D-Day is very significant to our history. D-Day was codenamed Operation Overlord. The unforgettable battle began on June 6, 1944. There were approximately 156,000 American, British and Canadian soldiers that landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the coast of France’s Normandy region. Each of these areas was heavily fortified and dangerous. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required a great deal of planning. Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign so that they could mislead the Germans about the soon to come invasion. By the end of August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring, the Allies had defeated the Germans. The Normandy battle has been called the beginning of the end of the war in Europe. Roughly 2,501 Americans and 1,913 Allies were confirmed as losing their lives that day. However, this number is estimated to be much higher when the wounded and the missing are taken into account.
