Operation Overlord - JUNE 6, 1944
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WE REMEMBER

MULTIMEDIA ARTIFACTS

VIDEOS

Below are a selection of videos that offer a record of the experiences of U.S. Soldiers on D-Day, as well as Gen. Eisenhower's message to the Allied Expeditionary Force in advance of invasion of Normandy. Additional videos on D-Day can be found on the U.S. Army YouTube and on the U.S. Army Europe and Africa website.

CAPTURED MOMENTS

While every Soldier risked safety to fight for freedom during D-Day, personnel of the U.S. Army Signal Corps were also tasked with documenting one of the most consequential military operations of all time. Though not exhaustive, this gallery provides a diverse set of images from D-Day and related operations.

Paratroopers receive final instructions before leaving for Normandy.
Paratroopers receive final instructions before leaving for Normandy. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
The first wave. 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division lands on Omaha Beach
Assault landing, one of the first waves at Omaha. The Coast Guard caption identifies the unit as Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division. (Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard photo.)
Gen. Eisenhower speaks to paratroopers
Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower speaks and gives the order of the Day, with 101st Airborne Division paratroopers before they board airplanes and gliders to take part in a parachute assault. This was the first assault into Normandy as part of the Allied Invasion of Europe. June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
A fully equipped paratrooper boards an airplane that will drop him over the coast of Normandy for the Allied Invasion of Europe, D-Day, June 6, 1944.
A fully equipped paratrooper boards an airplane that will drop him over the coast of Normandy for the Allied Invasion of Europe, D-Day, June 6, 1944. At approximately 2 a.m., Soldiers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, as well as elements of a British airborne division; were dropped in vital areas to the rear of German coastal defenses, guarding the Normandy beaches from Cherbourg to Caen. By dawn, 1,136 heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force Bomber Command, had dropped 5,853 tons of bombs on selected coastal batteries, lining the Bay of the Seine between Cherbourg and Le Havre. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Army Air Corps photographers documented beach traffic, as photographed from a Ninth Air Force bomber, June 6, 1944.
Army Air Corps photographers documented "D-Day" beach traffic, as photographed from a Ninth Air Force bomber, June 6, 1944. Note vehicle lanes leading away from the landing areas, and landing craft left aground by the tide. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
American assault troops in a landing craft huddle behind the protective front of the craft.
American assault troops in a landing craft huddle behind the protective front of the craft as it nears a beachhead, on the Northern Coast of France. Smoke in the background is the Naval gunfire supporting the land, June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Artillery equipment is loaded aboard landing craft.
In preparation for the invasion, artillery equipment is loaded aboard landing craft tanks at an English port in Brixham, England, June 1, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Carrying full equipment, American assault troops move onto Utah Beach on the northern coast of France.
Carrying full equipment, American assault troops move onto Utah Beach on the northern coast of France. Landing crafts in the background, jams the harbor, June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Survivors of downed landing craft reach Omaha Beach by using a life raft, June 6, 1944.
Members of an American landing party lend helping hands to other members of their organization, whose landing craft was sunk by enemy action off the coast of France. These survivors reached Omaha Beach by using a life raft, June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Three Rhino barges and a petrol barge are being hammered by surf.
Three Rhino barges and a petrol barge are being hammered by surf somewhere along the coast of France. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Relief forces reached the Rangers at Point Du Hoe. The American flag had been spread out to stop fire of friendly tanks coming from inland.
Photo taken two days after "D-Day", and after the relief forces reached the Rangers at Point Du Hoe. The American flag had been spread out to stop fire of friendly tanks coming from inland. Some German prisoners are being moved in after their capture by the relieving forces. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
French beachhead being supplied on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
This graphic tells the story of how the France beachhead was supplied on "D-Day", June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
The build-up of Omaha Beach.
The build-up of Omaha Beach. Reinforcements of men and equipment moving inland. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Medic administering first aid to men wounded in the landing.
A medic of the 3rd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, moves along a narrow strip of Omaha Beach, administering first aid to men wounded in the landing. The men, having gained the comparative safety offered by the chalk cliff at their backs, take a breather before moving into the interior of the continent, Collville, Sur-Mer, Normandy, France, June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
A convoy of landing crafts near the beach at Normandy.
A convoy of landing crafts near the beach at Normandy, "D-Day", June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard photo.)
Soldiers and crewmen aboard a Coast Guard landing craft approach Normandy.
Soldiers and crewmen aboard a Coast Guard landing craft approach Normandy, "D-Day", June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Navy photo.)
Soldiers crowd a landing craft on their way to Omaha Beach
Soldiers crowd a landing craft on their way to Omaha Beach during the Allied Invasion of Europe, "D-Day", June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
U.S. Soldiers of the 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, move over a seawall on Utah Beach.
U.S. Soldiers of the 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, move over a seawall on Utah Beach during the Allied Invasion of Europe. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Medics attend to wounded Soldiers on Utah Beach
Medics attend to wounded Soldiers on Utah Beach in France during the Allied Invasion of Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Soldiers wounded while storming Omaha Beach wait for evacuation to a field hospital.
Soldiers of the 16th Infantry Regiment, wounded while storming Omaha Beach, wait by the chalk cliffs for evacuation to a field hospital for treatment, D-Day, June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Gliders fly supplies to Soldiers fighting on Utah Beach
Gliders fly supplies to Soldiers fighting on Utah Beach during the Allied Invasion of Europe, "D-Day", June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)
Soldiers in cargo vehicles move onto a beach in Normandy
Soldiers in cargo vehicles move onto a beach in Normandy during the Allied Invasion of Europe, D-Day, June 6, 1944. After fierce fighting, the Allies established a foothold in northern France. (Photo Credit: Coast Guard photo.)
Fellow Soldiers erect monument for the fallen. Helmet resting on rifle spiked into ground.
The spirit of the American Soldier: this beachhead is secure. Fellow Soldiers erected this monument to an American Soldier somewhere on the shell-blasted coast of Normandy. (Photo Credit: U.S. Coast Guard photo.)
Handwritten message from Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower in case of failure taking full responsibility.
Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, drafted the message, "In case of failure," before the "D-Day", invasion, the assault on Nazi-occupied France, June 5, 1944. He wrote this note, in case the operation were to fail. In the statement, he praised the men he commanded and accepted total responsibility for the failure the next day could bring. The only apparent hint of nerves on his part is his error in dating the note "July 5" instead of June 5. (Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of National Archives.)
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, speaks with paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division
Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, speaks with paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division, just before they board their planes to participate in the first assault of the Normandy invasion, June 5, 1944. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo.)

