New Hampshire which he briefly served on before transferring to submarine service.
Great to hear the historical connection. Unfortunately, there’s so many people who’ve watched the Saving Private Ryan opening scene and are now convinced that the Higgins boat was a flawed design. There are those, including myself that have spent a fair bit of time correcting this misperception but almost everyday, someone brings it up on a SPR movie reaction or clip.
@@mako88sb It was in the simplest form like the British landing craft. The thing about the Higgins boat is that we were fighting two wars at once. They were made fast and furious to meet the demands of both wars. Then along came the buffalo which could swim up onto dry land and continue on its dual purpose tracks and then unload from the rear. Eisenhower wanted these for D-Day and the navy gave him a date for delivery that was too far in the future for the planned invasion. But as a conventional role landing craft, there were no flaws in them. And there were five built by former WW2 Higgins boat company employees in the one building left, which was the start of the WW2 museum in New Orleans. They made them exactly the same. One of those is in the museum now, along with a Buffalo. Why do people think they were flawed? I would be interested to know. My grandmother was Andrew Higgin's personal stenographer from'43-45. Opps, I forgot that I already mentioned that... or did I? I love my grandmother, have not seen her since November 65.
@@LeveretteJamesClifford1955 Thanks for the additional information. As for why some think the design is flawed, it’s simply because how Saving Private Ryan shows the troops getting mowed down by MG fire as soon as the front ramp drops. You wouldn’t believe how many have written comments basically asking: “why would they design it this way? Why not have the exit on the sides or out the back?” Yes, I know, pretty ridiculous. Like I said, some other commenters, including me have pointed out the numerous benefits of the Higgins boat. Plus the fact that front ramps are used to this day. Most of those complaining never thought to take a few minutes to do some basic research before displaying their ignorance in the comments section. Btw, in case you don’t know, the actual person in charge of C Company, 2nd Rangers was Captain Ralph Gorenson. I read his account of what happened that day and it wasn’t MG fire that caused the casualties. It was a quick succession of 4 artillery rounds hitting them soon after landing that caused all the wounded and killed while still loaded.
@@mako88sb Are those the Rangers who were swept away from Pont du Hoc? I have a book produced by the Army after the war called Small Unit Actions of the US Army in the European theater. It goes all the way past when the German artillery was found and destroyed by thermite grenades until they were finally relieved. In it there was a great deal of fighting with Germans trying to dislodge them over the days it took for the beach to be unified. During that time a lot of Americans ran out of ammunition and then started using German weapons which led to some friendly fire tragedies. Interestingly enough there were a lot of Rangers in the Hürten forest used as regular infantry until someone realized that there were Rangers who should be used as Rangers and then things started to really happen for the Americans. My pet peeve now is why most people wrongly call the Me109 a Bf109. Rather than me telling the story I found a video that describes it with photos of everything and includes a response by Willie Messerschmitt to that error. th-cam.com/video/XtJT14InwF0/w-d-xo.html
@@LeveretteJamesClifford1955 No, the movie is accurate that Captain Ralph Goranson and C Company, 2nd Rangers were always intended to land in the 1st wave at Omaha. They landed at Charlie Sector instead of Dog Green though. The book I got this information from is by Robert Black and is titled The Battalion. It’s about the 2nd Rangers during WW2. Definitely worth reading.
I live in Bayeux, between Omaha and Gold. Often, I go on Omaha, on Le Ruquet or WN60. Thank you for your documentary, this winter I'm going to back on Omaha with the history of theses soldiers in my memory. Thank you so much !!
I’ve watched years of D-Day documentaries, WW2 documentaries and live 10 minutes from Omaha beach in Normandy… this is by far the best documentary I’ve seen. Outstanding work guys. Great visuals. Great info. Great research and great commentary.
my dad was there that morning. He was with the 147th combat engineers, 6th engineers special brigade. They were aboard LCI (L) US 91. It struck a mine as it neared the dog white sector then was pummeled by German 88's. There is a pic of a WN that I believe is WN 72. His pic says "we landed 100 yards from here". Another pic he took is that of the wrecked US 91. He returned to Omaha Beach after the war. The US 91 was still in the same spot. His pic of the US 91 is next to my comment. Thank you dad.
Was it the 146th Combat Engineers instead of the 147th? My Dad was with the 146th and was on one of the Gap Teams that went in at T minus 5 before any ohters to clear the obstacles. They were the ones with the Bangalor as well as 500lbs of TNT in their boats to blow the obstacles. It ws Company A of the 146th command ed by Capt.Sam Ball. I went to many annual reunions of Company A over the years and got to knwo these men welll and heard many stories.
@@RussellTackett-kl9tj: I'm absolutely positive it was the 147th. My dad even gave me a pin from the 55th anniversary of D-Day. It says "147th combat engineers, 6th engineers special brigade 1st wave. I understand the 146th was there too.🇺🇲🇺🇲 next to my reply is a pic of my dad's LCI, the US 91. It struck an underwater mine as it neered the Dog White sector. He took that pic after the war. He wrote a caption on the bottom of that pic that states "D+480"
Hats off to the maker of this video! Well done and it splendidly keeps alive an important event in world history. Also, the documenting of the sad post war lives of two men was very moving and showed the later cost of the events of that day: brave men yes, but real men as well!
