The Great Crusade: 70 Years after Normandy
 

"You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, towards which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you...- Supreme Commander of the AEF, General Eisenhower

70 years later, this quote remains famous as the quote that started D-Day. It still inspires me as it must have the 160000 American, British, Canadian, Polish, and French that hit the beaches that fateful day. In rememberance of those who fought as the AEF, thank you; your actions and sacrifice have done what few would do.Your courage cannot be forgotten.

To the German troops and sailors; Your courage in the face of adversity is remarkable. Many did not fight for Hitler that day, but for your homes and families. May you rest in peace.

Netherlands, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, New Zealand, Norway, Australia to add.
See added countries.

10% of the invaders ended up casualties.

....In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory! Good luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

6 June 1944

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/...Supreme-F.html

While the D-Day Landings where the beginning of the end for the Third Reich, how many remember the Double Cross team and their double agents who before, during and after the landings at Normandy made the landings even possible? These men and women spread the web of lies and deception which made in what was known as Operation Bodyguard which was for the most part been largely forgotten due to the enormous scale of Operation Overlord but was one of the most critical parts of the whole operation. While both operations where successful, the Normandy landings could of been every different or even might have failed where it not for Operation Bodyguard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Bodyguard

Thanks Jim. Couln't remember the rest at the time.

To Feuer Frei, I just named the main ones. I think it might take awhile@ to name EVERY single country that had a part.

What's your definition of main? Having the greatest number does not mean having the greatest effect.

It didn't take long. I added them further down. :salute:

Operation Barbarossa marked the beginning of the end for the Third Reich, made obvious in Stalingrad and the nail in the coffin being the battle of Kursk.

However it did mark the beginning of Western Europe being liberated from the Third Reich and without their sacrifice probably the whole of Europe would've fallen behind an iron curtain.

A heads up for people with NGC today starts the 70th Anniversary Documentary for D-Day Called ''D-Day Sacrifice''

Operation Mincemeat was always of great interest to me:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Mincemeat

Let's not start nit picking over this topic please. It is clear that his post was meant for all participants.

Even I am grateful for the sacrifices that those men (and women) made as I would have wanted to live neither in a Nazi nor a communist state. :salute:

I read the book by Ben Macintyre on that subject, he also recently released a book called Double Cross The True Story of the D-Day Spies which is a great read as well as Agent Zigzag.

@HunterICX Yes your right the battles of the Eastern Front where the beginning of the end for the Third Reich, I suppose I should of said that the Normandy landing helped put the some more nails in the Nazi coffin.

Will look them up thanks.

and made sure freedom and democracy where restored in most of Europe :salute:

One more interesting and not known fact.

Yugoslav partisans intensified their sabotages and raids weeks before the invasion to fool the Germans the invasion might come from an allied landing in the Yugoslav Adriatic coast, the soft underbelly of the reich.

I don't think the ploy was really that successefull but the intensified raids managed to occupy a division or two that could be put to better use in the East of Italy