WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en 00:00:01.080 --> 00:00:02.740 [music] 00:00:02.907 --> 00:00:06.143 Michael: June 6th, 1944, the day that changed 00:00:06.310 --> 00:00:09.053 the war in the war that changed the world. 00:00:09.220 --> 00:00:11.143 It was the day of the long-awaited invasion 00:00:11.310 --> 00:00:13.643 of Northwest Europe by Allied Forces. 00:00:13.810 --> 00:00:16.063 Years of planning a direct attack on Germany's 00:00:16.230 --> 00:00:18.683 fortress Europe was finally executed 00:00:18.850 --> 00:00:20.973 on the beaches of Normandy France by 00:00:21.140 --> 00:00:24.133 American, British, and Canadian Forces. 00:00:24.300 --> 00:00:28.053 It was the largest amphibious invasion in all of human history. 00:00:28.220 --> 00:00:32.063 Over 150,000 soldiers, 6,000 ships and boats, 00:00:32.230 --> 00:00:34.622 11,000 airplanes, and 50,000 vehicles 00:00:34.789 --> 00:00:36.203 crossing the English Channel coming 00:00:36.370 --> 00:00:39.102 ashore and landing in France in one day. 00:00:39.269 --> 00:00:43.863 Less than a year later, the war in Europe was over and Hitler was dead. 00:00:44.030 --> 00:00:45.433 How did the Allies manage it? 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:46.672 What were they up against? 00:00:46.839 --> 00:00:48.562 What was it like to be there on that day? 00:00:48.729 --> 00:00:50.472 Why does it matter to us now? 00:00:50.639 --> 00:00:51.472 Stay tuned. 00:00:51.639 --> 00:00:53.072 All of these questions will be answered in 00:00:53.239 --> 00:00:56.017 the 75th anniversary of D-Day electronic field trip 00:00:56.184 --> 00:01:03.184 [music] 00:01:14.901 --> 00:01:17.863 Damon Singleton: Welcome to today's special electronic field trip. 00:01:18.030 --> 00:01:20.933 We're broadcasting live from the National World War II Museum in New 00:01:21.100 --> 00:01:24.500 Orleans into thousands of classrooms across North America and Europe. 00:01:24.749 --> 00:01:27.363 We're so excited to have you join us from your school. 00:01:27.530 --> 00:01:30.773 You’re the 75th anniversary of this critical invasion, D-Day. 00:01:30.940 --> 00:01:32.453 I'm Commander Damon Singleton, 00:01:32.620 --> 00:01:34.670 meteorologists, and retired naval officer. 00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:37.253 This program is brought to you through the generosity of 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:39.973 the museum's donors, presented by the Cain Foundation 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:42.743 with additional support from the Lupo Family Fund 00:01:42.910 --> 00:01:45.973 and Dale and Janice Davis Johnston Family Foundation. 00:01:46.540 --> 00:01:49.813 In fact, you'll see an oral history from World War II veteran and former 00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:53.903 president of the Cain Foundation, Frank Denius during this broadcast. 00:01:54.070 --> 00:01:55.823 Today, the story will be brought to you by our 00:01:55.990 --> 00:01:58.473 four excellent student reporters in the field. 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:01.293 Michael from the United States, Wiley from Canada, 00:02:01.762 --> 00:02:04.753 Lucy from the United Kingdom, and Andgie from France. 00:02:05.278 --> 00:02:07.163 They will represent each of their countries as they 00:02:07.330 --> 00:02:09.580 uncover the history behind Operation Overlord. 00:02:10.454 --> 00:02:12.353 This program is designed to be interactive. 00:02:12.520 --> 00:02:14.043 You won't just be watching, you'll take 00:02:14.210 --> 00:02:16.113 part in the discussion about D-Day 00:02:16.280 --> 00:02:18.283 including asking questions live of museums 00:02:18.450 --> 00:02:21.042 Vice President Colonel Peter Crean. 00:02:21.209 --> 00:02:23.083 If you're watching on the museum's website, you can 00:02:23.250 --> 00:02:25.462 ask questions and answer polls in the box directly 00:02:25.629 --> 00:02:28.382 below the screen or you can go to slido.com 00:02:28.670 --> 00:02:33.162 and type in the code #1944 to join in the conversation. 00:02:33.329 --> 00:02:36.929 Captioning of this program in English and French is also available below. 00:02:37.397 --> 00:02:39.351 A quick note to viewers, please be 00:02:39.518 --> 00:02:41.038 advised there are graphic images in this 00:02:41.205 --> 00:02:42.975 program including war violence that may 00:02:43.142 --> 00:02:44.854 be upsetting to some participants. 00:02:46.149 --> 00:02:47.943 To start off our journey, let's join Michael in 00:02:48.110 --> 00:02:50.673 the museum's Louisiana Memorial Pavilion to learn a bit 00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:53.773 more about a critical piece of equipment for D-Day, 00:02:53.940 --> 00:02:57.652 but first, let's check out the opening poll question. 00:02:57.819 --> 00:03:00.502 What does the D in D-Day stand for? 00:03:00.669 --> 00:03:05.722 Your choices are A, doom B, death C, division 00:03:05.889 --> 00:03:08.093 or D, it doesn't stand for anything. 00:03:08.832 --> 00:03:11.396 With that, take it away, Michael. 00:03:11.563 --> 00:03:18.563 [music] 00:03:22.978 --> 00:03:24.692 Michael: We're beginning our journey today at the National World 00:03:24.859 --> 00:03:27.972 War II Museum beside one of our most important artifacts. 00:03:28.139 --> 00:03:30.199 With me is Museum educator, Chrissy Gregg. 00:03:30.469 --> 00:03:31.343 Chrissy Gregg: Michael, thank you so much 00:03:31.510 --> 00:03:33.892 for joining me here today at the museum. 00:03:34.059 --> 00:03:37.302 We are standing next to this iconic Higgins boat also 00:03:37.469 --> 00:03:42.462 known as an LCVP, Landing Craft for Vehicle Personnel. 00:03:42.629 --> 00:03:44.953 13,000 of these boats were built right 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:47.792 here in New Orleans during World War II. 00:03:48.299 --> 00:03:49.852 It has a unique design. 00:03:50.019 --> 00:03:54.102 If you noticed, this frontier is actually a ramp. 00:03:54.269 --> 00:03:56.110 Why would a boat need a ramp? 00:03:56.310 --> 00:04:00.192 Michael: Maybe to assist unloading a jeep or a truck. 00:04:00.359 --> 00:04:01.563 Chrissy: Yes, exactly. 00:04:01.730 --> 00:04:04.302 The V in LCVP is vehicle and actually, the P is 00:04:04.469 --> 00:04:08.362 personnel, so it wasn't just vehicles but also people. 00:04:08.529 --> 00:04:12.263 This boat is actually based off of boats that were used here 00:04:12.430 --> 00:04:15.822 in the Louisiana Bayou to get through the shallow swamp water. 00:04:16.276 --> 00:04:20.423 Actually, this boat could go all the way to a beach without getting stuck. 00:04:20.590 --> 00:04:22.343 You lower down the ramp and you can just run 00:04:22.510 --> 00:04:25.553 right off or take the equipment right off of it. 00:04:25.905 --> 00:04:28.263 Michael: Weren't thousands of these used in the D-Day operation? 00:04:28.430 --> 00:04:31.613 Chrissy: Yes, thousands of these were used in D-Day. 00:04:31.780 --> 00:04:35.483 They were just one small piece of the huge operation and all 00:04:35.650 --> 00:04:40.193 the boats and ships that would cross the channel on June 6th, 1944. 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:43.563 D-Day is important for a lot of reasons. 00:04:43.730 --> 00:04:46.363 One of them being that it is the largest 00:04:46.530 --> 00:04:49.093 amphibious invasion in all of human history. 00:04:49.260 --> 00:04:51.643 This Higgins boat is important, but it's 00:04:51.810 --> 00:04:54.348 one small piece of this humongous puzzle. 00:04:54.815 --> 00:04:56.116 Michael: That's a big job. 00:04:56.483 --> 00:04:58.563 Chrissy: Yes, seriously, it is a big job and it 00:04:58.730 --> 00:05:02.303 required a lot of planning and a lot of strategy. 00:05:02.470 --> 00:05:06.673 It required 12 Allied nations all working together really 00:05:06.840 --> 00:05:10.773 years, but especially a few intense months of planning. 00:05:10.940 --> 00:05:14.503 A really awesome Allied deception campaign. 00:05:14.670 --> 00:05:19.203 It required 156,000 troops, 6,400 ships, 00:05:19.370 --> 00:05:23.784 and boats, 11,000 airplanes all in one day. 00:05:24.391 --> 00:05:25.076 Michael: Wow. 00:05:25.243 --> 00:05:26.392 Chrissy: Yes, it's crazy, right? 00:05:26.559 --> 00:05:27.201 Michael: Yes. 00:05:27.368 --> 00:05:29.873 Chrissy: Today, you have a big job. 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:31.583 You are going to be learning all about 00:05:31.750 --> 00:05:34.033 D-Day and you're not just going to be 00:05:34.200 --> 00:05:35.633 doing that here in New Orleans, I'm 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:37.750 actually sending you on a bit of a trip. 00:05:38.612 --> 00:05:39.279 Michael: That's awesome. 00:05:39.446 --> 00:05:40.332 Chrissy: I know, right? 00:05:40.499 --> 00:05:44.263 Actually, you're going to be going off to England first, 00:05:44.430 --> 00:05:46.303 and you're going to be meeting some other students 00:05:46.470 --> 00:05:48.353 and you guys will be learning all about the planning 00:05:48.520 --> 00:05:51.053 and strategy behind D-Day because a lot of it happened there. 00:05:51.220 --> 00:05:53.443 Then you're going to cross the channel just like 00:05:53.610 --> 00:05:55.943 they did so many years ago and land in France. 00:05:56.110 --> 00:05:58.193 You're going to meet another French student 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:01.103 and you'll be exploring all of the sites of Normandy 00:06:01.270 --> 00:06:03.673 to really understand what's important about 00:06:03.840 --> 00:06:06.822 D-Day and why we remember it 75 years later. 00:06:08.021 --> 00:06:10.473 I guess pack your bags, bon voyage. 00:06:10.640 --> 00:06:11.658 Michael: Okay. 00:06:11.825 --> 00:06:18.080 [music] 00:06:18.739 --> 00:06:22.283 Today I've arrived in Southern England traveling over 4,500 miles 00:06:22.450 --> 00:06:25.163 to understand how the Allies put off such a massive invasion. 