Hands up or not, if I'd fought my way right up to a machine gun having lost friends on the way, I honest don't think I could have accepted any surrender. Must have been really tough to take prisoners in the heat of battle.
Thanks. This video has given me a clear and complete understanding of D-Day. Wonderful. Whoever made this has a rare talent for story-telling. That was brilliant. High-quality content 👏
Thanks Battle Guide for the Video . This is the first time I have heard a complete picture of a Landing Company and how they survived during and after . Everything else for 40 years had been at Divisional or Corps level of Army organisation. Standing applause from me dude !
I must be honest and say this video auto played after another D-Day video. I was not expecting much and couldn't be bother to stop it, while on my phone. As I listened I put my phone down and was engrossed by the story and quality of the video. One of the best I have seen and best reaserched videos to date. Thank you for your efforts and the stories and names of these brave men.
My wife’s grandma was born and raised in East Brunswick NJ, I’m from Trenton NJ. I’m going to ask her about T/Sgt. Streczyk and see if she remembers him. Thank you for this video. Job well done 👏
One of my kids asked me a couple of days ago what the Greatest Generation did to merit that name. My reply was "They kept going forward when it was hardest."
I wonder what led to his sad ending? Was she mentally Ill or did his screams in the night cause her to do what she did? Perhaps she relieved him of his agony!Without more details we’ll never know.
I really appreciate these in-depth small stories and details of some of the men, you make it so powerful by individualizing these men, they're real people And what they had to go through after the war So many people don't really realize. Very few "fighting" soldiers survived from D-Day to VE-day
A huge thanks to Findmypast (one of our favorite resources!) for helping us uncover some fascinating details we incorporated into this documentary. Start building your own FREE family tree on Findmypast today and see what you discover!battleguide.co.uk/findmypast
big props for having a related yet highly un-intrusive sponsorship
@@TheNinjaGumball thank you. :)
This vídeo is awesome!
Thanks for sharing!
I love it ❤
@@BattleGuideVT Great video, but leave it to a British guy to say someone is working class. 😀
One man unlocked Utah Beach...
I knew a man growing up who had been in the other companies that got slaughtered in minutes in front of WN62. He kept fighting despite being shot. He said he counted about 30 others who had made it through the initial run to the bluffs, and most of them were injured. When I asked him why they kept fighting, he said they knew the next wave was coming shortly behind them, so they had to do what they could to keep them from suffering the same fate. Truly the greatest generation.
Thanks for the comment and sharing your story!
How did he know it was WN62? All of the resistance points were identified and published on the famous Bogus maps distributed to all of the participants well in advance of June 6. But I did not uncover the enumeration and German nomenclature that labeled each one until much later. I would love to hear more about that hero soldier and his experiences!
@@randallreed9048 he didn't specify WN62, but based off his unit and his account of what happened to him on the beach, I pieced together WN62.
@@TaskForce_Raccoon Understood. Must have been some great conversations!
@TaskForce_Raccoon done with perfect credibility, I would guess!
This is better told and more gripping than the movies designed to entertain. Well done.
Glad you enjoyed it thanks for the kind comment.
Here here
At the 44 second mark, that soldier on the right side of the screen is my Uncle Marty. He was a member of the 2nd Ranger Battalion that took Point Dou Hoc. God bless you Uncle Marty. I almost fell off the chair when I saw his face . What a great surprise to see this man in his finest hour with all his brothers in Arms.
Wow! Absolutely incredible that someone has recognised a relative in a WW2 photograph. Thank you to him and his comrades. I hope he lived a full life.
👍🙏
That is quite remarkable !
Wow.
Wow man ...that's great
Its 10 AM on the 6th June 2024, watching these boys go ashore, many of whom would not return, from the comfort of my kitchen, struck by the significance of that, with growing emotion and gratitude. An excellent production.
Well said and thank you for the kind comment.
Real nice words. I couldn't agree more.
Crazy that there’s still guys alive that fought here. They’re getting so few now. They were built different back then, I’m thankful for their sacrifice.
They stay in our minds but the Korean war vets dont
My Uncle was a Korean War vet... came home full of bullet holes, a lump of shrapnel from Chinese artillery lodged in the back of his head and one leg shorter than the other. He was some man!
@@robert48044 turns out not wiwinning is different than winning. It's the same reason Vietnam and even GWOT vets are ignored.
I don’t think they were all that different from current generation. Look to Ukraine - when the bullies came calling again, the people of Ukraine fought like lions. We still have that in us. Never forget.
Ill be emotional for a long time if i hear the last surviving ww2 vet passes ive always wanted to meet one
My grandpa landed on Omaha with the 1st division, 16th regiment I company. He had already served north Africa and Sicily. He has been gone since 2014 at age 95. Isn't a day goes by I don't think of him.
Dont ever forget him or the men like him!
Thank you and your family, Salute to your father.
True American Hero.
