In two days, we will honor the anniversary of D-Day. Few moments in history have played such an important role in the course of this American experiment.
This is a day that defined a generation. A day that helped define a century. We remember this day each year because of the profound impact it had on the entire world.
But what if it failed?
What if the invasion on the beaches of Normandy was repulsed by the Germans? What if, instead of finally gaining a foothold back in France, the Allied forces were forced to retreat back to England? Sure, there may have been another plan. Another path forward. But that was far from certain.
Operation Overlord, as the invasion was dubbed, was far from a sure thing until the very moment it succeeded. It would become the most intricate and coordinated military operation in history.
The Allies knew that they would eventually need to cross the English Channel if they were ever going to defeat Germany. The Germans knew this too … just not where.
In preparation for the eventual assault, the Germans scattered the beaches of France with mines, anti-tank obstacles, machine-gun nests, and heavily fortified artillery positions.
The Allies, on the other hand, faced the problem of logistics. A military operation of this magnitude was going to require an unimaginable level of coordination. More than 150,000 troops would land on the beaches on the first day. This would take place across five different beaches. In addition, air superiority was a prerequisite for Allied success.
The biggest problem the Allies faced, however, was the weather. A storm at the wrong moment could wreck the operation before the first soldier reached France. And the infamously tempestuous English Channel was not going to make anything easy.
And the man behind it all, the man who carried the weight of it all, knew all of this better than anyone else: General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
General Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in December 1943. This was a position of immense responsibility. He was tasked with managing relationships not only with American military leaders and President Franklin Roosevelt, but also with Winston Churchill and the British government, Charles de Gaulle and the Free French, and military leaders from numerous other Allied nations.
Eisenhower was not known as a battlefield commander in the mold of George Patton or Britain’s Bernard Montgomery. But Eisenhower was a leader. And he was charged with the difficult task of holding together this coalition.
By the time Eisenhower assumed command, much of the plan for an invasion of France had already been drawn up. It was Eisenhower’s job to oversee the fine-tuning of this plan, determine its feasibility and, most importantly, decide when it was to be initiated.
The invasion was initially scheduled for June 5, 1944. But a storm system began to move into the Channel. On June 4, Eisenhower gathered his top commanders and meteorologists. Chief Meteorologist James Stagg predicted a break in the storm on June 6.
This was 1944, and forecasting the weather was far less certain than it is today. No one knew for sure if Stagg’s prediction would be correct. If he was wrong, if the skies were not clear or the waters too rough, the entire operation could go up in flames.
But there was great risk in delay. The details of the operation could be uncovered by the Germans. Or poor weather could simply persist and prevent any action by the Allies for a devastatingly prolonged period.
After much deliberation, which lasted into the early morning, Eisenhower made his decision: “Okay, let’s go.”
Operation Overlord was a go. At Eisenhower’s command, D-Day would commence.
As final preparations were being made, General Eisenhower prepared two messages. The first was his famous message to the troops, distributed to Allied soldiers before the invasion began:
“You are about to embark on the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. . .
“Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.
“Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.”
These immortal words are still revered today as an example of Eisenhower’s leadership and as proof that he was the right man to shoulder the burden of that day.
But there was a second message as well. This was a brief note that Eisenhower wrote in the event that the D-Day invasion was unsuccessful. In that note, Eisenhower said:
“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”
This is perhaps the clearest example of Eisenhower’s leadership. In anticipation of the worst outcome possible, he took sole blame and responsibility for the operation.
So often, leaders deflect and dodge when things do not go their way. That was not Eisenhower. He was prepared to take whatever slings and arrows were going to come flying his way if the invasion of Normandy was unsuccessful.
Through the grace of God and the incomparable courage of the men who fought that day, the operation was a success. There was no need for Eisenhower to issue his second statement. Regardless, this brief piece of history deserves to be remembered and emulated by leaders throughout the country.
General Eisenhower would go on to oversee the victory of Allied forces in Europe. His success as Supreme Allied Commander, and the respect those around him came to have for him, helped launch him into the presidency in 1952.
On this 82nd anniversary of D-Day and in the 250th year of our nation, let us remember all those who have fought and died for this American experiment. And let us remember leaders like Eisenhower, who understood that true leadership means accepting responsibility, regardless of the outcome.
