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Medics helping injured soldier
in
France 1944. |
What Does the "D" in D-Day
Mean?
This is
the most frequently asked question by visitors to The National World War II Museum. Many people think they know the
answer: designated day, decision day, doomsday, or even
death day.
Our answer, like many answers in the field of history,
is not so simple. Disagreements between military historians
and etymologists about the meaning of D-Day abound.
Here are just two explanations:
In Stephen Ambrose's D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic
Battle of World War II, he writes, Time magazine reported
on June 12 [1944] that "as far as the U.S. Army can determine,
the first use of D for Day, H for Hour was in Field Order
No. 8, of the First Army, A.E.F., issued on Sept. 20,
1918, which read, 'The First Army will attack at H-Hour
on D-Day with the object of forcing the evacuation of
the St. Mihiel salient.'" (p. 491) In other words, the
D in D-Day merely stands for Day. This coded designation
was used for the day of any important invasion or military
operation. For military planners (and later historians),
the days before and after a D-Day were indicated using
plus and minus signs: D-4 meant four days before a D-Day,
while D+7 meant seven days after a D-Day.
In Paul Dickson's War Slang, he quotes Robert Hendrickson's
Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins. Many explanations
have been given for the meaning of D-Day, June 6, 1944,
the day the Allies invaded Normandy from England during
World War II. The Army has said that it is "simply an
alliteration, as in H-Hour." Others say the first D in
the word also stands for "day," the term a code designation.
The French maintain the D means "disembarkation," still
others say "debarkation," and the more poetic insist D-Day
is short for "day of decision." When someone wrote to
General Eisenhower in 1964 asking for an explanation,
his executive assistant Brigadier General Robert Schultz
answered: "General Eisenhower asked me to respond to your
letter. Be advised that any amphibious operation has a
'departed date'; therefore the shortened term 'D-Day'
is used." (p.146)
Brigadier General Schultz reminds us that the invasion
of Normandy on June 6, 1944 was not the only D-Day of
World War II. Every amphibious assault-those in the Pacific,
in North Africa, and in Sicily and Italy-had its own D-Day.
The National World War II Museum's opening exhibition explores
the history and lessons of the Normandy invasion. In 2001
a special exhibition will highlight the D-Days of the
Pacific Theater, North Africa, and the Italian Campaign.
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