Mine landed in Utah, D-Day +4. He’d been drafted in 1939 and was literally on the train ride home after completing his service when the train stopped and an officer walked through to tell all the men that Pearl Harbor had been attacked and they weren’t going home. He ended up going to North Africa and Sicily, fighting over 200 combat days… had he not already seen so much action he’d probably have been in the first wave on DDay, and who knows if I’d be here today.
Anyhoo, god bless our grandfathers and all the men who fought.
I worked with a man yrs ago he also did Africa an sicly an Normandy 18 young an dumb he said he lied his age to get it he was in the 16th all he ever said he watched over 1500 men die in a matter of 15 minutes he passed away in the early 90s Dean holden was his name from Ligonier indiana may he r.i.p
This is one of the best videos I've seen that describes the events on Omaha Beach. I visited Normandy and Omaha Beach several months ago and even though I have studied the Normandy invasion for years, I was surprised to see the high bluffs behind the beach that this video so well describes. I also visited the cemetery and witnessed the end of day retreat. Very moving ceremony. Those guys truly were the greatest generation!
Thank you so much... too kind.
Used to be that I thought that Super Heroes only existed in comic books but they landed on that beach some are buried in the adjoining cemetery
the owner of the company I worked for in the 80s was on Omaha beach and he had our attention one day and told us what he went through on Omaha beach...his stories were amazing...such a wonderful man who saw horrors none of us could even imagine
I was there a week ago, and too was blown away by the height of the bluffs. It’s hard to fathom how brave these men were
We owe these men so much. My father was in the 82nd Airborne and jumped at Ste. Mere Eglise. He fought all the way to Germany and was in the 82nd Honor Guard, awarded a Purple Heart for being wounded by the shrapnel from a German "88" in Hurtgen Forest. He never much talked about it and looking back now I know he had PTSD for he turned to alcohol to ease the pain. Like many others, he suffered long after the war.
So sad for those who died and for the survivors who have to live with the PTSD trauma and pain and disabilities from wartime wounds.
Salute to them - the greatest generation that ever lived.
Sad that there are so few remaining survivors, in their late 90s and 100+
But glad that the 80th Anniversary is centred around them, sad that this will probably be their last major commemoration
God bless your Dad and your family… Thank you
@JamesHolben
My great grandfather was in the 82nd for a brief moment. He was with the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment in North Africa (Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia) and later the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne in Sicily. After the campaign ended, he was then sent back to England to prepare for Operation Overlord when he was transferred to the 101st Airborne and jumped into Normandy, and again into Holland. He also participated in the Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne and Operation Grenade (Central Europe). He had made 4 combat jumps during the war. He survived and passed away in 2006.
Technician 4th Grade John J. Lower 1919-2006
Maybe he knew your father. Do you know what unit of the 82nd your father served in?
Thanks to your dad. I was in the 1 508th from 80-83.
Your dad saw some **** between St. Mere Eglise and the bloodbath that was the Hurtgen Forest. Nobody should have a gripe when this generation is called The Greatest Generation. One uncle was an Army Major in Germany. My dad was a sergeant stationed in Newfoundland. Two other uncles were in the Navy. All came back alive.
Nothing but respect for all those brave souls who fought courageously and gave up their lives for something greater than themselves.
Well said.
Whereas, our Prime Minister had none, deeming it more important to return to the UK to record a TV interview than paying his respects to all those who were killed and injured on Omaha and Utah beaches and standing, united in respect with the other world leaders, actions he has been rightly condemned for in all the UK media and online platforms.
“For something greater than themselves.” I can think of no greater praise. God bless them.
I am writing this as I sit in the comfort of my AirBnb on Omaha Beach, literally within 50 meters of E1 Draw and WN 65. This is an absolutely amazing way to tell the story of these men, and the combination of modern aerial photography with historical photographs really brings things into perspective.
Yes I agree and that's so cool you get to be in an Airbnb in Omaha beach I hope you enjoyed that experience and History there and by the way I can't help but noticed the unique combat footage used from the Normandy landings I have never seen these footage anywhere
I stayed with my family in an AirBnB on Omaha Beach 5 years ago after the 75th anniversary. It’s truly humbling to be there and see firsthand what our soldiers and sailors faced and overcame on that fateful day!
I was up the beach from you on Sword in Ouistreham at the same time.....
My dad landed with the 29th infantry Div that day. He would never talk about it. He died in 2007. I always miss him on June 6th.
A burden so many carried after the conflict.
I thank you're late father. I read the book on the 29th. An amazing brave division.
Salute to your family, Thank you
God Bless your Dad !!
My dad was also in the 29th infantry in the 2nd wave. He never talked about D Day and rarely about the war. He died of Alzheimer's at 94 yrs and in his last stages his mind had regressed back during the war time, which he got very sad and only talked about killing Germans. His name was Joe and they called him GI Joe. He did have some unusual souvenirs, a money belt with various notes and coins of the war time nations, and post cards of that time of various spots in Europe (which we donated to to the D Day museum in New Orleans).
