Remembering D-Day

Adirondack Camp acknowledges and thanks all of our veterans as we note the 78th anniversary of D-Day. This is an important day in global history where we remember and respect those who served and suffered in defense of freedom.

Years of planning went into the D-Day invasion, and in the months leading up to it, the Allies launched Operation Bodyguard, a military deception campaign. This operation was designed to deceive German soldiers about the precise date and location of the expected invasion.

Those organizing the invasion established the best meteorological conditions for a successful assault based on moon phases, time of day, and ocean tides.

Thousands of paratroopers and glider soldiers were dropped behind enemy lines on D-Day to capture bridges and evacuation lanes. Then, at 6:30 a.m., the Normandy landings started. Over 150,000 Allied forces had successfully assaulted and taken Normandy’s beaches by the end of the day—but at a great cost. According to some estimates, the D-Day invasion killed over 4,000 Allied troops. Thousands more were said to be injured or missing.

The D-Day invasion was noteworthy in history because of its significance in World War II. D-Day signaled the end of Nazi Germany’s reign of terror; less than a year after the invasion, the Allies formally acknowledged Nazi Germany’s capitulation.