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Soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allied expeditionary force you are about to embark upon the Great Crusade toward
which we have striven these many months
The eyes of the world are upon you
June 6th 1944;
perhaps one of the most iconic dates of World War two it was on this day that the Allies began their thrust into
Axis territory taking the war to them and thereby commencing the liberation of Western Europe and destruction of the Nazi regime
Today exactly 74 years after the day of days
We recalled the Allied incursion into Normandy with harrowing details by putting you in the boots of Private Benjamin, Alvarado.
Trained at Camp Fann in 1943 and shipped to England in April of 1944 on the RMS. Queen Mary
Benjamin was assigned to the most gruesome of all d-day landing zones: Omaha. The following content is from his memoir.
Our ship Samuel P chase was the first to move out crossing the English Channel
The water was choppy. The deck was awash with vomit permeating everywhere.
I stayed on the bow of the ship most of the time looking ahead. It helped me from getting seasick.
We had been moving for three days which seemed a very short time, the distance about 70 miles. I was not anxious to get there.
We finally stopped, all the ships were finding their positions
It was very early in the morning cold dark and foggy with a little drizzle. The water was choppy.
I could not see the land even though we were only 11 miles from shore. The drone of the engine stopped it was quiet.
It was now 5:30 a.m
when all hell broke loose all battleships began firing over 5,000 ships filled the waters planes filled the sky as far as one can see
All headed in one direction, the noise indescribably deafening.
Continuous firing from our ships salvo after salvo coupled with the drone of our planes bombing the beaches.
Never in all the training I went through was I prepared for this.
It was time to go over grab the rope net lift my leg over the side
Hang on for dear life
60 pounds on my back
The Rope net swung in and out as the ship and the Higgins boat struggled to me 20, 30 feet down
We managed somehow to embark into the Higgins boat with the help of the men that were already there
Steadying of the net the boat was full the motor started the boat shuddered away away. We went up and down the waves
No land in sight go toward the noise and flashes of fire
We were under the swooshing sound of our big guns
Twelve and fourteen inch shells trumpeting awesomely cutting the air above us almost lifting us out of the water
My heart was pounding out of my shirt as though my life were being sucked out
It was horrifying our boat was zigzag trying to avoid a direct hit from enemy fire. Our officer
who was standing nearest to the ramp on the right side shouted to the coxswain:
"go toward easy red easy red!"
As we approached the beach the Germans continued sprang our boat with machine gun to fire
Our boat went as close as dare the ramp went down our officer jumped into the water hanging onto the ramp
He extended his hand stabilizing us as we went in.
I was the third one out, water up to my chest holding my m1 high pushing the water with my legs
Trying to keep my balance. I was numb with fear of what I was about to encounter.
It was early dawn, fog smoke covered the beach, flashes of light rumbling explosions
German artillery: mortar shells bursting around us bullets whizzing by. In the waters I tripped over several dead GIS my hair stood on end
I ran as fast as my legs could carry me through the smoke and gauntlet of enemy fire running erratically avoiding GIS that had fallen
I ran toward a bluff that had a slight overhang where others huddled we were wet scared and trapped all in a state of shock
Nothing was said we made room for each other mirroring our fear unable to encourage each other pausing for a moment to contemplate
I realized the improbability of my ever going home again
the invasion continued, sand and smoke sprayed upwards
The beach barbed wire and landmines everywhere
As our men scrambled frantically for safety a lieutenant made his way running toward us,
looking as though he had just come out of a storm into our little sanctuary of protection
Now we were ready to do what we trained for
Our group the first and second waves of the first army were ready to move up the lieutenant warned us:
"Watch out for those landmines." We went through a small opening that had been made in the barbed wire when we reached the top
I felt we had broken loose from the trap not looking back keeping my eyes open for any movement,
I could see where the Germans had entrenched themselves and were now dead.
The shooting continued as we heard to our places protection roadside ditches.
The Germans were beginning to surrender as they saw us inching up towards them crying out:
[In German] "Comrade! Comrade!
Benjamin made it through the Normandy gauntlet and went on to fight alongside his regimen it was thanks to his actions and those like him
That the Allies succeeded in securing the beaches of Normandy from that point onward the Nazi regime's days were numbered
If you're interested in the Normandy invasion, I recommend you check out our other video called when d-day have failed without the airborne
Thanks for watching and a special. Thanks to Joshua Haverstock for researching this episode