Another note: he had a twin and two other brothers (4 brother total) who fought in the war. They Had been separated by the military and assigned to different areas: Dad was ETO, his twin was in the PTO (Guam) and one was a Marine, PTO and the other was in the Navy PTO. They all made it through.
Having a Dad who fought in WW2, but in the Polish Army, I didn't hear any stories about events like D-Day from him or other Polish Army vets we knew. So thank you so much for making this well done video which explains the events so well. The graphics, and period photos, and current photos of the beaches etc helped me understand this important day better. Thanks so much for all your work!
I toured Omaha Beach and was shown a German mg position on the south end of the beach which was infiladeing the sea wall where the GIs were taking shelter. The French local history guide said this position probably was responsible for many, many deaths until Navy destroyers came in close and neutralized this position. I was an infantryman in the 70s and when I saw this field of fire a year came to my eyes thinking about the carnage. Glory to those soldiers who braved that fire and achieved victory. I will never forget.
Rest in peace to all of the heroes that lost their lives in this conflict. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.
I knew a man who was one of those who ferried American troops ashore in a landing craft that day. I've not seen him for a number of years, so I imagine time has caught up with him. He was still upset about what happened to those young men he'd landed (I spoke to him almost a decade ago); he knew many of them were killed. He hated landing them, but everybody had their job to do.
We owe these men so much. Ordinary lads who displayed extraordinary courage and resolve. God bless them.
Fantastic!! I'm currently watching this at a camp site in france we have just returned from our visit to
omaha Beach. The atmosphere there today has been ecstatic trucks,willie jeeps, dukw's!! This video is perfect timing!
Have a great few days mate.
A gut-wrenching but vital story. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
This is an excellent reconstruction. I love the way you correlate historic photographs with the landscape today. I love the way you orientate the pictures from the position of the attacking troops again excellent job one of the best explainer videos out there on D-Day.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️ for putting this out. I am in absolute awe of these brave men who gave this lives in the name of freedom. God bless the allied force.
I've been studying this battle for 55 years, and never gained the insight that this presentation provided. Thank you. I just recommended it to my son who is an infantryman in the U.S. Army.
My heart breaks for the Lt and Sgt...to have been such warriors and then to die the way they did.
Sad isnt it. :(
It is very sad. I feel if they lived through that, they earned the right to die peacefully.
So heart-breaking
I'm from Owensboro, KY and several years ago I met one of Lt. Spalding's sons, who was the branch manager of the bank I was using. When he learned of my interest in World War II history, he told me about his father. He left that bank years ago and I have no idea where he went. I recently found the news paper article at the local library and made copies. I also found a few books that mention him as one of the heroes of D Day. I drove by his house a week or so ago, where he was killed, and it is still standing.
For those that don’t know a “cooper” is someone who makes barrels, not gun barrels, barrels for things like beer 🍺 and liquor 🍹, that’s what John Spaldings fathers trade was, and it was a highly skilled trade.
It Is amazing that despite the meticulous planning and covert recce missions that the men ended up being dropped a lot further out from the shoreline than was planned, the conditions that day were about as bad as they could have been, whole sections being blown off course and the depth of the water they were forced to negotiate led to a situation where they might have failed, but due to their determination, training and testicles made of steel they succeeded in starting the drive to destroy the Nazis and allies in north Europe, there can be no argument, these men and all that served were and still are the greatest generation. Lest We Forget. Per Ardua Ad Astra, Rest In Peace, you did your part and can Stand-Down.
I have been researching the D-Day campaign since the 1970s. Spent days in the Captured Documents section of the National Archives in DC. Designed the wargame The Longest Day published by Avalon Hill in 1980. Although my research ended 40 years ago, I find this presentation unique and outstanding. The maps and graphics are exquisite and the photographs of the terrain are eye-opening. Clearly, I undervalued the bluffs and draws on Omaha that was made wonderfully apparent in your video. An amazing piece of work on your part. I commend you and thank you!
Played it a few times
I recently bought a 2nd copy, as my first copy was looking pretty tattered
@@pizzafrenzyman I am honored that you remember after so many years... thank you.
heard of the game being a fan of Axis and Allies. think there is even a review of it.
I’m surprised on how you designed such a complex game, I salute you for that.
One of my history teachers back in highschool said his grandfather had landed on Omaha Beach in the first wave as a combat engineer. I'm not sure if he was apart of the 1st or 29th Infantry.
There are 3 things I remember he spoke of during that day.
* While running up the beach, a soldier next to him had his head blown off after an artillery shell landed not too far from them.
* He was shot through the cheek and fell down onto the ground. As another GI came by to help him up. He was shot and killed.
* Later that night as they had secured the beach. He remembers laying on the ground and shaking from being so cold.
I very much enjoyed this video. I wish we had more videos on each of the sectors that those men had landed on. Its seems almost every video I see usually either shows Dog Green or Fox Red. There also isn't really a lot of details on those men that day had fought their way off the beach and inland. Clearing out pillboxes and trenches as fast as they could, while the poor souls still stuck on the beach were taking fire. Its hard to try and imagine the pure exhaustion, yet adrenaline these guys must have felt every step they took. Seeing your buddies get hit left and right and all you can do is push on in order to achieve the objective. Brave men that day and we can't forget them. Awesome video.