00:06:25.330 --> 00:06:28.213 I'll be joined by Wiley from Canada and Lucy from the UK. 00:06:28.548 --> 00:06:30.317 Our countries were key Allies and our teamwork 00:06:30.484 --> 00:06:33.084 and strategic planning led to a successful operation. 00:06:34.985 --> 00:06:37.471 Lucy: Hi, Michael. Nice to meet you. I'm Lucy. I live in Chelsea. 00:06:37.638 --> 00:06:38.820 Michael: It's so nice to meet you, Lucy. 00:06:38.987 --> 00:06:40.163 Lucy: How was your flight? 00:06:40.330 --> 00:06:41.899 Michael: It was all right, but I'm glad to be 00:06:42.066 --> 00:06:43.138 back in the ground here with you all in England. 00:06:43.305 --> 00:06:46.230 In fact, I met Wiley our student reporter from Canada on the plane. 00:06:46.397 --> 00:06:48.128 She was telling all about Canada's involvement 00:06:48.295 --> 00:06:49.658 in World War II and she should be here. 00:06:49.825 --> 00:06:52.241 Wiley: Hi, everyone. I'm Wiley and I'm from Ontario. 00:06:52.408 --> 00:06:54.945 I was telling Michael a little bit about the war last night. 00:06:55.112 --> 00:06:56.749 Basically, in an official capacity, 00:06:56.916 --> 00:07:00.337 the war began in 1939 for the UK and Canada. 00:07:00.504 --> 00:07:03.013 The UK declared war against Hitler on September 3rd 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:06.073 and the Canadian parliament did the same on September 10th. 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:08.323 This was actually the only time Canada 00:07:08.490 --> 00:07:10.833 has ever declared a state of war. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:14.499 This occurred two years before the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 00:07:14.666 --> 00:07:19.075 7th, 1941, which marked the US's entrance into World War II. 00:07:19.710 --> 00:07:22.231 Lucy: Flash forward 1944, most of the plan for D-Day 00:07:22.398 --> 00:07:24.473 took place in London over the course of the years. 00:07:24.640 --> 00:07:26.129 However, we're not in London. 00:07:26.296 --> 00:07:29.897 Actually, the place wherein could be more different to the bustling city. 00:07:30.303 --> 00:07:32.902 Believe it or not, this quiet and sleepy village of Southwick 00:07:33.069 --> 00:07:35.970 was critical to the finalizing plans of Operation Overlord. 00:07:36.177 --> 00:07:37.840 Wiley: Really? That's so interesting. 00:07:38.007 --> 00:07:40.267 As the Allies were nearing the intended invasion date, 00:07:40.434 --> 00:07:43.793 the primary commander's desire to be closer to the ports in Southern 00:07:43.960 --> 00:07:47.603 England where thousands of Allied soldiers, airmen, and sailors 00:07:47.770 --> 00:07:50.733 along with the necessary supplies and equipment would launch. 00:07:50.900 --> 00:07:53.673 The manor house, which is just shown behind us, held some of the key 00:07:53.840 --> 00:07:58.101 meetings in the 11th hour with World War II's famous military leadership. 00:07:58.539 --> 00:08:00.270 You guys want to go inside and take a look? 00:08:00.437 --> 00:08:01.982 Michael: Sure. Lucy: Sure. 00:08:02.149 --> 00:08:03.829 Michael: This beautiful house and the surrounding 00:08:03.996 --> 00:08:06.547 grounds where the headquarters of Operation Neptune. 00:08:06.965 --> 00:08:10.963 The naval component of Overlord under Admiral Sir. Bertram Ramsay. 00:08:11.130 --> 00:08:14.953 It was from this house that General Dwight Eisenhower, the supreme Allied 00:08:15.120 --> 00:08:17.033 commander would give the order to begin 00:08:17.200 --> 00:08:19.159 the liberation of Northwest Europe. 00:08:21.098 --> 00:08:23.655 Lucy: Right now, I'm standing in the home's drawing room. 00:08:23.822 --> 00:08:24.518 which during the war, 00:08:24.518 --> 00:08:25.018 was turned into 00:08:25.182 --> 00:08:26.914 a map room for the senior commanders. 00:08:27.081 --> 00:08:29.926 Behind me is the original map that helped plan D-Day, 00:08:30.156 --> 00:08:32.406 and with me is the curator, Richard Callaghan. 00:08:32.655 --> 00:08:33.244 Hello, Richard. 00:08:33.411 --> 00:08:34.392 Richard Callahan: Hi, pleased to meet you. 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:36.859 Welcome to the map room here at Southwick House. 00:08:37.215 --> 00:08:39.715 Wiley: Richard, what exactly was this map used for? 00:08:40.244 --> 00:08:44.263 Richard: This is actually the show-and-tell of Operation Neptune. 00:08:44.430 --> 00:08:46.883 The naval part of the Overlord landings. 00:08:47.448 --> 00:08:48.700 Michael: Can you describe the scene around 00:08:48.867 --> 00:08:51.173 here leading up to the D-Day invasion? 00:08:51.664 --> 00:08:55.032 Richard: It's probably best described as studied chaos. 00:08:55.527 --> 00:08:59.383 There were 6,000 people in the high command, but 00:08:59.550 --> 00:09:02.523 very few of them actually had access to this house. 00:09:02.690 --> 00:09:06.093 The majority were camped just outside in 00:09:06.260 --> 00:09:08.293 the woods, but within the house itself, 00:09:08.460 --> 00:09:11.253 there were probably about 50 people all 00:09:11.420 --> 00:09:14.193 running around doing their separate jobs. 00:09:14.360 --> 00:09:17.253 The house itself was the most secret room in 00:09:17.420 --> 00:09:19.225 Southern England if not in the western world. 00:09:19.392 --> 00:09:23.823 This was where the important decision as to when 00:09:23.990 --> 00:09:26.933 and where we go in the Normandy Landings was taken. 00:09:27.380 --> 00:09:30.054 Lucy: What important decisions were made here in the house? 00:09:30.221 --> 00:09:32.203 Richard: The biggest two decisions were 00:09:32.370 --> 00:09:35.793 actually completely at odds with each other. 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:40.013 The first decision was do we go or do we stay. 00:09:40.180 --> 00:09:43.683 The hero of D-Day was a man called James Stagg. 00:09:43.850 --> 00:09:47.703 He was a weatherman and every day he would predict the weather 00:09:47.870 --> 00:09:50.723 and that would be tested against what the weather was like two days later. 00:09:50.890 --> 00:09:55.793 For the whole of May, Stagg's predictions were perfect. 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:59.093 He's coming up to the biggest decision he has to make. 00:09:59.703 --> 00:10:02.403 D-Day is set for 5th June. 00:10:02.570 --> 00:10:06.823 On the 4th, he tells Eisenhower on a beautiful summer day 00:10:06.990 --> 00:10:11.603 that he'll have to postpone, there's a storm coming. 00:10:11.770 --> 00:10:15.112 The next day, that storm arrives. 00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:18.645 Eisenhower listens to experts, he's taken the decision. 00:10:18.812 --> 00:10:23.333 He will postpone the landings by 24 hours. 00:10:23.500 --> 00:10:25.083 Stagg has better news. 00:10:25.250 --> 00:10:28.463 He tells the supreme commander there is an interval with the weather, 00:10:28.630 --> 00:10:31.883 it should hit the middle of the channel on the 6th of June. 00:10:32.050 --> 00:10:35.233 The weather won't be great, but it'll be better than it has been. 00:10:35.400 --> 00:10:39.263 If we go on the 6th of June, it should give us just long enough 00:10:39.430 --> 00:10:45.543 to get 160,000 troops by air and by sea to land in Normandy. 00:10:45.710 --> 00:10:48.653 That night, Eisenhower goes back to his caravan 00:10:48.820 --> 00:10:52.113 in the woods about a mile behind this house. 00:10:52.280 --> 00:10:54.763 He has a restless night, but he comes back into 00:10:54.930 --> 00:10:58.403 the house just after four o'clock in the morning. 00:10:58.570 --> 00:10:59.963 Stagg has better news. 00:11:00.130 --> 00:11:02.493 He's much more certain the weather will be better. 00:11:02.660 --> 00:11:05.473 Montgomery still wants to go, Ramsay's 00:11:05.640 --> 00:11:08.143 persuaded, Leigh-Mallory is persuaded. 00:11:08.310 --> 00:11:13.553 After a short discussion at 90 minutes past 4:00 on the morning of 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:20.462 the 5th of June 1944, Eisenhower says three words, "Okay, let's go." 00:11:21.109 --> 00:11:24.067 Michael: The plan region of invasion was Normandy France. 00:11:24.790 --> 00:11:26.816 The region was divided into five landing 00:11:26.983 --> 00:11:28.567 zones along with paratroopers 00:11:28.734 --> 00:11:30.816 and glider troops landing on the eastern 00:11:30.983 --> 00:11:34.103 and western flanks of the beaches. 00:11:34.270 --> 00:11:36.633 The sections of beach in the region were given code names. 00:11:36.800 --> 00:11:40.393 The American 4th division will land on Utah Beach. 00:11:40.560 --> 00:11:44.793 The US 29th and 1st divisions would land on Omaha Beach. 00:11:45.767 --> 00:11:46.991 Lucy: The British 50th would land in Gold 00:11:47.158 --> 00:11:49.949 Beach and the 3rd would land on Sword Beach. 00:11:50.605 --> 00:11:54.003 Wiley: The Canadian 3rd division would attack Juno Beach. 00:11:54.170 --> 00:11:57.657 Before the sea invasion, thousands of paratroopers from 00:11:57.824 --> 00:12:03.613 the American 82nd and 101st Airborne along with the British 6th 00:12:03.780 --> 00:12:07.023 Airborne with the first Canadian Parachute Battalion would land 00:12:07.190 --> 00:12:10.853 to capture roads and bridges to prevent German counter-attack. 00:12:12.339 --> 00:12:17.163 Michael: The decision was set here in Southwark, but were we ready? 00:12:18.975 --> 00:12:24.814 Frank Denius: Ranger training in England was, normally, ranger 00:12:24.981 --> 00:12:29.673 training would last longer, but for us in a specialized situation, 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:33.883 the 30 of us went through ranger training strictly infantry division, 00:12:34.050 --> 00:12:41.050 and also you learn to jump from C-47s, which were troop carriers. 