R. Doug Wicker's Blog, page 138

D-Day — Omaha

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Omaha Beach

On D-Day, the 6th of June, 1944, Omaha Beach was bleak. U.S. V Corps under the direct command of Major General Leonard Gerow would sustain the most casualties by far of any of the five invasion beaches. Between 2,000 and 4,700 U.S. servicemen would lose their lives on the bloody sands of Omaha.

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Omaha Beach

Had U.S. forces failed in taking Omaha, the entire invasion would have been a disaster as Utah would have been cut off from Sword, Juno, and Gold. Fortunately, after a long and...

D-Day — Utah

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Utah Beach

The beach assaults on D-Day occurred at five locations. Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches lay to the east. Gold and Sword were led by the English. Canada led the way at Juno. The U.S. Army assaulted the two beaches to the west, Omaha and Utah, with Utah being the western-most invasion site.

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M4 Sherman Tank

Leading the assault of Utah Beach was the son of a president, General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. General Roosevelt hid from his superiors a heart condition that would lead to his death...

D-Day — Pointe du Hoc

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100-foot/30-meter cliffs of Pointe du Hoc

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the U.S. Army Ranger Assault Group landed a Pointe du Hoc. Their unenviable mission was to scale the 100-foot/30-meter cliffs and take out German 155mm gun emplacements that endangered the ships would soon stream toward Omaha Beach to the left and Utah Beach on the right. It turned out to be a bloody exercise in futility, as those 155mm guns were not even there.

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German bunker overlooking Pointe du Hoc

The Rangers were sitting d...

D-Day — Sainte-Mère-Église

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82nd Airborne commemorated in stained glass

The D-Day invasion of Normandy shortly after midnight on June 6, 1944, when English and American paratroopers began descending from the skies to their respective landing zones. Unfortunately for one element of the U.S. 82nd Airborne missed their intended landing zone, coming down instead into Sainte-Mere-Èglise, where German soldiers were waiting for them

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Sainte-Mère-Église “Longest Day” memorial

Among the more fortunate that day was Private John St...

Memorial Week Part 3

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USS Arizona’s final resting place

This week I commemorate Memorial Day with repeat articles from the Normandy American Memorial Cemetery and Memorial, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Next week I will commemorate the 73rd anniversary of one of the greatest invasions in military history, the D-Day Invasion of June 6, 1944.

USS Arizona Memorial:

It’s a short hop, or sail in this case, from Hilo on the Big Island to Honolulu on the island of Oahu. ...

Memorial Week Part 2

 

[image error]National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific

This week I commemorate Memorial Day with repeat articles from the Normandy American Memorial Cemetery and Memorial, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Next week I will commemorate the 73rd anniversary of one of the greatest invasions in military history, the D-Day Invasion of June 6, 1944.

National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific:

Lisa and Al Fittipaldi joined Ursula and me for a ride that would take us...

Memorial Week Part 1

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This week I commemorate Memorial Day with repeat articles from the Normandy American Memorial Cemetery and Memorial, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. Next week I will commemorate the 73rd anniversary of one of the greatest invasions in military history, the D-Day Invasion of June 6, 1944.

Lest We Forget — No, It’s Not National Barbecue Day:

We seem as a society to forget what this weekend really commemorates.  Memorial Day weekend does not mark...

Fun Photo Friday — Puerto Vallarta 2017 part 2

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Puerto Vallarta

Click on today’s photo gallery and slide show:

For additional reading and photographs of Puerto Vallarta:

Last Stop Before the Return — Puerto Vallarta The Mexican Riviera—Ixtapa and Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta — Walking the Malecón Area Fun Photo Friday — Sights Along the Malecón, Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta — Statues of the Malecón, Part 1 Puerto Vallarta — Statues of the Malecón, Part 2 Puerto Vallarta — Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Church Fun Pho...

Puerto Vallarta 2017 — Part 4

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Bell Tower

Click on today’s photo gallery and slide show:

For additional reading and photographs of Puerto Vallarta:

Last Stop Before the Return — Puerto Vallarta The Mexican Riviera—Ixtapa and Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta — Walking the Malecón Area Fun Photo Friday — Sights Along the Malecón, Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta — Statues of the Malecón, Part 1 Puerto Vallarta — Statues of the Malecón, Part 2 Puerto Vallarta — Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Church Fun Photo F...

Puerto Vallarta 2017 — Part 3

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Hitting the Wall

Click on today’s photo gallery and slide show:

For additional reading and photographs of Puerto Vallarta:

Last Stop Before the Return — Puerto Vallarta The Mexican Riviera—Ixtapa and Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta — Walking the Malecón Area Fun Photo Friday — Sights Along the Malecón, Puerto Vallarta Puerto Vallarta — Statues of the Malecón, Part 1 Puerto Vallarta — Statues of the Malecón, Part 2 Puerto Vallarta — Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe Church Fun...