Thanks for the comment and sharing your story!
There is a monument to the combat engineers on Omaha beach. I believe they preceded the first wave. They were to blast out and remove beach obstacles. They took very heavy casualties.
Would you know if his Grandfather was from Western/Upstate NY?
If so, most likely was 299th Combat Engineer Battalion.
@@johnparker4875❤
Thank you for an excellent telling, it was an amazing story but equally as sad, Cheers
Thanks for listening
This is by far the best overview I’ve seen on dday. Great job orienting the viewer and showing what they were up against with more than just maps
Outstanding presentation. Most commentaries focus on the slaughter of the infantry who landed in front of the strong points, but there were boats that were able to land relatively unscathed between the strong points. Somebody was fighting successfully. The greatest words that were heard from the beach were “infantry advancing”.
My wife and I just returned from a trip to France and a day tour of Omaha beach. Your video is excellent. I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in D-Day to visit the Normandy beaches. It is a moving experience and you gain a full appreciation of the complexity of the operation and bravery of those boys. When you visit the cemetery it is overwhelming to see what 9,380 graves looks like. May all those heroes to whom we all owe so much rest in peace.
My buddy’s dad was named George Hjorth. He was an early TV actor as a child. He escorted Shirley Temple to the academy awards. He didn’t like acting and went behind the camera. When WWII started he joined and was assigned to the OSS (before the CIA). They would parachute him behind enemy lines to film V rockets and such. He was parachuted in a few days prior to D Day. He was assisted by the French resistance. He was told to stow his cameras at the bluff. He spent a few days in town wearing French clothes. He would go to the coffee shops while the Nazis were walking around. He followed orders and slept under the bluff and as ordered filmed back from the bluff. Georgetown University is looking for the missing film. George was with the OSS and was kicked out of the room. He never saw the film again and neither did anyone else. There was a nice article about this in the LA Times.
Just came back from going to Normandy with our children and grandkids. I fought in Viet Nam for almost 2 years and while I was in Normandy
I thought how these men didn’t have tours they did their job day in and day out with no sight of going home, unless they were wounded badly or killed. Very humbling place, especially looking at all the crosses and what all these men gave. God bless you all and thank you for your service.
A fresh look at the terrain and details, giving new context for what happened on June 6. Excellent job: thank you.
Thank you for your comment!
Excellent short documentary. Thanks to you and the heroes of D-Day. 🇺🇸🦅🇫🇷🕊🇬🇧🍁🇨🇦
On this Day in 1944, 6th June, my Grandma and Grandad would have been children, hiding in the Bomb shelters with their Mothers and other distant past family members, R.I.P to all those Soldiers and innocent lives that died during WW2.
Thanks for commenting!
That was really good. It gave a great insight how small groups overcame such a formidable obstacle.
Thank you.
My Dad survived Pearl Harbor on the USS West Virginia. After his wounds, he jumped on the USS Pensacola and was involved in many, many battles. Double Purple Heart recipient.
Salute to your family and your Dad
My father in law also served on the Pensacola
@@johnfontana8707 I wonder if they knew each other? My dad died in 2010. Clarence Tibado was his friend. This YT video talks about my dad a bit: th-cam.com/video/wK4KRnjIdVI/w-d-xo.html
Excellent. This is a story that should be told and re-told in our schools.
This is an excellent account of that fateful day and the bravery and sacrifice of those men tasked with securing Omaha beach. It is chilling to think of what they must have been through. Not to mention the long-lasting effects suffered by the survivors.
Thank you - we are glad you found value in it.
A story well told - You honour the men you talk about. Thank you.
Thanks for watching.
I went to normandy last year. Visited all the beaches. Checked out many of those WN'S. I have watched many of documentaries about d-day, and films, but its not until you actually stand in the place where it all began it really hits you, Great video mate, loved it!!!.
We are glad you enjoyed the video!
Omaha is so picturesque. Hard to imagine the brutality. Great view from WN-60. It’s amazing the losses were not even greater.
@@your_royal_highness agreed!
My father and I stayed in an AirBNB right next to the Vierville draw on Omaha last year, walking all the way out on the beach at low tide and looking back at that vast expanse of beach in front of you gives a perspective you just can't get when looking at pictures and films. The thought of having to cross that distance while cold, wet and loaded with gear and under fire is staggering. The men that performed this task can never be given enough respect.
Thank you for telling the story of the unit. You can miss the personal story when D day was so massive. And to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice I sey THANK YOU . AND TO ALL THOSE THAT CAME HOME I SAY THANK YOU
Yes sometimes people forget that in the huge numbers of fallen there is a story for each one.
A stark contrast from your accomadations to theirs. Bless them. Their sacrifices gave us our freedom. And you can physically see where it happened. That is a gift thats not easily afforded. You'll treasure it for the rest of your life.
Another brilliant video. Thanks
Very welcome - delighted you enjoyed it!
The overlays with modern satellite maps and photos is overwhelming and poetic
Newish to the channel but have been glued to the screen with the content provided ever since. Another superb video and awaiting the next!