00:12:41.410 --> 00:12:46.763 You went to intensive training and as well as 00:12:46.930 --> 00:12:51.583 the opportunity to observe actual infantry combat so that as 00:12:51.750 --> 00:12:55.183 a forward observer, you had more of appreciation of what 00:12:55.350 --> 00:12:59.114 it was like to be an infantryman per se so to speak. 00:12:59.281 --> 00:13:05.672 It was very beneficial and it really was training that came 00:13:05.839 --> 00:13:09.003 in handy for me personally during the next year's time. 00:13:09.373 --> 00:13:12.843 Marsie Taylor: Three WAAFs and three ATS. 00:13:13.010 --> 00:13:16.293 We did all the initial typing and working 00:13:16.460 --> 00:13:19.933 on the operation orders for Overload. 00:13:20.100 --> 00:13:23.663 They were being changed all the time because these were 00:13:23.830 --> 00:13:27.513 the orders for the Navy, the Army, and the Air Force. 00:13:27.680 --> 00:13:33.223 Naturally, all the services they were always having to change things. 00:13:33.390 --> 00:13:36.433 That was really hard work. 00:13:37.029 --> 00:13:43.973 Up to a few months before D-Day, we did extraordinary 00:13:44.140 --> 00:13:48.993 hours because they were running out of time. 00:13:49.160 --> 00:13:54.953 We worked from, say, 6:00 AM to 12:00 noon, and then 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:59.013 we were on duty again at 6:00 PM till midnight. 00:13:59.180 --> 00:14:04.623 Then on duty at 6:00 AM again, and so that went on. 00:14:05.227 --> 00:14:11.967 I don't know how long we did that for, but it was just non-stop. 00:14:13.566 --> 00:14:16.348 [music] 00:14:17.064 --> 00:14:20.370 Damon: We'll pick it up again as soon as Wiley, Lucy, and Michael 00:14:20.537 --> 00:14:22.884 make it to the English coast and then cross the Channel themselves. 00:14:23.051 --> 00:14:26.863 To recap, let's reveal the answer to the first poll question. 00:14:27.030 --> 00:14:30.843 This may surprise you, but the answer is D. 00:14:31.010 --> 00:14:34.503 The D in D-Day actually doesn't stand for anything. 00:14:34.670 --> 00:14:37.213 It's a code name that just means the day of invasion. 00:14:37.380 --> 00:14:39.042 Because the actual invasion day change while 00:14:39.209 --> 00:14:40.914 the operation was being planned, it was 00:14:41.081 --> 00:14:43.042 easier to use this term than assigning 00:14:43.209 --> 00:14:45.583 an actual date and changing it on every document. 00:14:45.750 --> 00:14:51.104 The term H- Hour was also used meaning the hour of invasion. 00:14:51.271 --> 00:14:54.283 Now, I'd like to introduce museum Vice President Colonel Peter Crean 00:14:54.450 --> 00:14:57.862 to provide some insight into D-Day and to answer your questions. 00:14:58.029 --> 00:15:02.103 Colonel, we know the D in D-Day didn't really stand for anything, but 00:15:02.270 --> 00:15:06.493 we've heard both D-Day and Operation Overlord, are these things the same? 00:15:07.112 --> 00:15:08.348 Peter Crean: Actually they're not. 00:15:08.515 --> 00:15:12.093 Operation Overlord was the codename for the overall battle of Normandy, 00:15:12.260 --> 00:15:13.893 but Operation Neptune was the codename 00:15:14.060 --> 00:15:16.003 for the landings on June 6th. 00:15:16.170 --> 00:15:17.763 D-Day was full of code names to ensure 00:15:17.930 --> 00:15:19.903 everything remained top secret. 00:15:20.070 --> 00:15:21.823 The landing beaches were called Omaha, 00:15:21.990 --> 00:15:24.263 Utah, Gold, Sword, and Juno 00:15:24.634 --> 00:15:28.085 and the code name for the overall deception plan was called Bodyguard. 00:15:28.566 --> 00:15:31.139 Damon: What was the goal of deception plans? 00:15:31.306 --> 00:15:34.006 Peter: Deception was paramount to the success of D-Day. 00:15:34.474 --> 00:15:36.963 There are a lot of elements to strategy like turning German 00:15:37.130 --> 00:15:40.343 spies or decoding German enigma messages, but one of 00:15:40.510 --> 00:15:43.333 the most important elements was to ensure that the Germans didn't 00:15:43.500 --> 00:15:46.993 know where or when the crossing was going to take place. 00:15:47.160 --> 00:15:49.053 Dummy equipment was stationed in England such as 00:15:49.220 --> 00:15:51.333 inflatable tanks, and planes, trucks, et cetera. 00:15:51.500 --> 00:15:55.922 The entire fake military group was stationed in Dover. 00:15:56.089 --> 00:15:59.053 The Allies wanted the Germans to think that we were crossing at 00:15:59.220 --> 00:16:01.073 the narrowest part of the English Channel, 00:16:01.240 --> 00:16:05.803 The Pas-de-Calais or through Norway. 00:16:05.970 --> 00:16:09.083 Here's another element of the deception plan. 00:16:09.250 --> 00:16:11.633 Something as simple as our little friend Rupert here. 00:16:11.800 --> 00:16:15.393 Rupert is a paratrooper dummy that was attached to a parachute 00:16:15.560 --> 00:16:18.873 and was dropped east of the real D-Day invasion site. 00:16:19.040 --> 00:16:20.503 These Ruperts were dressed in uniforms 00:16:20.670 --> 00:16:22.303 and, of course, had the parachute. 00:16:22.470 --> 00:16:25.343 They were equipped with firecrackers so that when they 00:16:25.510 --> 00:16:28.213 hit the ground, it would sound like gunfire going off. 00:16:28.540 --> 00:16:31.670 They appeared to be a formidable unit landing in the area. 00:16:31.837 --> 00:16:33.214 Damon: That is amazing. 00:16:33.381 --> 00:16:35.282 Now, let's take some student questions. 00:16:36.749 --> 00:16:39.417 We've got one question from Lafayette Elementary. 00:16:40.092 --> 00:16:42.717 How many troops could fit in a Higgins boat? 00:16:42.884 --> 00:16:46.083 Peter: Your standard Higgins boat could carry roughly 00:16:46.250 --> 00:16:49.098 a platoon, which was about 30 to 35 soldiers. 00:16:49.265 --> 00:16:51.701 Damon: Wow, that's fascinating. 00:16:53.099 --> 00:16:54.116 I think we've got another question. 00:16:54.283 --> 00:16:56.644 Let me go to the next student question. 00:16:57.104 --> 00:16:59.633 This is from Jonathan right here in New Orleans. 00:16:59.800 --> 00:17:01.843 How old was the average Allied soldier? 00:17:02.329 --> 00:17:05.943 Peter: The average rifleman that was hitting the beach that day is not 00:17:06.110 --> 00:17:10.892 much older than the students that are watching this field trip right now. 00:17:11.059 --> 00:17:15.292 They were from about 17 years old to maybe as old as about 25, 00:17:15.459 --> 00:17:19.139 but most of them were teenagers or just past being teenagers. 00:17:19.306 --> 00:17:20.032 Damon: Kids. 00:17:20.199 --> 00:17:21.137 Peter: They were kids. 00:17:21.304 --> 00:17:22.304 Damon: Wow. 00:17:22.770 --> 00:17:26.249 Let's check back in with Wiley, Michael, and Lucy in Portsmouth. 00:17:26.416 --> 00:17:29.343 Looks like they're at the D-Day story about the check out the Overlord 00:17:29.510 --> 00:17:33.283 embroidery, which is inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry located in Normandy. 00:17:33.450 --> 00:17:36.413 This relates directly to our next poll question. 00:17:36.580 --> 00:17:39.313 What is the subject of the Bayeux Tapestry? 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:40.352 Your choices are A. 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:42.933 The Norman conquest of England, B, King 00:17:43.100 --> 00:17:45.663 Arthur's quest for the Holy Grail, C, 00:17:45.830 --> 00:17:48.132 the Battle of Gallipoli or D, the duel 00:17:48.299 --> 00:17:50.249 between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:54.295 Okay, let's turn it over to our friends at the D-Day story. 00:17:55.443 --> 00:18:00.576 [music] 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:04.290 Wiley: We're at the D-Day story in the city of Portsmouth. 00:18:04.568 --> 00:18:09.383 This museum keeps the story of D-Day alive, particularly the critical role 00:18:09.550 --> 00:18:11.493 Portsmouth, the region, and the entirety 00:18:11.660 --> 00:18:13.493 of England played in Operation Overlord. 00:18:13.660 --> 00:18:16.733 We're here to learn about how the Allies mobilized 00:18:16.900 --> 00:18:19.903 for the largest amphibious invasion in history. 00:18:20.633 --> 00:18:22.553 Lucy: A better way to understand this is to 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:24.466 explore the museum including this amazing 00:18:24.633 --> 00:18:27.454 piece behind me called the Overlord Embroidery 00:18:27.621 --> 00:18:30.054 inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry of 1066. 00:18:30.221 --> 00:18:35.354 This piece depicts the Normandy invasion measuring in at 272 feet. 00:18:36.017 --> 00:18:37.619 Michael: This is Felicity Wood, the public 00:18:37.786 --> 00:18:40.082 participation officer at the D-Day story. 00:18:40.533 --> 00:18:42.650 She's going to tell us a little bit more about the embroidery. 00:18:42.817 --> 00:18:45.922 Felicity, who made it and how long did it take to make? 00:18:46.305 --> 00:18:47.618 Felicity Wood: The embroidery was commissioned 00:18:47.785 --> 00:18:50.443 by a man called Lord Dulverton, and he 00:18:50.610 --> 00:18:52.553 commissioned an artist called Sandra Lawrence 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:55.633 who was actually only 22 at the time. 00:18:55.800 --> 00:18:58.313 She didn't really know a huge amount about the Second World War, so 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:02.473 she had to do quite a lot of research before she could design it. 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:04.763 It was made by the Royal School of Needlework 00:19:04.930 --> 00:19:06.413 and it took them five years to make. 00:19:06.580 --> 00:19:11.286 They started it in 1968 and it was finished in January 1974. 00:19:11.665 --> 00:19:13.416 Lucy: Is it accurate what happened? 