Many books have been written about the events of
this day in 1944. The D-Day invasion of the beaches of Normandy, France,
has been viewed through almost every perspective possible, because it
was such a key event, perhaps the key event in the development of recent
history.
What happened on the beaches and in the skies above France allowed for
an Allied victory in Europe, one that ended with both Germany and Berlin
split in hemispheres of control, one Western, one Soviet.
What if it had failed? There are fictionalized accounts,
alternative-history novels that ask and answer that question as well,
should your literary tastes lean in that direction.
We can't begin to imagine the strain that was felt by both the men
about to embark on the mission and the leaders who planned it. But there
was one man from whom the decision finally sprang, and that man, Gen.
Dwight Eisenhower, on the eve of the battle, filled with uncertainty,
did something that almost none of our leaders today will do.
He accepted blame for the failure of the mission.
Sen. Pat Toomey posted a fascinating glimpse into history on his
Facebook page yesterday: A copy of a handwritten letter from Eisenhower
written on the eve of invasion, June 5, 1944.
There are stark glimpses into the fallibility of the man who carried
five stars on his shoulders during World War II and who would later
occupy the White House.
Read the rest here>>>>>