Awesome, thank you!
wow by far one of the best depictions of d-day ... seeing the terrain and beaches from the ocean side gives a perspective rarely seen ...
Outstanding initiative on your and your production team's part Dan! I don't think I've ever seen a finer breakdown of a company-sized combat action than what you've presented here in under 20-mins. Geo-referencing current topography to 1944 geography made all the difference too, bringing your audience as close to "being there" as possible. I've read dozens of history and biographies re WWII, and this is the only means by which I've been able to follow the action so closely in both space and time. Also, by personalizing it to a few key individuals as proxies, you did justice to the men who fought alongside them. Clearly, these men had a hole card in TSgt Streczyk who already had earned three Silver Stars! Thanks greatly for taking the time and making the effort to create this Battle Guide episode. It worked on all fronts! ...and yes, that Polish machine gunner was VERY fortunate to survive the day. Very fortunate indeed. BZ!
My wife and I were at Coleville-sur-Mer in 2019 to pay our respects to the fallen heroes. It was a very traumatising and humble experience . Near the statue of Our Lady there are steps leading from the bluff down to the beach. Each metre there was a block of granite inscribed with brief statements made by the survivors who made it from the landing. They read
* IT WAS MURDEROUS
* TO HAVE SURVIVED IS THE REAL TRIUMPH
* WE ALL HAD A SENSE OF PURPOSE
* MY GUARDIAN ANGEL MUST HAVE BEEN WITH ME
We couldn't walk any further out of respect to the fallen as we felt it was sacred ground.
Around us were people from all places that had tears in their eyes. So did we.
We are not Americans but everyone owes much to the men who gave their lives so we can live without tyranny.
thank you for the opportunity to share out story.
A brilliant and excellent account of these D-Day heroes. We can never truly thank them but we can remember them. Thank you for helping me do that.
Another excellent vid especially on this 80th anniversary of the day itself.
Many thanks!
Wow. That is some amazing research. There's just nothing else like it to be found.
Thank you mate!
Wow! Outstanding! Superlatives all around! Well done! Thank you!
Glad you liked it!
Thanks to all the heroes! Alive or dead it doesn't matter today June 6... From a Swede who celebrates both the national day of Sweden and of course thinks of D-Day! Will never be forgotten
Very well done! Your graphics give us an even better understanding of the courage and determination of so many.
Glad it helped... thank you!
Brilliant presentation of the bravery and heroism displayed by the greatest generation on that day. Thank you.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. Very thoughtful.
Words fail me… Thank you 🙏
You're welcome 😊
This is one of the best D-Day content videos I've ever seen
Great video for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Thank you! It is good to reflect on what these guys actually went through.
Excellent video, it was small groups of brave determined men who broke Rommel’s Atlantic Wall. Thanks for filling in this part of the battle. I had the privilege of visiting Omaha years ago, hallowed ground.
Thank you for this moving video. Some gave all, all gave some.
You are so welcome!
Thank you for this. Infantry courage, suffering, and resolute commitment to mission accomplishment should always be honored and never taken for granted. God Bless for keeping their memory alive.
I've grown so weary and skeptical of videos on TH-cam about WWII and D-Day, particularly because so many of them are narrated by 19-year-olds or ridiculous A.I. voices, both of which obviously were obviously researched only on Wikipedia. This video is clearly well researched and is narrated by a genuine mature commentator. Nicely done.
Thank you so much for this. I was at that very location just two weeks ago. It was incredibly emotional and moving for me to stand on the beach realizing all the sacrifices those brave young men made to provide our freedom. God Bless Them.
What a great video ! The narration is on point, thanks for the perfect story telling
We are glad you enjoyed the video!
In the 80th anniversary on Normandy I had the privilege of talking with one of the few survivors left of that day. I was on my holidays and I was curious because I wanted to know from of them about that day. He was carrying a flamethrower in D-Day. There was so much respect for the soldiers carrying that weapon, because they all knew the terrifying deaths this weapon could inflict both to the enemy and the soldier himself if it got shot. He told me he still remembered the stench of blood in the beach, the bullets scratching his helmet twice and the red water from all the corpses.
He would still feel shocks whenever fireworks were fired where he lives, reminding him of that horrific day. They were truly heroes.
Very well done video! Pointing out the concrete block was an eye opener for me as I did see it on several occasions looking for a trace of the ruins. Incidentally this was the same spot where war photographer Capa went ashore, just left of the Roman ruins. As you pointed out very well it was a dead spot between two German WN's (62 and 63).
My uncle Andrew was KIA on D-Day on Omaha Beach. After doing some research I found that he was buried in the Normandy American Cemetary located in Collevile-Sur-Mer France. Does anyone know if that is the cemetery where Omaha Beach casualties were buried? I ask because there was a further rumor that Andrew survived the Beach landing but was KIA in another secret in-land action. The location of the cemetery seemed to indicate he might have been killed more inland. My father and 3 uncles who all served in the European theater have all passed on now. I cannot imagine the bravery of the men of the Greatest Generation. And everyone literally ran to Enlist. My Uncle Stanley served in a Chemical Batallion as well as became a "Flame Thrower". He never would speak a word of his experiences. My Aunt later told me as she was the Matriarch and the last surviving family member of that generation. I only knew that they said Stanley had 9 lives as all the Flame Throwers were killed in quick fashion. Geez. Right makes Might. I also notice how the video mentioned a couple of time of Polish soldiers from NJ....my three uncles were all Polish, my grandfather born in Warsaw where he married my grandmother. Those Polish men were fearless.