00:19:13.977 --> 00:19:17.483 Felicity: The designed committee was made up of three 00:19:17.650 --> 00:19:21.343 senior army officers and a team of historians and they 00:19:21.510 --> 00:19:24.603 all approved Sandra's designs, so none of the designs 00:19:24.770 --> 00:19:27.603 could actually be stitched until they'd sign them off. 00:19:28.005 --> 00:19:30.923 Wiley: What can we learn about the Allied invasion from this embroidery? 00:19:31.090 --> 00:19:32.596 Felicity: We can learn a lot and it's 00:19:32.763 --> 00:19:35.246 full of interesting historical details. 00:19:35.673 --> 00:19:40.273 For example, the panel behind us is actually based on a real photograph, 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:43.913 and these three soldiers here are reading a booklet that they 00:19:44.080 --> 00:19:48.483 were issued with to tell them what life was like for French people 00:19:48.650 --> 00:19:52.623 under German occupation, and how to behave when they were in France. 00:19:53.566 --> 00:19:57.247 Why don't we go outside and see what was next for the Allies? 00:19:57.414 --> 00:20:04.414 [music] 00:20:07.015 --> 00:20:08.975 Felicity: We're standing next to the Solent which 00:20:09.142 --> 00:20:12.406 leads to the English Channel, and roughly 120 miles 00:20:12.573 --> 00:20:15.237 in that direction was the final destination for 00:20:15.404 --> 00:20:17.913 the Allied troops which was Normandy in France. 00:20:18.080 --> 00:20:20.483 Lucy: What was Portsmouth like the day before D-Day? 00:20:20.650 --> 00:20:22.740 Felicity: The whole of the South of England would have been like one 00:20:22.907 --> 00:20:26.843 huge army camp and Portsmouth was part of those preparations for D-Day. 00:20:27.010 --> 00:20:30.193 The troops and the Navy that were marshaling 00:20:30.360 --> 00:20:32.643 here were heading to Sword Beach. 00:20:32.810 --> 00:20:35.493 If you looked out across the channel, the eyewitnesses 00:20:35.660 --> 00:20:37.993 said there were so many ships and landing 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:40.243 craft in the Solent it looked like you could 00:20:40.410 --> 00:20:42.642 almost walk across them to the Isle of Wight. 00:20:43.325 --> 00:20:44.431 Michael: With the brief clearing in 00:20:44.598 --> 00:20:47.033 weather and Eisenhower's directive to go, 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:49.382 he issued the order of the day to over 00:20:49.549 --> 00:20:52.863 150,000 soldiers bound for Normandy. 00:20:53.030 --> 00:20:54.752 He reinforced the importance of their mission 00:20:54.919 --> 00:20:57.513 and the intense challenge they faced ahead. 00:20:59.509 --> 00:21:01.602 Eisenhower: Soldiers, sailors, and airmen 00:21:01.769 --> 00:21:04.761 of the Allied Expeditionary Force, you are 00:21:04.928 --> 00:21:07.849 about to embark upon the great crusade toward 00:21:08.016 --> 00:21:10.118 which we have striven these many months. 00:21:10.718 --> 00:21:12.663 The eyes of the world are upon you. 00:21:13.354 --> 00:21:15.266 The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving 00:21:15.433 --> 00:21:17.562 people everywhere march with you. 00:21:18.509 --> 00:21:22.063 In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other 00:21:22.230 --> 00:21:25.535 fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war 00:21:25.702 --> 00:21:28.686 machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed 00:21:28.853 --> 00:21:32.663 peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. 00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:38.093 Lucy: On the early morning of June 6th, a large fleet of ships carrying 00:21:38.260 --> 00:21:42.308 troops and supplies leaves England to commence its Channel crossing. 00:21:42.959 --> 00:21:45.338 Today, we're going to embark across the channel 00:21:45.505 --> 00:21:48.448 and follow in the footsteps of the Allies 75 years ago. 00:21:48.615 --> 00:21:55.615 [music] 00:22:01.476 --> 00:22:03.693 Wiley: Shortly before midnight, British, Canadian, 00:22:03.860 --> 00:22:07.953 and American paratroopers board C-47s and gliders 00:22:08.120 --> 00:22:10.323 which will soon be on their way for an early morning 00:22:10.490 --> 00:22:13.453 drop in the region before the sea invasion begins. 00:22:14.291 --> 00:22:15.833 Through the middle of the night, the ships 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:18.433 would make their journey across the channel. 00:22:18.600 --> 00:22:20.723 Eventually, the transport ships dropped 00:22:20.890 --> 00:22:24.443 the anchor roughly 11 miles off the coast of France. 00:22:24.610 --> 00:22:27.653 At around 3:30 in the morning, the assault forces climbed 00:22:27.820 --> 00:22:31.993 down rope ladders to board the Higgins boats and LCAs. 00:22:33.765 --> 00:22:37.103 Michael: Despite the slight break in weather, the seas were still choppy. 00:22:37.270 --> 00:22:39.632 Men from all nations got seasick as they 00:22:39.799 --> 00:22:41.583 approached the coast in their landing craft. 00:22:41.750 --> 00:22:44.833 However, this would be the least of their worries as 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:48.000 the boats were given the signal to move in a few short hours. 00:22:49.875 --> 00:22:51.953 Andgie: Bonjour et bienvenue, je m'appelle Andgie. 00:22:52.120 --> 00:22:55.023 That means hello and welcome, my name is Andgie, 00:22:55.190 --> 00:22:57.740 and I live in this region of France called Normandy. 00:22:58.369 --> 00:23:00.973 I also went to school in Sainte-Mere-Eglise 00:23:01.140 --> 00:23:04.512 Bordering the English Channel, Normandy is one of France's 00:23:04.679 --> 00:23:08.493 13 mainland regions and rich in beauty and history. 00:23:08.660 --> 00:23:13.913 Iconic sites decorate this region from the Bayeux Tapestry to stunning 00:23:14.080 --> 00:23:18.762 medieval cities to quiet rural countrysides, castles, and cathedrals. 00:23:18.929 --> 00:23:22.433 This entire region has a violent past. 00:23:22.600 --> 00:23:26.033 William the Conqueror hailed from the City of Falaise. 00:23:26.200 --> 00:23:29.593 His bloody quest for English rule is well-known history. 00:23:29.760 --> 00:23:32.993 Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:36.783 the city of Rouen, and, of course, 75 years 00:23:36.950 --> 00:23:39.623 ago, it became the site of the largest 00:23:39.790 --> 00:23:43.073 and amphibious invasion in all of history. 00:23:43.240 --> 00:23:45.703 Allied soldiers poured on to descend under heavy 00:23:45.870 --> 00:23:49.223 enemy fire and rangers scaled these sheer cliffs. 00:23:49.390 --> 00:23:54.463 Further inland, skirmishes erupted in small villages to secure 00:23:54.630 --> 00:23:58.703 streets and bridges from the Nazis as French civilians took shelter. 00:23:58.870 --> 00:24:02.853 Similar as us planning for Overlord for years, 00:24:03.020 --> 00:24:07.353 the German had been preparing for years. 00:24:07.520 --> 00:24:08.872 The Allied forces needed to open a new 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:12.892 front in Northwest Europe to win this war. 00:24:13.059 --> 00:24:15.423 In anticipation of this critical battle, 00:24:15.590 --> 00:24:18.383 the Nazi constructed the Atlantic Wall. 00:24:18.550 --> 00:24:22.103 Now it's not an actual wall, but a series of defenses 00:24:22.270 --> 00:24:26.163 that extended from Norway to French border with Spain. 00:24:26.330 --> 00:24:30.203 The Atlantic Wall began construction in 1942 00:24:30.370 --> 00:24:33.655 and work heavily ramped up in early 1944. 00:24:34.759 --> 00:24:35.853 Wiley: That's really interesting and what 00:24:36.020 --> 00:24:38.111 were the large gun emplacements used for? 00:24:38.798 --> 00:24:41.283 Andgie: This is the Longues-Sur-Mer battery probably 00:24:41.450 --> 00:24:44.893 the best-preserved pieces of the Atlantic Wall defenses. 00:24:45.433 --> 00:24:49.023 Out of all defenses in Normandy, it's the only 00:24:49.190 --> 00:24:51.683 one to still be equipped with its original guns. 00:24:52.522 --> 00:24:55.632 The release of these defense systems of which 00:24:55.799 --> 00:24:58.181 there were hundreds along this coastline 00:24:58.716 --> 00:25:01.547 serve up some of the most visible reminders 00:25:01.714 --> 00:25:04.348 of what took place here 75 years ago. 00:25:07.336 --> 00:25:13.913 Harley Reynolds: 12 miles out in that storm that had blown 00:25:14.080 --> 00:25:19.752 up and canceled the first day, it hadn't let down that day. 00:25:19.919 --> 00:25:24.622 The prediction was that it would subside and it did because 00:25:24.789 --> 00:25:29.613 we made it ashore, but it was still very, very bad. 00:25:30.450 --> 00:25:36.702 The people being seasick, it was such a stinking mess that that alone 00:25:37.890 --> 00:25:40.491 was enough to kill a man from the stench 00:25:40.658 --> 00:25:43.039 of the diesel oil and the puke. 00:25:45.584 --> 00:25:49.743 One thing that I was glad for, I was the first one off of that boat 00:25:49.910 --> 00:25:55.493 and being up front the boat and it moving all the wind went to the back. 00:25:55.660 --> 00:25:58.333 The men further in the back are the ones who 00:25:58.500 --> 00:26:03.012 got the smell because I didn't get any of it. 00:26:03.869 --> 00:26:09.607 A long ride, rough ride, drenched cold 00:26:10.771 --> 00:26:13.340 into the end to the beach. 00:26:14.105 --> 00:26:17.421 Hugh Buckley: They put me in the reconnaissance 00:26:18.045 --> 00:26:22.161 troop which were very light tanks. 00:26:22.328 --> 00:26:28.940 They were the Stuart tank and I was a gunner operator. 00:26:30.031 --> 00:26:36.409 Then I was with them on D-Day and we departed from Southampton. 00:26:38.664 --> 00:26:42.156 It was very impressive because crossing the channel. 00:26:44.756 --> 00:26:50.034 We woke up in the morning and there were thousands of ships. 00:26:52.668 --> 00:26:55.353 The reassuring thing was there was 00:26:55.520 --> 00:27:00.726 no way anybody could stop this invasion. 