June 6, 1944 — British troops make their way through low water and up the beach after leaving landing craft which transported them across the Channel to the Normandy beachhead for D-Day invasion in France.
Aug 16, 1944 — American and allied troops wade through the water as part of Operation Dragoon. (Left)
August 15, 1944 — Barrage Balloons hover overhead as a line of WW II Landing Ships Tanks are loaded with vehicles and supplies in a southern Italian harbor in preparation for Operation Dragoon. (Right)
June 6,1944 — U.S. Gen, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, talking with men of the American Divison D-Day. (Left)
June 6, 1984 - President Ronald Reagan, and wife Nancy, at the 40th anniversary of the D-Day invasions.
It was 65 years ago when, on June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on the shores of Normandy for what would become one of the most recognized battles in history. Just prior to the invasion, General Dwight Eisenhower said to his troops, "The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world." On that fateful day, Guy Whidden II was a young American paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division. He reflects on D-Day, how his time in the military impacted his life, and his new book Between the Lines and Beyond: Letters of a 101st Airborne Paratrooper.
Tell us about the days leading up to D-Day. Did you know how important the day was going to be, or did you see it as just another mission?
We were put on our base for 4 days and could not leave. We were told we would be involved in a top secret mission in Normandy. General Eisenhower came to visit us, so we knew it was a very big deal.
What went through your head that day?
We had been training for a long time. We were considered the older outfit. We had done so many practice maneuvers leading up to that point and we were tired. We knew we were about to use all that we had done those practice maneuvers for.
What are some memories from your time in the war that have stuck with you over the years?
The Battle of Carentan in France. We lost a lot of men. There were many different divisions there and it was one parachute regimen against the greatest parachute regimen for the Germans. We respected each other. We broke the Germans that day and were very successful, but there were not many men left after that battle.
What made you decide to write your book Between the Lines and Beyond: Letters of a 101st Airborne Paratrooper?
My mom brought the letters to me when she was in her 90s. We put them in the attic for a while and then Julie, my wife, suggested we bring them down to read. Julie thought it would be great to put something together for the family, and she was the main drive behind the book. She died of cancer in December, 2006.
What has the response been to the book?
It’s a little different book than most. The Band of Brothers made it sound like we were fighting every second of the day, but that’s not what happened.
I watered down a lot of what happened – I talked about a lot of girlfriends. I dated a lot of girls, even after I went overseas. As a matter of fact my wife, when we acquired all these letters from my mother, asked if I ever even fought in the war or if I just dated girls. She brought a lot of humor to the book.
We were only in Normandy 35 days, and spot-fighting here and there. We had some lighter moments too.
One time, I got aboard a glider with a British co-pilot. I wasn’t supposed to be there in the first place, so I hid underneath a board, and we sailed over the English Channel for a long time without anyone knowing I was there. When I returned, my unit had already moved, so I hitchhiked back. I fessed up to my commander and, thankfully, he said that it was the best excuse he had ever heard for being AWOL!
Do you feel that the war itself left you with any life/social lessons or reflections? If so, what are they?
It did a lot for my self confidence. Nothing seems like a big problem once you go through something that serious. They talk a lot about veterans coming back from World War I – they called it battle fatigue, PTSS – I never had any of that. I think I attribute that partly to the fact that we trained so long and hard for that one mission – Normandy – even though we had no idea, but the powers that be had an idea.
On the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, what do you want people to remember about the day and the men who lost their lives?
The emphasis should be on the heroes that lost their lives fighting for our country and the ones that have died since the war. The ones left are the fortunate ones.
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It was 65 years ago when, on June 6, 1944, Allied troops landed on the shores of Normandy for what would become one of the most recognized battles in history. Just prior to the invasion, General Dwight Eisenhower said to his troops, "The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world." On that fateful day, Guy Whidden II was a young American paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division. He reflects on D-Day, how his time in the military impacted his life, and his new book Between the Lines and Beyond: Letters of a 101st Airborne Paratrooper.