You Should Have Known
Harvey, an elderly well dressed and mannered man from America, arrived at French immigration at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, France. When it was his turn to speak to the French official, he was asked for his passport. Harvey fumbled, mumbled and searched trying to remember where the heck he’d put his passport as the official made it clear the delay was annoying him.
“Have you been to France before Monsieur?” the French official enquired with narrowed eyes and a disrespectfully snide tone. Harvey smiled at him and said, “Yes, I’ve been here before, but that was a long, long time ago and it’s been a quite a spell since I’ve been back.” “Well, if you’ve been to France before monsieur, then you should know very well to have your passport ready for inspection,” snipped the ill-tempered officer.
Harvey gazed at him with ancient eyes and gently informed the impatient French official that the last time he came to France, he didn’t have to show his passport. “Pas (not) possible, old man!!!” cried the indignant official, “Foreigners have always had to show their passports upon arrival in ‘la belle France’!”
Harvey paused as he gave the French official a long, hard look and then with obvious restraint, said, “I can assure you – you Parisian punk – that I’m telling you the truth. You see, when I came ashore ‘la belle France’ on Omaha beach, June 6th 1944, there sure as hell weren’t any of you uppity Frenchman out there on that damn beach dodging Nazi bullets asking us for passports.”
And suddenly all of the surrounding passengers roared, applauded and cheered Harvey as the official sincerely apologized and with great respect, gratefully acknowledged Harvey’s incredible contribution to his and his nation’s freedom.
About D-Day In 1944
D-Day, which stands for “Day Day,” refers to June 6, 1944, during World War II. It was the day when the Allied forces launched a massive and pivotal amphibious invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. This operation, code-named Operation Overlord, was a significant turning point in the war and instrumental in the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.
The invasion was meticulously planned and involved a coalition of American, British, Canadian and other Allied forces. General Dwight D. Eisenhower led the operation. The Allies assembled a vast armada of ships, landing craft and aircraft to transport troops, equipment and supplies across the English Channel.
The invasion began in the early hours of June 6, 1944, with airborne and glider landings behind enemy lines to secure key objectives and disrupt German defenses. The main assault consisted of a massive amphibious landing on the beaches of Normandy: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
Utah and Omaha were the landing beaches assigned to American forces. Omaha Beach, in particular, was fiercely defended by the Germans and proved to be a very challenging landing site, resulting in heavy casualties among the American troops. The other beaches faced significant resistance as well, but the Allies managed to secure a foothold.
Despite the difficulties and high casualties, the Allied forces managed to establish beachheads and slowly expanded their presence, eventually breaking through the German defenses. The success of D-Day marked the beginning of the liberation of France and ultimately, the defeat of Nazi Germany.
The Battle of Normandy continued for weeks as the Allies fought to expand and secure their foothold in France. By late August 1944, the Allies had liberated Paris and were able to advance further into Western Europe, hastening the downfall of the Nazi regime.
D-Day remains one of the most remarkable military operations in history, showcasing the effectiveness of meticulous planning, coordination and the bravery of the soldiers involved. It was a critical step toward the eventual Allied victory in World War II.