00:27:02.091 --> 00:27:05.076 Once it got going, there was so much of it. 00:27:05.896 --> 00:27:06.760 Clayton Kelly Gross: A great mission. 00:27:06.927 --> 00:27:10.449 I remember saying to the guys that if you have 00:27:10.616 --> 00:27:13.283 to go down on the Channel, don't worry about it, 00:27:13.450 --> 00:27:16.455 you could walk back to England on the ships, there 00:27:16.622 --> 00:27:20.663 were that many of them, unbelievable number. 00:27:22.037 --> 00:27:24.935 What a job that was to put together. 00:27:28.447 --> 00:27:31.108 Damon: The Longues-Sur-Mer battery is an impressive sight. 00:27:31.275 --> 00:27:34.712 It is so well preserved many years after the war. 00:27:34.879 --> 00:27:37.718 Now, let's reveal the answer to the last poll question. 00:27:37.885 --> 00:27:41.401 The answer is A, the Norman conquest of England. 00:27:41.568 --> 00:27:44.142 You heard Andgie review the rich history of Normandy 00:27:44.309 --> 00:27:47.043 and mentioned William the Conqueror's takeover of England. 00:27:47.210 --> 00:27:50.313 As you heard, William the Conqueror hails from Falaise and you'll 00:27:50.480 --> 00:27:53.583 see an interview with Andgie in that city later in the webcast. 00:27:53.750 --> 00:27:56.413 Let's bring it back to World War II. 00:27:56.580 --> 00:27:58.252 Colonel Crean joins us again to take a look 00:27:58.419 --> 00:28:01.799 at examples of airborne uniforms from D-Day. Colonel. 00:28:02.373 --> 00:28:04.563 Peter: Damon, here we have two uniforms that would 00:28:04.730 --> 00:28:07.443 have been worn by paratroopers during the invasion. 00:28:07.610 --> 00:28:09.193 This is an American uniform. 00:28:09.360 --> 00:28:11.463 Now, American paratroopers had a different 00:28:11.630 --> 00:28:14.363 uniform from the rest of our infantry. 00:28:14.530 --> 00:28:17.063 You'll notice some things that are different is that 00:28:17.230 --> 00:28:19.383 it has more pockets and the pockets that are on 00:28:19.550 --> 00:28:22.463 the top are angled which made it easier for the paratroopers 00:28:22.630 --> 00:28:25.752 to get at while they were in their harness. 00:28:25.919 --> 00:28:28.683 The other thing that you'll notice is the British one over here. 00:28:28.850 --> 00:28:31.033 This is a call to jump smock. 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:34.242 The British paratroopers wore the same uniform 00:28:34.409 --> 00:28:36.253 that their regular infantryman wore, but they 00:28:36.420 --> 00:28:38.523 put this jump smock over the top which made it 00:28:38.690 --> 00:28:41.693 easier to get in and out of their parachute. 00:28:41.860 --> 00:28:44.553 Then once the parachute was off, it was camouflaged 00:28:44.720 --> 00:28:47.392 and then also served to protect them from the elements. 00:28:47.559 --> 00:28:51.774 Damon: Wow. Colonel, we also have in our pockets 00:28:52.246 --> 00:28:53.903 these little crickets, are they called? 00:28:54.070 --> 00:28:55.793 Peter: They're called crickets. 00:28:55.960 --> 00:29:01.713 The 101st Airborne Division carried these crickets. 00:29:01.880 --> 00:29:05.543 They were used as a countersign to help identify if there were any other 00:29:05.710 --> 00:29:07.613 paratroopers in the area without giving 00:29:07.780 --> 00:29:09.653 away their position to the enemy. 00:29:09.820 --> 00:29:13.773 If I click this cricket once and I hear two clicks 00:29:13.940 --> 00:29:17.933 back, then I knew there was a friend nearby. 00:29:18.100 --> 00:29:19.963 The cricket sounds blended in with the real 00:29:20.130 --> 00:29:21.983 crickets and the real noises of Normandy 00:29:22.150 --> 00:29:23.663 so hopefully, it wouldn't alert the Germans 00:29:23.830 --> 00:29:25.305 that were in the surrounding area. 00:29:25.472 --> 00:29:27.426 Damon: Wow, thanks, colonel. 00:29:28.033 --> 00:29:30.184 Let's take a look at some student questions. 00:29:31.170 --> 00:29:33.483 We have a question from Mike. 00:29:33.650 --> 00:29:36.746 Were there any Medal of Honor recipients at D-Day? 00:29:37.222 --> 00:29:37.941 Colonel: There were. 00:29:38.108 --> 00:29:41.193 The American side in the entire campaign of Normandy, 00:29:41.360 --> 00:29:44.543 there were 12 recipients of the Medal of Honor. 00:29:44.710 --> 00:29:48.313 Even on D-Day alone with the Commonwealth 00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:51.403 troops, there was a gentleman named Stanley 00:29:51.570 --> 00:29:55.283 Hollis who received the Commonwealth equivalent 00:29:55.450 --> 00:29:58.153 of the Medal of Honor, the Victoria Cross. 00:29:59.076 --> 00:30:02.824 Damon: We have another question from from Echo School District. 00:30:02.991 --> 00:30:05.169 How long did D-Day last? 00:30:05.336 --> 00:30:09.006 Peter: D-Day signifies that it lasted for 24 00:30:09.173 --> 00:30:11.325 hours and with the first paratroopers landing 00:30:11.492 --> 00:30:13.885 shortly after midnight, but the campaign in 00:30:14.052 --> 00:30:16.134 Normandy went on for a couple more weeks. 00:30:16.521 --> 00:30:20.502 It's more than just one day, but 00:30:20.669 --> 00:30:22.923 the Operation Neptune was just the 24 hours. 00:30:23.333 --> 00:30:25.663 Damon: Got it. Thank you, Colonel. 00:30:25.830 --> 00:30:27.373 Before we join our students in Normandy, 00:30:27.540 --> 00:30:29.923 let's take a look at the next poll. 00:30:30.090 --> 00:30:31.773 How many Allied countries participated 00:30:31.940 --> 00:30:33.642 in the Normandy invasion? 00:30:33.809 --> 00:30:40.663 Your choices are A, 3 B, 4 C, 12 or D, 27. 00:30:40.830 --> 00:30:42.923 Now we'll turn to Andgie who is going to kick off 00:30:43.090 --> 00:30:45.523 the exploration of this 45-mile battle fought. 00:30:48.327 --> 00:30:51.336 Andgie: Because the Normandy region is large and D-Day is complex, 00:30:51.503 --> 00:30:56.104 we decided to split up to explore invasion sites for each country. 00:30:56.271 --> 00:30:58.625 Starting off the investigation is Michael 00:30:58.792 --> 00:31:00.568 in the town of Sainte-Mère-Église. 00:31:00.735 --> 00:31:03.955 [music] 00:31:04.516 --> 00:31:06.182 Michael: We begin our story with the pre-dawn 00:31:06.349 --> 00:31:08.903 invasion by American and British paratroopers. 00:31:09.070 --> 00:31:11.003 Their mission, to capture roads 00:31:11.170 --> 00:31:13.311 and bridges on the eastern and western flanks 00:31:13.478 --> 00:31:15.292 of the beaches, to prevent German 00:31:15.459 --> 00:31:18.103 reinforcements from moving into the area. 00:31:19.031 --> 00:31:24.527 Over 9,000 C-47 sky trains towing gliders and carrying more than 13,000 00:31:24.694 --> 00:31:29.140 paratroopers from the American 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. 00:31:29.662 --> 00:31:32.633 The British 6th Airborne Division and the first Canadian 00:31:32.800 --> 00:31:35.388 parachute battalion took off from various bases in 00:31:35.555 --> 00:31:38.272 Southern England and crossed the Channel dropping forces 00:31:38.439 --> 00:31:41.364 behind enemy lines in the wee hours of the morning. 00:31:42.587 --> 00:31:44.570 The 82nd Airborne Division dropped in 00:31:44.737 --> 00:31:46.938 and around the village of Sainte-Mère-Église. 00:31:47.378 --> 00:31:50.300 With me is Magali Mallet from the Airborne Museum 00:31:50.467 --> 00:31:52.768 to talk a little bit about what happened that day. 00:31:52.935 --> 00:31:55.385 Did everything go to plan for the Allies that day? 00:31:55.607 --> 00:31:56.552 Magali Mallet: Not exactly. 00:31:56.719 --> 00:31:59.373 For the paratroopers, not exactly, because 00:31:59.540 --> 00:32:02.862 it was a very bad weather for D-Day. 00:32:03.887 --> 00:32:07.288 Here especially, we have marshlands 00:32:07.671 --> 00:32:10.993 and the German flooded all the marshlands, so it was 00:32:11.160 --> 00:32:14.012 very difficult for the paratroopers to jump, 00:32:14.179 --> 00:32:17.433 and some of them were drawn in the marshlands. 00:32:18.281 --> 00:32:23.007 Many paratroopers were scattered everywhere 00:32:24.824 --> 00:32:29.316 around Sainte-Mère-Église and Sainte-Marie- du-Mont. 00:32:29.483 --> 00:32:34.040 Sometimes they were dropped maybe 20 or 30 kilometers 00:32:34.603 --> 00:32:37.756 from here, so it was not exactly the plan. 00:32:37.923 --> 00:32:40.095 Michael: Wow. What's with the church in the background especially 00:32:40.262 --> 00:32:42.558 the paratrooper hanging off the side of it? 00:32:44.335 --> 00:32:46.667 Magali: This man, this American, 82nd Airborne 00:32:46.834 --> 00:32:50.283 paratrooper, the name of this man is John Steele. 00:32:50.450 --> 00:32:57.153 John Steele was in the stick that jumped over Sainte-Mère-Église. 00:32:57.408 --> 00:33:03.607 John Steele received a bullet in his foot 00:33:04.110 --> 00:33:07.859 during his jump and he was not 00:33:08.026 --> 00:33:14.633 able to control his parachute, so he was hanging on the church steeple. 00:33:15.178 --> 00:33:20.082 At that time, you always have Germany troops in the steeple 00:33:20.249 --> 00:33:23.075 because it's a good point to observe what happened. 00:33:24.130 --> 00:33:26.591 You have two Germans in the steeple 00:33:27.095 --> 00:33:31.580 and the German took John Steele with them. 00:33:31.950 --> 00:33:35.429 He was their prisoner for three days 00:33:35.596 --> 00:33:40.044 and fortunately, after that, he was able to escape. 00:33:40.211 --> 00:33:42.167 Michael: That's so interesting. 00:33:42.334 --> 00:33:45.249 Overall, were the Allied paratroopers successful? 00:33:45.446 --> 00:33:52.446 Magali: Yes, we are used to say that Utah Beach is a successful landings 00:33:53.343 --> 00:33:57.083 thanks to the paratroopers because they complete all the objective. 00:33:57.250 --> 00:34:01.012 They gain control onto Sainte-Mère-Église, 00:34:01.179 --> 00:34:03.563 they gain control at La Fière Bridge 00:34:03.730 --> 00:34:07.733 and also they were able to secure the exits 00:34:07.900 --> 00:34:10.682 of Utah Beach so to secure the landings. 