June 6, 1944—D-Day/Lest we forget
Lest we forget The weather in the English Channel on June 5, 1944, was completely miserable. Gale-force winds whipped up massive waves, and heavy rain lashed against thousands of ships packed with terrified, seasick soldiers. General Dwight D. Eisenhower faced an agonizing choice: delay the massive invasion and risk the Germans discovering the plot, or send his men into a literal storm. He looked at his chief meteorologist, who spotted a tiny, 24-hour break in the weather for the following morning. Eisenhower paused, thought for a moment, and said: "O.K., let's go." With those four words, Operation Overlord was set in motion. June 6, 1944—D-Day—became the largest amphibious invasion in human history, a day that permanently shifted the trajectory of World War II. The Phantom Army: Winning the Mind Game Long before the first boot touched Normandy sand, the Allies had already won a crucial psychological battle. Through Operation Fortitude , a massive deception campaign, they...