D-Day, The Day the Sea Turned Red

The Day the Sea Turned Red © - 

A truthful story of D-Day, June 6, 1944

By Lonnie Coggins 

There are moments in history historians point to and say, ”There is a turning point that changed the world and influences where we are today”. This is the true story of just such a day. A day the Eagles flew high and led the way.

It was summer, a cool mist floated on the sea from the vantage point of the high cliffs overlooking the beach. It was a peaceful day as it had rained all night. It was just like many of the nights in all the years the interlopers had roosted on the cliffs in their unnatural harden bunkers. The rain the night before had given rise to calm seas.

As the interloper gazed out over the sea it was peaceful, there was no cause for alarm. There had been disturbances inland the night before but nothing could be confirmed. Over the previous four years much planning and work had been put in place to make sure the peacefulness would stay that way. But the guards of the Atlantic Wall were about to witness a turn in the tide in history. A tide that would turn to blood red as the enemy came ashore. But from an enemy that would prevail, an enemy with purpose, highly trained, motivated and ready to preserve in any adversity.

Suddenly at 5:00am, on the horizon the sea was filled with ships. More ships that could be seen in one gaze of the eye, more ships than could be counted, more ships than the German High Command could ever imagine. These ships and the men they carried would turn the tide of battle. In that same instance the peaceful tranquil of the sea turned into the hell of battle. Explosions were every where on the cliffs and beach. But the explosions hardly dented the 13 feet thick walls of the bunkers. Ninety minutes later the small ships or the fleet started coming to shore and for the next eight hours a battle for real estate ragged.

It was H-Hour, 6:30 AM, June 6, 1944, D-Day. This beach was code named ‘Omaha’, the place was Normandy France, the enemy were the Americans. This was the beginning of the battle that changed the face of the twentieth century. All history of the twentieth century pivots around this day. The greatest movement of people, troops, and materiel in history of mankind was underway. The beginning of the end of World War II was at hand.

The interlopers, the German troops, had the high ground and their bunkers were concrete, 13 feet thick. The beaches from Cherbourg, France North to Belgium were mined with two million explosives. On the beach, barbed wire and 500,000 huge welded pieces of six inch ’I’ beams were lined up end to end as far as the eye could see. This bench was fortified that no army would dare come ashore much less think they could think they could really take it. The slaughter would be unacceptable of any civilized commander, or so the Germans though.

The U.S. Army was given just three hours to take the beach before they were to continue inland. Sea sick as their landing craft were driving toward the beach, shells started exploding, and the killing began. When the ramps of their landing boats were dropped, the dying continued. Most of the guys going ashore were teenagers and had never shot a gun at another human, just like many of the young Germans.

But the Americans would not quit coming, they kept coming and coming, in spite of the dying. Finally, after an hour many Americans had made it to shore just to be pinned down, and many died after reaching a small rock wall running the length of the beach.

An American General starts walking the wall extorting the scared young men to go over the wall and fight their way up the cliffs. In one platoon whose officer was dead, one sergeant shouted at his group, “Come on guys, let’s make some of them die before they kill us.” Thirty minutes later the sergeant was given a battlefield promotion to Lieutenant. The general told him to work his way up to and blow a gap in the wall protecting the high ground.  Under withering enemy gun fire, the new Lieutenant moved forward and dug a hole for the explosive charge. Several other sappers brought up their charges and returned to safety. While returning to his men with the spool of wire to blow the charge he was shot by a sniper. He died, instantly.  All the hunkered down soldiers saw the entire process, nothing was being said as the reality of the moment was absorbed. Fifteen then thirty seconds passed, then suddenly, without orders or further hesitation, someone raced out to the wire, grabbed the spool, and melted into a hole. The teenager set the wires to his detonator and then glanced at the General far behind where the men had done their work. The General nodded at the young man. The young man cranked the detonator and the blast from the work of the now dead Lieutenant blew a gap in the wall, as planned. The great fortress was compromised. Down came the small first section of the so called great Atlantic Wall. Some of the lucky ones who made it to this point could then work their way through to the high ground. It still required four more hours until the Americans controlled the beach. A beach surf still running red from the men who died coming ashore, men who never saw the enemy, never shot their rifles, many who drowned, some who died in their landing craft before ever arriving at the beach.  All, bleeding for that beach named Omaha.

Over 2,200 American soldiers died in the eight hours it required to claim their piece of Normandy beach and changed the face of history. Their attack is enshrined in Bedford, Virginia at the National D-Day Memorial. The victory and the sacrifice will never be forgotten.

In June 1994 there was commemoration of D-Day, June 6, 1944, the 50th Anniversary. There were parades, solemn reunions of the men who fought the battles, and many remembrances to those who died.

During that commemoration, on television one evening there was an interview with noted D-Day historian Steve Ambrose. Mr. Ambrose was a famous historian who has spent much of his life interviewing over 6,000 men who fought at Omaha Beach. He has written numerous books about that day. One is simple named D-Day, the Climatic Battle of World War II.

Mr. Ambrose was being interviewed on national television by Dan Rather of CBS News about that day in June, 1944. Mr. Rather stated and asked Mr. Ambrose the following:

“Mr. Ambrose, on that day, June 6, 1944, by all accounts the Americans should have lost on the beach at Normandy code named Omaha. The Germans had the high ground, they were dug in, and the beaches were mined. The Americans should have never made a beachhead. How is it that the American soldiers won that day? To this day, most people understand the situation cannot understand why the Americans took the beach. How did they do it? What made the difference that day?"

Mr. Ambrose took no time in formulating an answer. It was if he had formulated the answer long ago. His answer thrilled the this Boy Scout leader.

Without hesitation Mr. Ambrose said,

“It was out Eagle Scouts that lead the way. It was our Eagle Scouts who lead our scouts up those beaches. It was our scouts who when one leader fell, another stepped up to be the leader. Our Eagle scouts provided the leadership to overcome the odds. It was our Eagle Scouts who overcame the German Youth Corps who made the difference that day.”

It is hard to say much more for Boy Scouting. We teach the same values today as our fathers and grandfathers were taught in the 1920’s and 1930’s. There is no greater endorsement for scouting than what Mr. Ambrose said that day. Eagle Scouts and the American raised Scouts overcame the German Youth Corps. The difference was values.

The battle that day was not just a battle for real estate, it was a battle for values. The values of the American Scouts that day won the tide of the battle.

I hope your children never have to go to war for his life and the life of our great country. But, our children need the same foundation of values that our men of D-Day. It provides the foundation that our young people need to overcome adversity for a successful life. You, the parents, can make that happen. While you give your children so much, do not forget to give them values for a successful life. Among the great values of Boy Scouting, learning perseverance in the face of adversity is a lesson wee all must learn to be successful. We thank God our fathers had learned that lesson in their scouting days. It affects our life still today.

America need the values of scouting instilled in the heart and soul of our young people. Make a difference in the life of your children. Boy and Girl Scouting is just a great beginning.

I am proud to be an American,
I am proud to be a Vietnam Veteran,
I am proud to be an Eagle Scout.
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May God Bless All our Veterans both in War and in Peace.

“Every Generation must fight for freedom,
And pass it on to the next.”
---President Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States.