00:34:10.849 --> 00:34:15.543 Thanks to them it was a success at Utah Beach. 00:34:16.307 --> 00:34:18.612 Michael: Wow. Thank you, Megali, thank you for your time. 00:34:18.779 --> 00:34:20.318 Magali: Thank you. 00:34:20.485 --> 00:34:22.001 Michael: Now we're going to go to a place where 00:34:22.168 --> 00:34:25.126 we can see both Utah Beach and Omaha Beach. 00:34:25.293 --> 00:34:32.293 [music] 00:34:38.669 --> 00:34:41.313 I'm standing here at Pointe du Hoc, a prominent 00:34:41.480 --> 00:34:44.563 observation point between Omaha and Utah Beach. 00:34:44.730 --> 00:34:49.492 At approximately 0630 hours, the first American troops landed 00:34:49.659 --> 00:34:54.002 on Omaha Beach, the most heavily defended by German forces. 00:34:54.169 --> 00:34:55.952 Surrounded by steep elevation, the attacking 00:34:56.119 --> 00:34:59.403 Americans faced intense German opposition. 00:34:59.570 --> 00:35:01.003 In order to get off the beach and push 00:35:01.170 --> 00:35:02.463 further ahead, the Americans had to 00:35:02.630 --> 00:35:06.333 capture all beach exits or causeways that 00:35:06.500 --> 00:35:09.603 led inland to the Norman countryside. 00:35:09.770 --> 00:35:13.343 This site earned the name Bloody Omaha as roughly half of 00:35:13.510 --> 00:35:18.633 the Allied casualties occurred on this one beach on June 6th. 00:35:18.800 --> 00:35:21.463 Some men didn't even make it to the beach itself. 00:35:21.630 --> 00:35:25.094 A combination of rising tides and scared young Higgins boat 00:35:25.261 --> 00:35:30.172 pilots caused many of the infantry to be dropped far offshore. 00:35:30.339 --> 00:35:32.343 The men had to wade through the water with packs 00:35:32.510 --> 00:35:37.243 weghing anywhere from 80 to 120 pounds on their back. 00:35:37.410 --> 00:35:39.563 Despite initial confusion and an extreme 00:35:39.730 --> 00:35:42.243 loss of life, a small number of units 00:35:42.410 --> 00:35:44.383 managed to knock out German defenses, 00:35:44.550 --> 00:35:46.793 secure the beach exits, and move inland. 00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:50.053 Pointe du Hoc was believed to be a German stronghold. 00:35:50.220 --> 00:35:53.922 Allied intelligence suggested that this was a location for the German gun 00:35:54.089 --> 00:35:55.733 emplacements that would threaten Allied 00:35:55.900 --> 00:35:57.723 beaches and had to be destroyed. 00:35:57.890 --> 00:36:01.573 Here, you can see signs of heavy Allied bombardment. 00:36:01.740 --> 00:36:03.702 Huge craters decorate this landscape. 00:36:03.869 --> 00:36:08.513 The Americans 2nd Ranger Battalion landed here, scaled these 00:36:08.680 --> 00:36:11.983 100-foot cliffs, but didn't initially find the German weaponry. 00:36:12.150 --> 00:36:14.583 They moved further inland, discovered 00:36:14.750 --> 00:36:18.233 the transported artillery pieces and destroyed them. 00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:21.103 Further to the west of me is Utah Beach 00:36:21.270 --> 00:36:23.952 taken by the 4th Infantry Division. 00:36:24.119 --> 00:36:26.663 Not in the original plans for D-Day, it was a late 00:36:26.830 --> 00:36:30.743 addition for its proximity to the port city of Cherbourg. 00:36:30.910 --> 00:36:32.843 The force landed further east from original 00:36:33.010 --> 00:36:35.843 plans, but the defensive fire was light. 00:36:36.010 --> 00:36:38.573 Once troops advanced further inland, 00:36:38.740 --> 00:36:40.043 they were slowed down by flooding, 00:36:40.210 --> 00:36:44.173 but eventually met up with members of the 101st Airborne by nightfall. 00:36:44.340 --> 00:36:46.413 Now let's check in with Lucy to see what 00:36:46.580 --> 00:36:48.799 was going on with the British on June 6th. 00:36:48.966 --> 00:36:55.966 [music] 00:36:56.946 --> 00:36:58.443 Lucy: I'm standing here at the beautiful 00:36:58.610 --> 00:37:00.653 look out of our Arromanches-Les-Bains 00:37:00.820 --> 00:37:03.043 and to my right is Gold Beach, which was 00:37:03.210 --> 00:37:05.163 assigned to the British 50th division. 00:37:05.873 --> 00:37:09.743 Landing at 7:25 in the morning, this beach and the surrounding towns 00:37:09.910 --> 00:37:14.442 were captured quickly by the British after a short sharp fight. 00:37:14.609 --> 00:37:17.493 Some fighting continued along the area behind the beach 00:37:17.660 --> 00:37:21.073 until morning with roughly a thousand British casualties. 00:37:21.240 --> 00:37:25.473 German forces had been holed up in housing along the coast 00:37:25.640 --> 00:37:29.183 which was heavily damaged or destroyed by naval gunfire. 00:37:29.350 --> 00:37:31.883 The Longues-Sur-Mer battery where we were earlier 00:37:32.050 --> 00:37:34.293 served as a German observation post for Gold 00:37:34.460 --> 00:37:37.423 Beach, but its guns had also been put out of 00:37:37.590 --> 00:37:41.383 commissioned by British bombardment from the sea. 00:37:41.550 --> 00:37:44.024 In the distance, you can see the remains 00:37:44.191 --> 00:37:45.983 of Mulberry Harbor, which like another 00:37:46.150 --> 00:37:48.281 harbor on Omaha Beach turned this coastline 00:37:48.448 --> 00:37:50.753 into a temporary port during the war. 00:37:51.472 --> 00:37:54.923 On D-Day, British troops deliberately didn't land 00:37:55.090 --> 00:37:57.873 here so that they could keep this beach clear. 00:37:58.040 --> 00:38:00.157 The pieces of the harbor were tugged over 00:38:00.324 --> 00:38:02.875 from England and put in place at Arromanches. 00:38:03.076 --> 00:38:05.547 What we see remaining are the landing pontoons 00:38:05.714 --> 00:38:07.991 and floating roadways that can bring supplies 00:38:08.158 --> 00:38:10.053 and equipment to the beaches and then further 00:38:10.220 --> 00:38:12.503 inland to support the ground campaign. 00:38:12.670 --> 00:38:14.496 In the five months, this harbor was 00:38:14.663 --> 00:38:17.828 used, 500,000 vehicles and four million 00:38:17.995 --> 00:38:20.665 tons of supplies along with 2.5 million 00:38:20.832 --> 00:38:22.819 men reached the Normandy region. 00:38:23.426 --> 00:38:25.839 It was crucial to the success of the invasion. 00:38:26.317 --> 00:38:30.304 Further east is the second British landing spot, code-named Sword. 00:38:31.011 --> 00:38:34.175 The mission of the British 3rd Division that day; meet up 00:38:34.342 --> 00:38:37.208 with the British paratroopers and take the city of Caen. 00:38:37.766 --> 00:38:42.723 The forces moved inwards relatively quickly, linked up with 00:38:42.890 --> 00:38:44.423 the paratroopers, but faced stiff resistance by German tankers. 00:38:44.590 --> 00:38:47.363 Although still a success by the end of the day, 00:38:47.530 --> 00:38:50.043 Allied forces were still five miles from Caen. 00:38:51.027 --> 00:38:53.444 Now let's toss it to Wiley who's exploring Juno Beach. 00:38:53.611 --> 00:39:00.611 [music] 00:39:04.623 --> 00:39:07.135 Wiley: Behind me is Juno Beach, the original code name for 00:39:07.302 --> 00:39:11.333 this Beach was Jelly as in jellyfish, swordfish, and goldfish. 00:39:11.500 --> 00:39:14.483 However, the planners didn't think that that was a serious enough 00:39:14.650 --> 00:39:18.823 name for such an important operation, so they changed it to Juno. 00:39:18.990 --> 00:39:20.672 Right now, we're at the Juno Beach Centre. 00:39:20.839 --> 00:39:22.823 This museum commemorates the role that 00:39:22.990 --> 00:39:24.513 Canada played during the Second World 00:39:24.680 --> 00:39:27.192 War, especially for those that were killed 00:39:27.359 --> 00:39:30.083 in the Battle of Normandy and D-Day. 00:39:30.250 --> 00:39:32.123 Right now, were steps from Juno Beach itself 00:39:32.290 --> 00:39:37.902 where 359 Canadians died on June 6th, 1944. 00:39:38.069 --> 00:39:40.769 With me is Alicia Dotiwalla from the Juno Beach Centre. 00:39:41.275 --> 00:39:42.326 Hi, Alicia, how are you? 00:39:42.493 --> 00:39:43.541 Alicia: I'm doing great, how are you? 00:39:43.708 --> 00:39:45.171 Wiley: Good, thank you. Thank you for joining me today. 00:39:45.338 --> 00:39:45.874 Alicia: My pleasure. 00:39:46.041 --> 00:39:47.113 Wiley: I was just wondering if you could 00:39:47.280 --> 00:39:48.444 walk us through what exactly happened 00:39:48.611 --> 00:39:52.491 here 75 years ago and what kinds of challenges the Canadian troops faced? 00:39:53.002 --> 00:39:57.432 Alicia: Absolutely. The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division stormed Juno 00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:01.003 Beach at about 7:55 in the morning of D-Day. 00:40:01.170 --> 00:40:04.353 That was about 10 minutes past H-Hour. 00:40:04.520 --> 00:40:05.843 The troops were supported by the tanks 00:40:06.010 --> 00:40:07.813 from the second Canadian Armored 00:40:07.980 --> 00:40:11.523 Brigade, as well as artillery and other units attached to the division. 00:40:11.690 --> 00:40:15.253 Because low tide had already passed, some of the German beach 00:40:15.420 --> 00:40:18.053 obstacles were already partially submerged under the water. 00:40:18.220 --> 00:40:20.583 This created an incredibly dangerous situation 00:40:20.750 --> 00:40:23.223 for the incoming landing craft as there was 00:40:23.390 --> 00:40:25.593 no telling as to where the obstacles were 00:40:25.760 --> 00:40:27.543 located as they were partially already covered. 00:40:27.710 --> 00:40:32.353 As a result, about 30% of the landing craft were either partially damaged 00:40:32.520 --> 00:40:35.720 or completely destroyed even before they arrived on to the beach. 00:40:36.116 --> 00:40:38.217 Wiley: Were the Canadian troops successful? 00:40:38.807 --> 00:40:40.195 Alicia: Despite heavy losses in the first 00:40:40.362 --> 00:40:42.565 wave, the Canadians persevered, 00:40:42.732 --> 00:40:45.033 and they captured the bridgehead, as well 00:40:45.200 --> 00:40:46.863 as a few of the surrounding villages. 