Forest

Marines on D-DAY #OTD, Allied forces launched the D-Day invasion of Normandy, a decisive turning point in World War II. Though frequently overshadowed by the Pacific campaign, the Marine Corps made vital contributions to this monumental assault. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the majority of Marines were deployed to the Pacific. However, specialized cadres remained to provide crucial amphibious warfare expertise to Allied forces in Europe for the duration of the war. These amphibious trainings would eventually make significant contributions to major amphibious assaults throughout the European Theater of Operations, including Operation Torch in North Africa in 1942, Operation Husky in Sicily in 1943, and Operation Overlord in 1944. Beginning in 1942, numerous Marines were embedded with Allied command staffs to advise on and coordinate major amphibious landings. Key figures like Col. Robert O. Bare served as leading strategists for naval gunfire and training and went ashore on D-Day itself. Marines actively supported the grueling assault on Omaha Beach, manning the 5-inch guns off warships like the USS Texas to provide critical fire support for the troops storming ashore. Other Marines scanned the skies above while manning anti-aircraft guns ensuring the German air force was kept at bay. In total a little over 800 Marines participated in Operation Overlord on D-Day with approximately a squad of Marines landing on Omaha Beach itself, helping to transport the wounded and captured prisoners of war, and coordinate fires for the USS Texas’s 14-inch heavy guns. ✍️ (U.S. Marine Corps graphic by Lance Cpl. Kirsten Glaze) #DDay #USMC #WWII