Soldier, Sailor, Frogman,Airman,Gangster,kill or die

S (How the Allies Won on D-Day) By; Giles Milton I found this book to be extremely enlightening about the days leading toward D-Day with emphasis on the day itself. It is a collection of firsthand accounts from those involved. This is not a candied, patriotic rendition. It is by those who actually took part. It includes Germans, French partisans and civilians in England and Europe. As I was reading I realized that many of these stories were used in the filming of “The Longest Day”. Do you remember the Paratrooper Colonel who broke his ankle on landing and was transported on a cart, The British officer wearing a fluffy sweater marching inland with bag pipes to relieve the paratroopers who were holding a critical bridge, the French troops attacking a high rise casino who suffered many casualties until a tank arrived? I felt I was in the theatre watching rather than reading. With all the planning and mighty air and sea power it hurt to read that particularly on Omaha Beach the pill boxes were still intact and mowed down the men inside the landing craft one after the other. If you saw the movie “Saving Private Ryan” they showed one. To think that one after the other, the men faced the same destruction until finally enough got inland to start the destruction. To me this was unconscionable. Over 11,000 bombers dropped bombs but they landed inland killing mostly cows. The battleships weren’t able to silence them either. What should have been a cake walk became hell on Earth for our men. The same can be said for the night action of paratroops and gliders, many landing in swamps or dropped so low their shoots barely opened. None the less the job got done and within a year the war in Europe was over. If you read this book you will be thrilled to realize the magnificence of our men involved and their resolve to do the job. I highly recommend reading. My book is available. Jack B. Walters August 4, 2019