Thank you to all those brave men.
It is powerful because it tells not only of these great heroes battles and war, but the battles with PTSD after coming home. These men mostly kept the agony within their minds and souls strictly to themselves.
After being seriously wounded in South Vietnam, I was fortunate enough to find a group of other Vietnam veterans who would also lost their legs and skied. Meeting them literally changed the trajectory of my life.
Just watched a doc yesterday on WN62 so this is very timely 👏
Enjoy. :)
Killer video guys. Great job as always. Really appreciate the amount of legwork that went into putting this together, ensuring our vets aren't forgotten.
Thanks very much... yeah site visits are oft under-appreciated on YT videos, but our team certainly put in the leg work. Very little of our drone or on the ground footage is others work!
Thank you so much for your excellent work!!
Welcome!
This documentary was beyond BRILLIANT ---Bravo!!
Awesome... delighted you enjoyed it thanks for the comment!
You are my inspiration! Love your videos!
Thank you!
This has to be the best video on Omaha I have ever seen! The way you laid out overlays on today's photos and then tell about the men, well, I was hooked before 2:06. When you mentioned Higgins boats my chest filled up with happiness and longing for my grandmother who died in 1966. She was Andrew Higgins' personal stenographer and chief of the stenography section. Her name was Rhue Nolan McKinnon. She and my grandfather left Jackson, Mississippi, for the duration of the war. Grandpa had navy service in WW1 as one of the first Sonar operators aboard a submarine, the K2. In New Orelans he joined the volunteer coastguard and was made officer because of his previous experiences. He worked the night shift guarding the piers at Higgins. His name was Norman Arnold McKinnon and I wanted to grow up to be like him... too close for comfort though, both my grandmother and wife died of the same cancer at the same age. I have loads of Higgins stuff and grew up in my grandfather's home, there were pictures of Andrew Higgins and the landing craft and PT boats and the battleship New Hampshire which he briefly served on before transferring to submarine service.
Great to hear the historical connection. Unfortunately, there’s so many people who’ve watched the Saving Private Ryan opening scene and are now convinced that the Higgins boat was a flawed design. There are those, including myself that have spent a fair bit of time correcting this misperception but almost everyday, someone brings it up on a SPR movie reaction or clip.
@@mako88sb It was in the simplest form like the British landing craft. The thing about the Higgins boat is that we were fighting two wars at once. They were made fast and furious to meet the demands of both wars. Then along came the buffalo which could swim up onto dry land and continue on its dual purpose tracks and then unload from the rear.
Eisenhower wanted these for D-Day and the navy gave him a date for delivery that was too far in the future for the planned invasion. But as a conventional role landing craft, there were no flaws in them. And there were five built by former WW2 Higgins boat company employees in the one building left, which was the start of the WW2 museum in New Orleans. They made them exactly the same. One of those is in the museum now, along with a Buffalo. Why do people think they were flawed? I would be interested to know. My grandmother was Andrew Higgin's personal stenographer from'43-45. Opps, I forgot that I already mentioned that... or did I? I love my grandmother, have not seen her since November 65.
@@LeveretteJamesClifford1955 Thanks for the additional information. As for why some think the design is flawed, it’s simply because how Saving Private Ryan shows the troops getting mowed down by MG fire as soon as the front ramp drops. You wouldn’t believe how many have written comments basically asking:
“why would they design it this way? Why not have the exit on the sides or out the back?”
Yes, I know, pretty ridiculous. Like I said, some other commenters, including me have pointed out the numerous benefits of the Higgins boat. Plus the fact that front ramps are used to this day. Most of those complaining never thought to take a few minutes to do some basic research before displaying their ignorance in the comments section.
Btw, in case you don’t know, the actual person in charge of C Company, 2nd Rangers was Captain Ralph Gorenson. I read his account of what happened that day and it wasn’t MG fire that caused the casualties. It was a quick succession of 4 artillery rounds hitting them soon after landing that caused all the wounded and killed while still loaded.
@@mako88sb Are those the Rangers who were swept away from Pont du Hoc? I have a book produced by the Army after the war called Small Unit Actions of the US Army in the European theater. It goes all the way past when the German artillery was found and destroyed by thermite grenades until they were finally relieved. In it there was a great deal of fighting with Germans trying to dislodge them over the days it took for the beach to be unified. During that time a lot of Americans ran out of ammunition and then started using German weapons which led to some friendly fire tragedies. Interestingly enough there were a lot of Rangers in the Hürten forest used as regular infantry until someone realized that there were Rangers who should be used as Rangers and then things started to really happen for the Americans.
My pet peeve now is why most people wrongly call the Me109 a Bf109. Rather than me telling the story I found a video that describes it with photos of everything and includes a response by Willie Messerschmitt to that error. th-cam.com/video/XtJT14InwF0/w-d-xo.html
@@LeveretteJamesClifford1955 No, the movie is accurate that Captain Ralph Goranson and C Company, 2nd Rangers were always intended to land in the 1st wave at Omaha. They landed at Charlie Sector instead of Dog Green though. The book I got this information from is by Robert Black and is titled The Battalion. It’s about the 2nd Rangers during WW2. Definitely worth reading.
OUTSTANDING VIDEO!
I live in Bayeux, between Omaha and Gold.
Often, I go on Omaha, on Le Ruquet or WN60.
Thank you for your documentary, this winter I'm going to back on Omaha with the history of theses soldiers in my memory.
Thank you so much !!
Excellent presentation. Thank you.
You are welcome Lawrence - thanks for taking the time to let us know.
Best breakdown of D-Day and Omaha beach I have ever seen! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very well done sir!
I’ve watched years of D-Day documentaries, WW2 documentaries and live 10 minutes from Omaha beach in Normandy… this is by far the best documentary I’ve seen. Outstanding work guys. Great visuals. Great info. Great research and great commentary.
my dad was there that morning. He was with the 147th combat engineers, 6th engineers special brigade. They were aboard LCI (L) US 91. It struck a mine as it neared the dog white sector then was pummeled by German 88's. There is a pic of a WN that I believe is WN 72. His pic says "we landed 100 yards from here". Another pic he took is that of the wrecked US 91. He returned to Omaha Beach after the war. The US 91 was still in the same spot. His pic of the US 91 is next to my comment. Thank you dad.
Was it the 146th Combat Engineers instead of the 147th? My Dad was with the 146th and was on one of the Gap Teams that went in at T minus 5 before any ohters to clear the obstacles. They were the ones with the Bangalor as well as 500lbs of TNT in their boats to blow the obstacles. It ws Company A of the 146th command ed by Capt.Sam Ball. I went to many annual reunions of Company A over the years and got to knwo these men welll and heard many stories.
@@RussellTackett-kl9tj:
I'm absolutely positive it was the 147th. My dad even gave me a pin from the 55th anniversary of D-Day. It says
"147th combat engineers, 6th engineers special brigade 1st wave. I understand the 146th was there too.🇺🇲🇺🇲
next to my reply is a pic of my dad's LCI, the US 91. It struck an underwater mine as it neered the Dog White sector. He took that pic after the war. He wrote a caption on the bottom of that pic that states
"D+480"
Hats off to the maker of this video! Well done and it splendidly keeps alive an important event in world history. Also, the documenting of the sad post war lives of two men was very moving and showed the later cost of the events of that day: brave men yes, but real men as well!
Thank you very much!
Great video in remembrance of D-Day on its 80th Anniversary.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hands up or not, if I'd fought my way right up to a machine gun having lost friends on the way, I honest don't think I could have accepted any surrender. Must have been really tough to take prisoners in the heat of battle.
Yes... the red mist would surely have descended!
Thanks. This video has given me a clear and complete understanding of D-Day. Wonderful. Whoever made this has a rare talent for story-telling. That was brilliant. High-quality content 👏
Thank you Martyn... we have a great team here working on the content.
Thanks Battle Guide for the Video . This is the first time I have heard a complete picture of a Landing Company and how they survived during and after . Everything else for 40 years had been at Divisional or Corps level of Army organisation. Standing applause from me dude !
I must be honest and say this video auto played after another D-Day video. I was not expecting much and couldn't be bother to stop it, while on my phone. As I listened I put my phone down and was engrossed by the story and quality of the video. One of the best I have seen and best reaserched videos to date. Thank you for your efforts and the stories and names of these brave men.
tragic fate for some of those vets who survived the war. UGH....
My wife’s grandma was born and raised in East Brunswick NJ, I’m from Trenton NJ. I’m going to ask her about T/Sgt. Streczyk and see if she remembers him. Thank you for this video. Job well done 👏
May their souls rest in peace.
We can never repay the debt we owe to all those who defended our freedom. We can only salute them and pay our utmost respects.
One of my kids asked me a couple of days ago what the Greatest Generation did to merit that name. My reply was "They kept going forward when it was hardest."
Thank you for this. The detail and research that goes into these videos makes them so powerful.
Thanks for taking the time to comment. We appreciate it.
John M Spalding, hero of D-Day, murdered by his wife 13 years later.
Sad but true.
So heartbreaking
I wonder what led to his sad ending? Was she mentally Ill or did his screams in the night cause her to do what she did? Perhaps she relieved him of his agony!Without more details we’ll never know.
I really appreciate these in-depth small stories and details of some of the men, you make it so powerful by individualizing these men, they're real people And what they had to go through after the war So many people don't really realize.
Very few "fighting" soldiers survived from D-Day to VE-day
Very poignant. A commendation to you battle guide team
Thank you very much - a lot of research went into this one!
Thank you for keeping this alive.