00:40:47.030 --> 00:40:50.383 The Canadians were able to link up with the British troops at Gold 00:40:50.550 --> 00:40:54.083 Beach, but they were still a few miles away from those at Sword. 00:40:54.250 --> 00:40:56.662 It's also worth noting that the Canadians advanced 00:40:56.829 --> 00:40:59.233 farther inland than any other troops on D-Day. 00:40:59.400 --> 00:41:01.950 Wiley: That's an amazing story. Thank you very much. 00:41:06.979 --> 00:41:09.297 D-Day is an excellent example of how sacrifice, 00:41:09.464 --> 00:41:11.962 bravery, and teamwork can turn the tide of a war. 00:41:12.524 --> 00:41:14.672 Many nations, along with the intelligence 00:41:14.839 --> 00:41:16.833 and cooperation of the French Resistance, paved 00:41:17.000 --> 00:41:19.483 the way for an entire army to be brought to 00:41:19.650 --> 00:41:22.547 shore in one day, never to be dislodged. 00:41:25.563 --> 00:41:29.942 John Marr: We began to see the anti-aircraft 00:41:30.405 --> 00:41:33.826 guns, then we were waiting for the green light. 00:41:35.089 --> 00:41:38.617 We saw the pasture land passing underneath us. 00:41:39.773 --> 00:41:44.997 It appeared like a very peaceful 00:41:45.580 --> 00:41:50.744 pastoral area below us, little did we 00:41:50.911 --> 00:41:55.006 know that the land that we were 00:41:55.173 --> 00:41:57.675 approaching was absolutely under water. 00:41:57.842 --> 00:42:00.810 When we got the green light, went out, we were 00:42:00.977 --> 00:42:04.573 flying at a very low level, at least my plane was. 00:42:08.049 --> 00:42:14.930 I went out and got about one full oscillation after 00:42:15.097 --> 00:42:20.589 the opening of my parachute, and I hit the water and went under. 00:42:21.781 --> 00:42:25.886 This was a great surprise to me because I thought 00:42:26.053 --> 00:42:28.426 I was going to be landing in a pasture land. 00:42:28.593 --> 00:42:31.312 Hal Baumgarten: When our ramp went down, the signal for every 00:42:31.479 --> 00:42:35.439 machine gun on that beach to open up on the exit to our ship. 00:42:37.072 --> 00:42:40.158 Harold Donaldson, the lieutenant, was gunned down 00:42:40.325 --> 00:42:43.271 in the boat like you see in Saving Private Ryan. 00:42:43.438 --> 00:42:45.488 The fellow in front of me, Clarence Riggs, 00:42:46.025 --> 00:42:48.021 was machine-gunned down the ramp. 00:42:48.757 --> 00:42:52.694 I dove in behind him, only my left side 00:42:52.861 --> 00:42:54.926 of my helmet was creased by a bullet. 00:42:55.554 --> 00:42:58.050 I hit the sand behind the Hedgehog, which 00:42:58.217 --> 00:43:00.841 was about 130 yards from the seawall. 00:43:02.957 --> 00:43:06.790 I observed in my right, Private Robert 00:43:06.957 --> 00:43:09.254 Didmar, Fairfield Connecticut. 00:43:09.849 --> 00:43:11.447 I was yelling. 00:43:11.614 --> 00:43:16.383 He tripped over the Hedgehog, spun completely around, lying on his 00:43:16.550 --> 00:43:20.936 back and yelling, "I'm hit, I'm hit, my mother." Then he was silent. 00:43:21.541 --> 00:43:23.092 Harley Reynolds: Just a short time after 00:43:23.259 --> 00:43:27.838 that, a man crawled up on my right side. 00:43:31.776 --> 00:43:35.046 I saw what he was doing, he had a Bangalore in two sections, 00:43:35.213 --> 00:43:41.711 and he was putting it under the barbed wire, which he managed to do. 00:43:41.878 --> 00:43:47.428 He pulled the fuse on it to light the primer, backed up a little bit. 00:43:49.399 --> 00:43:53.872 I braced myself for the Bangalore to go off, and it didn't go off. 00:43:55.427 --> 00:43:59.710 He crawled back up and removed that bad lighter, put a new one 00:43:59.877 --> 00:44:03.429 in it, pulled the string on it, and started to back up. 00:44:03.803 --> 00:44:08.634 At that second, he was hit, and his eyes looked directly into mine. 00:44:13.455 --> 00:44:17.709 The look in his eyes as he died, was 00:44:19.879 --> 00:44:22.752 a questioning look, or a puzzling look. 00:44:23.889 --> 00:44:25.160 It's hard to describe. 00:44:25.608 --> 00:44:27.872 Then his eyes just closed. 00:44:30.415 --> 00:44:35.216 To me, that man was the greatest hero on that beach. 00:44:36.371 --> 00:44:39.598 Because, that Bangalore went off, and when 00:44:39.765 --> 00:44:42.581 it went off, I was up and through that wire. 00:44:48.811 --> 00:44:50.766 Damon: That was some powerful testimony and stories 00:44:50.933 --> 00:44:54.068 of survival from those who were there 75 years ago. 00:44:54.827 --> 00:44:58.465 Let's actually bring in Colonel Crean to answer the previous poll question. 00:44:58.632 --> 00:45:00.189 Colonel Crean, how many Allied nations 00:45:00.356 --> 00:45:02.508 actually participated in D-Day? 00:45:02.976 --> 00:45:04.396 Peter: Although we're focusing on four 00:45:04.563 --> 00:45:06.097 countries in this program, actually 00:45:06.264 --> 00:45:08.574 a dozen nations played a role in this massive 00:45:08.741 --> 00:45:10.441 undertaking that's known as D-Day. 00:45:10.865 --> 00:45:14.162 For example, an Australian Aircrew in the Royal Air Force would serve 00:45:14.329 --> 00:45:18.103 in many different roles, including towing gliders or on bomber runs. 00:45:18.270 --> 00:45:21.520 Two Greek warships were part of the massive armada in the channel. 00:45:22.370 --> 00:45:23.941 There are countless other examples. 00:45:24.108 --> 00:45:25.318 Damon: I bet there are. 00:45:25.485 --> 00:45:27.409 Let's talk about another lesser known 00:45:27.576 --> 00:45:29.920 story of a nation participating in D-Day. 00:45:30.087 --> 00:45:33.409 In this case, the American-Indian Comanche Nation. 00:45:33.576 --> 00:45:36.456 These men were utilized as code talkers, creating an organized 00:45:36.623 --> 00:45:39.908 code and using their language to send messages from the beach. 00:45:40.511 --> 00:45:41.994 Colonel, is that pretty accurate? 00:45:42.161 --> 00:45:43.316 Peter: Sure, it is. 00:45:43.483 --> 00:45:47.708 This is one of the great history stories of Native American culture. 00:45:48.426 --> 00:45:50.470 There were 13 Comanche code talkers who landed 00:45:50.637 --> 00:45:53.293 on Utah Beach with the 4th Infantry Division. 00:45:53.460 --> 00:45:55.073 The Comanches didn't have words in their 00:45:55.240 --> 00:45:57.053 language for modern military terms, 00:45:57.220 --> 00:46:00.783 so they created code to communicate with one another on the battlefield. 00:46:00.950 --> 00:46:03.973 They used their coded native language to send messages via radios 00:46:04.140 --> 00:46:07.513 and telephones, and then translated them back into English. 00:46:07.680 --> 00:46:10.753 The first message in Comanche from Utah Beach was, "We 00:46:10.920 --> 00:46:14.793 made a good landing, we landed in the wrong place." 00:46:14.960 --> 00:46:16.943 These codes, along with the codes from the Navajo code 00:46:17.110 --> 00:46:19.825 talkers in the Pacific, were never broken by the enemy. 00:46:20.462 --> 00:46:22.204 Damon: That is fascinating. 00:46:22.371 --> 00:46:24.472 Colonel, let's take some student questions. 00:46:25.020 --> 00:46:27.570 We have a question from MP Middle School. 00:46:27.737 --> 00:46:29.637 Why would gliders be used? 00:46:29.804 --> 00:46:31.793 Peter: If you use gliders, you could 00:46:31.960 --> 00:46:34.503 get more troops to the ground quickly. 00:46:34.670 --> 00:46:37.202 You'd have 13 on that, and then you can also drop 00:46:37.369 --> 00:46:39.769 people out of the planes that we're telling them. 00:46:40.650 --> 00:46:43.277 Damon: Let's answer another question from some of our viewers. 00:46:43.444 --> 00:46:46.863 This one from Montevideo Middle School. 00:46:47.030 --> 00:46:49.870 How many allied casualties were there on D-Day? 00:46:50.597 --> 00:46:53.798 Peter: The quick answer to that is, no one will ever really know. 00:46:54.153 --> 00:46:56.052 That's one of those questions that's been argued 00:46:56.219 --> 00:47:02.303 forever, but there were over 4,500 alone. 00:47:02.470 --> 00:47:04.400 Juno Beach and Omaha Beach were the worst. 00:47:04.567 --> 00:47:06.911 There were roughly 1,200 on Juno Beach, 00:47:07.078 --> 00:47:10.620 and there were about 2,500 on Omaha Beach. 00:47:11.158 --> 00:47:12.363 Damon: It was a huge loss of life. 00:47:12.530 --> 00:47:14.039 Peter: Absolutely. 00:47:14.206 --> 00:47:17.380 Damon: It's time to reveal our last poll question for the day. 00:47:17.547 --> 00:47:18.827 Are you ready? 00:47:18.994 --> 00:47:22.449 How long did it take Allied forces to liberate the Normandy Region? 00:47:22.616 --> 00:47:24.728 Your choices are, A, one-day. 00:47:24.895 --> 00:47:26.295 B, two weeks. 00:47:26.462 --> 00:47:28.568 C, two and a half months. 00:47:28.735 --> 00:47:30.547 D, eight months. 00:47:30.714 --> 00:47:32.803 Let's join Andgie again to learn about the civilian 00:47:32.970 --> 00:47:35.216 experience in Normandy during World War II. 00:47:35.383 --> 00:47:37.484 A quick note, the beginning of this segment will 00:47:37.651 --> 00:47:40.543 be in French, so be sure to read the subtitles. 00:47:42.604 --> 00:47:44.563 Angie: In the last segment, we reviewed 00:47:44.730 --> 00:47:46.707 the fierce fighting that took place on 00:47:46.874 --> 00:47:49.925 the D-Day beaches, and the sacrifices of 00:47:50.092 --> 00:47:52.851 the Allied forces invading this region. 00:47:53.854 --> 00:47:57.312 In addition to the casualties on both sides of the conflict, 00:47:58.244 --> 00:48:02.218 the war ravaged civilian populations caught in the crossfire. 00:48:03.050 --> 00:48:08.223 I am now at the Civilians in Wartime Memorial Museum in Falaise, France. 00:48:08.914 --> 00:48:12.244 This is a unique museum dedicated to the lives of regular 00:48:12.411 --> 00:48:15.636 people, their world is upended by war and conflict. 00:48:16.615 --> 00:48:19.819 Towns were bombarded before and after the invasion. 00:48:20.684 --> 00:48:24.128 Civilians tried to find protection and safety underground, 00:48:24.746 --> 00:48:27.836 with many losing their homes or even entire towns. 00:48:28.374 --> 00:48:31.654 In the battle for Normandy alone, 20,000 victims lost 00:48:31.821 --> 00:48:35.723 their lives, and thousands more will become war refugees. 00:53:13.781 --> 00:53:14.746 Michael Armbruster: Today, we're at the Normandy 00:53:14.913 --> 00:53:17.723 American Cemetery, visitor center, and Memorial. 00:53:17.890 --> 00:53:20.863 This place, which looks out to Omaha Beach, serves as 00:53:21.030 --> 00:53:23.864 a reminder for the cost of D-Day and all of World War II. 00:53:24.596 --> 00:53:25.974 Lucy: Over one million visitors 00:53:26.141 --> 00:53:28.791 from across the globe travel to this place every year. 00:53:29.144 --> 00:53:33.034 It was the first American Cemetery on European soil in World War II. 00:53:33.524 --> 00:53:37.317 Over 9,000 individuals are remembered here by these beautifully kept 00:53:37.484 --> 00:53:40.613 graves of those who lost their lives in the battle of Normandy. 00:53:42.749 --> 00:53:44.232 Wiley: Here we also have the walls of the missing, 00:53:44.399 --> 00:53:48.013 for those who have perished but their remains have not been recovered. 00:53:48.180 --> 00:53:50.363 The rosettes marking some of these names indicate 00:53:50.530 --> 00:53:52.580 those who have been officially identified. 00:53:53.120 --> 00:53:54.217 Michael: We're at the grave of Private 00:53:54.384 --> 00:53:56.116 First Class Jack Powers, one of 00:53:56.283 --> 00:53:59.783 thousands of Americans who lost their lives in the battle for Normandy. 00:54:00.174 --> 00:54:02.608 Wiley: Jack, along with his older brother, Clyde, 00:54:02.775 --> 00:54:06.987 stormed Omaha with company A of the 116th Infantry Regiment. 00:54:07.938 --> 00:54:10.303 Both were residents of Bedford, Virginia with roughly 00:54:10.470 --> 00:54:14.495 30 other men who participated in Operation Overlord. 00:54:15.362 --> 00:54:16.546 Lucy: As the day closed on June 00:54:16.713 --> 00:54:21.123 the 6th, 1944, 19 men from Bedford, Virginia lost their lives. 00:54:21.290 --> 00:54:25.045 In the small town of 3,200, it was a devastating loss of life. 00:54:26.180 --> 00:54:28.253 In fact, it was actually the largest loss 00:54:28.420 --> 00:54:31.196 of life per capita in any American town. 00:54:31.812 --> 00:54:34.653 Andgie: The Powers were one set of three groups of brothers from 00:54:34.820 --> 00:54:38.600 Bedford who were sent to the shore in the first wave of D-Day. 00:54:39.240 --> 00:54:42.680 These men weren't the only group of brother to storm these shores. 00:54:43.356 --> 00:54:46.672 George Albert and Thomas Westlake from Toronto 00:54:46.839 --> 00:54:48.863 were killed within only four days off 00:54:49.030 --> 00:54:51.672 each others and are buried together in 00:54:51.839 --> 00:54:54.553 the Beny-sur-Mer Cemetery behind Juno Beach. 00:54:55.326 --> 00:54:57.521 Michael: Jack enjoyed singing, dancing 00:54:57.688 --> 00:55:00.167 the jitterbug, and playing his guitar. 00:55:00.722 --> 00:55:04.753 On D-Day, fellow veterans, we call it, the usually calm Jack 00:55:04.920 --> 00:55:09.773 was tense as he boarded the landing craft to get him to shore. 00:55:09.940 --> 00:55:12.873 Eyewitnesses say that he died instantly on the beach. 00:55:13.040 --> 00:55:15.683 His brother returned back home to Bedford with 00:55:15.850 --> 00:55:19.402 intense sadness and guilt, without Jack by his side. 00:55:19.569 --> 00:55:23.463 Today, we remember Jack, the Bedford boys and thousands of other 00:55:23.630 --> 00:55:26.630 Allied troops who lost their lives in the battle of Normandy. 00:55:26.971 --> 00:55:29.884 Today we remember them and let them rest in peace. 00:55:39.344 --> 00:55:44.229 Peter Haughton: I couldn't say in what way it was positive, except 00:55:44.396 --> 00:55:50.825 that I know that I wasn't the same boy coming out as I was going in. 00:55:51.531 --> 00:55:53.618 I didn't look at things the same way. 00:55:54.576 --> 00:55:56.570 I didn't feel things the same way. 00:55:58.189 --> 00:56:00.117 Why that was, I don't know. 00:56:01.237 --> 00:56:03.991 It's strange. I often wondered about that. 00:56:05.868 --> 00:56:12.257 I suppose if you see violent death, enough times, you get used to it. 00:56:13.859 --> 00:56:19.227 That must be it, because otherwise, it would drive you mad. 00:56:20.314 --> 00:56:23.072 Jack Commerford: There are none of our boys alive now. 00:56:24.839 --> 00:56:31.004 Well, I miss them but I feel grateful that I've lived so long, really. 00:56:33.216 --> 00:56:35.979 It'd be nice to be able to get together with them again. 00:56:40.686 --> 00:56:45.142 I hope I go to heaven and that I'll meet them there. 00:56:45.309 --> 00:56:50.906 They were courageous, kind and caring. 00:56:58.990 --> 00:57:03.992 Frank Denius: Being a loyal Texan and American, it just was 00:57:04.159 --> 00:57:08.305 my duty to defend my country and fight for my country. 00:57:09.528 --> 00:57:12.779 People have asked me, well, over the years, 00:57:12.946 --> 00:57:19.946 "Frank, did you fight for apple pie and mom's cooking?" 00:57:21.372 --> 00:57:23.893 Actually, when you become 00:57:24.060 --> 00:57:27.247 a combat soldier, you fight for your buddies. 00:57:29.037 --> 00:57:32.804 You'd fight for the guys that you are in the same unit with. 00:57:32.971 --> 00:57:34.564 You'd fight for each other. 00:57:34.731 --> 00:57:36.730 You'd fight for your objective. 00:57:39.909 --> 00:57:43.146 I know that I'm a very patriotic person. 00:57:43.688 --> 00:57:45.203 I love my country. 00:57:45.370 --> 00:57:46.969 I love my state. 00:57:47.136 --> 00:57:51.178 I love the opportunities that it affords the people of our country. 00:57:52.178 --> 00:57:59.178 One of the core values that I have and always will have, 00:58:00.147 --> 00:58:03.831 is the freedom that our country provides our people. 00:58:08.135 --> 00:58:11.144 Damon: What a powerful remembrance of this important day in history. 00:58:11.311 --> 00:58:13.054 Here's the answer to the final poll question. 00:58:13.221 --> 00:58:15.877 It's C, two and a half months. 00:58:16.044 --> 00:58:18.017 Colonel Crean, we're almost out of time. 00:58:18.184 --> 00:58:20.372 I only have one more question for you. 00:58:20.819 --> 00:58:23.380 Why should we remember D-Day so many years later? 00:58:24.306 --> 00:58:27.216 Peter: Well, Damon, the Normandy invasion was one of 00:58:27.383 --> 00:58:30.320 the great turning points of the 20th century in history. 00:58:30.834 --> 00:58:33.563 An immense army was placed in Nazi-occupied 00:58:33.730 --> 00:58:35.892 Europe, never to be dislodged. 00:58:36.059 --> 00:58:39.243 Germany was threatened that same month by a huge Soviet invasion from 00:58:39.410 --> 00:58:42.863 the east that would reach the gates of Berlin by the following April. 00:58:43.030 --> 00:58:45.363 The way to appreciate D-Day's importance is to 00:58:45.530 --> 00:58:48.983 contemplate what would have happened if it had failed. 00:58:49.150 --> 00:58:52.323 Another landing would not have been possible for at least a year. 00:58:52.490 --> 00:58:53.763 This would've given Hitler time to move 00:58:53.930 --> 00:58:55.713 soldiers to the east to strengthen 00:58:55.880 --> 00:58:59.613 the Atlantic wall, to harass England with a newly developed V-1 00:58:59.780 --> 00:59:02.202 flying bombs and V-2 rockets, to continue 00:59:02.369 --> 00:59:03.943 to develop jet aircraft, another 00:59:04.110 --> 00:59:08.133 so-called miracle weapons, and of course, accelerate the Holocaust. 00:59:09.798 --> 00:59:11.672 Damon: This world may have looked very 00:59:11.839 --> 00:59:14.449 different if the invasion was not a success. 00:59:14.616 --> 00:59:16.176 It's another prime example of how history 00:59:16.343 --> 00:59:18.863 ultimately shapes the world we live in today. 00:59:19.030 --> 00:59:20.623 This museum, along with other museums 00:59:20.790 --> 00:59:22.933 and historic sites we visited today, look 00:59:23.100 --> 00:59:24.793 to preserve that history for generations 00:59:24.960 --> 00:59:27.793 to analyze, debate and appreciate. 00:59:27.960 --> 00:59:29.942 With that, we're completely out of time today. 00:59:30.109 --> 00:59:33.603 I want to thank Colonel Crean for his insight into the Normandy invasion. 00:59:33.770 --> 00:59:37.863 Bravo to our student reporters, Michael, Wiley, Lucy, and Andgie. 00:59:38.030 --> 00:59:39.683 Teachers, if you'd like to dive in further 00:59:39.850 --> 00:59:41.543 to the story of D-Day, curriculum 00:59:41.710 --> 00:59:43.034 materials are available on The National 00:59:43.201 --> 00:59:44.909 World War II museum's website. 00:59:46.092 --> 00:59:48.697 Peter: I'd also like to say thank you and Merci beaucoup 00:59:48.864 --> 00:59:51.764 to our filming partners in southern England and Normandy, 00:59:51.931 --> 00:59:54.517 France for welcoming us into your museums and historic 00:59:54.684 --> 00:59:58.288 sites to capture these stories, including Soudek house. 00:59:58.455 --> 01:00:00.436 The D-Day story, the American Battle 01:00:00.603 --> 01:00:02.338 Monuments Commission, and the Civilians 01:00:02.505 --> 01:00:07.101 in Wartime Memorial, the Juno Beach Centre and the Airborne Museum. 01:00:07.268 --> 01:00:09.349 Lastly, our gratitude to the sponsors who've 01:00:09.516 --> 01:00:11.737 made this international program possible. 01:00:12.572 --> 01:00:14.652 Damon: With that, I'm Commander Damon Singleton. 01:00:14.819 --> 01:00:16.520 Peter: And I'm Colonel Pete Crean. 01:00:16.758 --> 01:00:19.507 Damon: And we're signing off from the National World War II Museum. 01:00:19.674 --> 01:00:21.507 Au revoir. 01:00:22.110 --> 01:00:29.110 [music]