ON THE HOMEFRONT

Colorful and striking posters from the WWII era tell a story of recruitment, rationing and sacrifice as the nation braced itself for a long, grueling battle with the Axis powers. They reflect the character of a nation that is resolute and determined to win.

FULLSCREEN
World War II era poster portraying a row of men holding artillery shells reading, “Keep 'em coming and right!” to encourage factory workers to work hard and practice quality control. U.S. Army World War II era poster portraying three women dressed for office work, industrial work, and manufacturing work, respectively, reading “Soldiers without guns,” suggesting women in the workforce are as important to the war effort as Soldiers on the front lines. A World War II era poster depicting a bald eagle in flight reading, “America Calling - Take your place in Civilian Defense,” encouraging Americans to join the civil defense effort. A World War II era poster depicting a woman in an Army uniform reading, “Enlist in a Proud Profession! Join the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps. A lifetime education free! If you can qualify.” A World War II era poster depicting a Soldier in battle carrying a wooden crate reading, “Pass the ammunition. The Army needs more lumber,” encouraging members of the U.S. timber industry to continue to produce lumber at a high rate. A World War II era poster depicting a handsome young man in wearing a flight jacket, with bombers in the background reading, “O'er the ramparts we watch. United States Army Air Forces,” encouraging young men to volunteer to serve in the Air Corps. A World War II era poster depicting multiple artillery guns firing, each with an Allied flag on it reading, “United we are strong. United we will win,” suggesting the alliance comprised of Norway, Great Britain, the United States, China, the Soviet Union and Australia is strong enough to win the war. A U.S. Army World War II era poster depicting a drawing of a Soldier and a tank reading, “Help smash Hitler now! Invasion of Europe.

Oral History Project

Listen to the audio testimonials of those who lived through the Normandy Invasion. The Library of Congress provides first-person narratives in the form of oral history interviews, original manuscripts and photograph materials. They are a treasure trove of individual feelings, personal recollections, and primary source materials representing the voices of those who took an oath to serve our nation.

Montage of head shots from LOC Veterans History Project

Featured Image

Image:German prisoners of war in a barbed-wire enclosure on Utah Beach, June 6, 1944. U.S. Army photo.
This website was made possible through a collaboration between the U.S. Army Center for Military History and the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs