Normandy

Normandy This was the last place I wanted to be. You could see it on the other men’s faces also. The training for Operation Overlord had lasted nearly one month, but nothing could prepare us for the battle we fought in our heads. Our landing craft was packed with soldiers; it looked like a shapeless mass of camouflage. Diesel smoke poured from its motor, making my eyes burn and lungs writhe. The ocean was cold, and the constant spray and mist in my face did nothing to comfort me. I knew that most of us were going to die today, myself included. I looked up to hear our commanding officer yell in a deep confident tone “In ten minutes we will be going ashore, don’t forget your training and you will make it!” I was afraid, more afraid than I had ever been. I didn’t want to die today. Ahead through the fog I could start to make out the cliffs. The explosions from the constant shelling were now visible. The Navy’s 18-inch guns made thunder sound insignificant, and the blasts were like a kick to the chest. men, looked, landing, germans, craft, behind, cliff, bullets, beach, through, soldiers, out, officer, now, made, hand, grenade, fire, few, face, die, constant, concrete, commanding, come, cliffs, charged, around, about, water, unit, two, training, toward, today