When the Sea Came Alive Quotes

“In war, I kept repeating, the worst casualties are caused through incompetence, and not by the enemy.”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“I have been back to Normandy probably three or four times. I have gone back, and I have taken my children back, and when you stand up over the beach there's a cemetery - when you look how peaceful it looks now, all those crosses, you can't help but think, what a terrible, terrible waste. I also visited the German cemeteries there on Normandy, and you see they were 18- and 19-year-olds, on average. We were all children up until that moment." Seaman Richard A. Freed, U. S. Coast Guard”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“I have been back to Normandy probably three or four times.I have gone back, and I have taken my children back, and when you stand-up over the beach there's cemetery - when you look how peaceful it looks now, ll those crises, you can't help but think, what a terrible, terrible rifle waste. I also visited the German cemeteries there on Normandy, and you see they were 18- and 19-year-olds, on average. We were all children up until that time. " Seaman Richard A. Freed, Sr. US Coast Guard”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“There is not a day that has passed since that I do not thank Adolf Hitler for allowing me to be associated with the most talented and inspiring group of men that I have ever known.”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“Sometimes we were called a suicide group—but not at all. We were simply spirited young people who took the view that if you were going to be a combat soldier you may as well be the very best.”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“Winston Churchill: All the rest was merely the proper application of overwhelming force. No doubt it would take a long time. I thought of a remark which Edward Grey had made to me more than thirty years before—that the United States is like “a gigantic boiler. Once the fire is lighted under it there is no limit to the power it can generate.”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“The 5th Rangers were a wonderful outfit. It was lads like [Raaen] who our nation can thank for the beachhead it won on D-Day in Normandy. Believe me, they were the only reason that enabled an old crock like myself to shake fear loose and “roll on.” T/5 Tom Herring, Company C, 5th Ranger Battalion: Before Cota reached Schneider, a flurry of artillery fire caused him [Cota] to hit the dirt. I was lying to the left of Pfc. William Stump, also C Company. Stump asked me for a match, saying his were wet. “Mine too,” I said. Stump reached across my back and punched a soldier next to me and asked, “Hey, Buddy, you got a light?” As the soldier rolled onto his left side, the star on his jacket epaulet was visible to both Stump and me. Stump said, “Sorry, sir!” Cota reached into his jacket, pulled out a Zippo, flicked it, held it for Stump to light up and said, “That’s OK, son, we’re all here for the same reason.” T.Sgt. Herb Epstein, Intelligence NCO, Headquarters Company, 5th Ranger Battalion: I was lying on the sand next to Col. Schneider as Cota walked up and called for him. Schneider stood up and the two were standing there while all this firing was going on and General Cota said to him, “Col. we are counting on the Rangers to lead the way!” Schneider said, “yes sir!” and Cota walked back east.”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“Pvt. Harold “Hal” Baumgarten, Company B, 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division: Brig. Gen. Norman D. Cota, with a pistol in his hand, came running up our beach from the west. He was accompanied by a major I didn’t recognize. I couldn’t talk, due to my face wound, but some of the guys called to him to get down. It was reassuring to us to see this brave man on the beach, disregarding the snipers. We were advised that the only ones who were going to remain on the beach “were the dead, and those who were going to die.”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“Pvt. Len Griffing, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne: In the serenity of England, in our own camp, invading France seemed to be a lot easier than it turned out to be. Flight (Warrant) Officer Charles E.”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“Gen. Bernard L. Montgomery: You have been selected to lead the assault into Europe, and this may be a surprise to you, I hope it is, because it has been very closely kept. We will be attempting an operation that has not been successful since the Battle of Hastings in 1066. In order to be sure of our success, we must choose the very best that we have, and we think that you are the best that we’ve got. You will have every gun, every ship, every plane—everything that we have at our command to support you—but the rest is up to you. Go along lads, I’ll see you on the other side.”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day

“final major secret at the core of Operation OVERLORD was that the Allies didn’t plan to capture or target a key harbor in the opening of the invasion. German officials believed that places like Pas-de-Calais or Cherbourg would be vital early targets of the Allies in order to secure the port facilities”
― Garrett M. Graff, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day