June 6th

Hello, Kindreds!

I apologize for not posting much lately, the book has been taking up all of my free time. And I am pleased to announce that The Duty That Lies Before Us (linked at the top of the blog) is progressing better than I had dared to hope and has been updated completely through the end of Part Two. (There are currently five parts, might be subject to change... we'll see.)

But the reason I post today is because it is June 6th. Does that date sound familiar? 

I hope it does...

I'm surprised I haven't seen anything at all on social media or anywhere else around the internet to do with June 6th today. Strange, because it was one of the biggest, most famous, most tragic victories for freedom to take place in the history of the world.

That's right, friends. June 6th is none other than D-Day.

On this day in history, 1944, nearly 133,000 Allied soldiers stormed five beaches in Normandy, France as part of Operation Overlord. It was the largest amphibious invasion in history. 4,415 Allied men gave their lives and 153,000 men were wounded.

It was one of the boldest moves for the freedom of the world that humanity has ever seen. May their sacrifices never be forgotten. For it is when we forget that we lose our freedom. 

My great grandpa landed on Omaha beach on D-Day... I've always regretted not being able to hear more of his story. I wasn't interested in this era in history until it was too late to ask him. But Josh and Mac and Ronnie were all there that day... And I've worked for months on writing D-Day into my book. It was the first thing I wrote when I decided to pick up this book idea back in December of last year. It started out as about half a page of scribbled phrases, not even full sentences. And now, it's 18,000 words... approximately eight chapters... and counting!! 

I'm posting a few excerpts below, in honor of the day. Spoilers have been removed 😉

I apologize for the terrible formatting!! Copy and paste does odd things in the blog here, I've been struggling with it for months 😜

✯✯✯

"Within the week, our troops will be landing in France. We have received orders to depart immediately.

Finish the necessary preparations. The ship will be leaving at 1300 hours this afternoon.”

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed the announcement. The nurses and

doctors of the 17th Evacuation Hospital stood gathered in the center of the camp, each silently

calculating the overwhelming amount of work that would need done in the days to follow. They

had been preparing for the invasion of France for months. But now that it had come, they could

hardly begin to fathom what they would be facing. 

"Well, I suppose there isn't much else to do now but grab our things and board the ship," Marci

grinned halfheartedly as they were dismissed to prepare for leaving. A few short weeks ago they

had packed up their camp in England and made the trip to the coast by train. The past several

days had been filled with last-minute preparations and stocking the ship full to overflowing

with medical supplies.

"Thank goodness all the tents and equipment are loaded already," Sue came up between Marci

and Emma, hooking her arms through theirs. "We've had so many false alarms, what with the

storms and all."

"Girls, can you believe it's finally here?" Emma spoke incredulously. "I feel like I'm walking in

a dream… well, a nightmare, I mean. It's just that…"

"That we've been waiting so long," Marci said softly. "I know. Waiting and training and…"

"And planning and hoping and praying and dreading," Emma finished for her, pulling away from

Sue as they reached the bunkhouse. 

"Well girls," Sue threw up her hands in resignation. "It's off with the dresses and on with the

battle uniforms. We can do this."

"Yes," Emma lifted her head proudly, her eyes glinting with determination. "We can do this."

But as the transport ship sailed away from England, headed towards Normandy and uncertainty,

a feeling of dread settled over the young nurses. They had seen combat before… had served for

months in North Africa. But this felt different. And so they did what they did best… hid their

fear beneath cheerful smiles, teasing banter, and words of hope. 

✯✯✯

Never had they heard such intense, pressing quiet. All was still… no sound but the lapping of

the waves against the sides of the ship.  Even the seagulls had ceased to fly. Silence so dead and still

it was roaring in his ears… the sounds of the waves amplified until it was deafening. The deck was

packed with men, standing so close together they could barely breathe. 

Omaha beach loomed before them… stark and bare and gray. A two-hundred foot stretch of sand

ended at the rough rock walls of the cliffs. The only shelter in sight was at the foot of those cliffs.

Josh pinned his eyes there, determined to reach the seawall at all costs. Once the gates on the landing

craft dropped, it would be a mad, wild, hell-bent-for-leather race for their lives.

The naval bombardment began immediately as the troop ships halted farther behind. The sky turned

nearly black with smoke and the paratroopers landing from the aircraft overhead. The noise from

enormous ships guns trained on German machine gun nests combined with the sound of plane

engines and falling bombs became a deafening roar. 

As the US Navy rained hellfire on the German army, Josh turned to see the men around him.

They were still standing silent and motionless as statues. Jimmy was gripping onto the deck railing

with both hands, his face a mask of terror. Mac's eyes blazed and the scar on his forehead stood out,

a jagged white line against skin tanned by the desert sun. Ronnie held his head high, his gaze

unwavering as he stared out to shore. He didn’t even seem to be afraid. Sam had a rosary wound

through his fingers and his lips moved almost imperceptibly. It was then Josh became aware of

the quiet murmurs all around him… so faint they could scarcely be heard individually, but

combined, they sounded like the wind. Prayers. All around him, men were praying. Jewish

prayers to Yaweh, Protestant prayers in Christ's Name, Catholic prayers to the Holy Virgin.

Those who could not pray were suddenly wishing they knew how. Many of them tried, repeating

in rough, broken words the near-forgotten prayers of childhood or breathing desperate pleas

to heaven. [Spoiler Removed]

“And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee;” Ronnie whispered behind him, clapping a

hand on Josh’s shoulder with a reassuring nod and a grim smile. Josh didn't have to look at him

to know his blue eyes were gray now… cold, hard, steely gray with flashes of fire. He pitied the man

who got on Ronnie's bad side when his eyes were gray. “He will be with thee, He will not fail thee,

neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”

[Spoiler Removed] The shelling had stopped, the signal was being given. The landing crafts were

lining up before the ships.

This is it. It's time.

Rope ladders were extended down the side of the ship, leading to the smaller craft below.

Determination masking the fear in their eyes, the first men began to descend. They did so

without faltering or even hesitating. This was not a time for thinking, but for doing. They

simply had to go ahead and go, before fear ate them alive.

Josh stepped into the landing craft, following Ken, Jim just behind him and the rest of the

squad climbing on in order. Mac and Ronnie had boarded closer to the front. Josh had barely

caught Ronnie's muttered words as he passed…

"Be strong, soldier. We will win this war."

Josh crouched on the damp metal floor of the boat, leaning heavily against the side. He was shaking,

tremblingall over and he couldn’t force himself to hold still. The steel helmet suddenly seemed such a

heavy weight that he could hardly lift his head and so he rested his cheek against the cold metal of his

rifle. His throat was so dry he couldn't swallow… he raised his canteen to his lips, his hands shaking so

hard that it clattered against his teeth.

Dear God… be with me now. If I ever needed Thee, it's now. Now more than ever.

They could already feel the impact as machine gun bullets sprayed across the closed gate of the

landing craft. Not a single man among them dared to lift his head above the side. The boat was

their only protection… the only thing standing between them and eternity. Those gates were the

gates of hell.

✯✯✯

Major Donahue noted all that took place in his sector that day. Watched with approval as a

mismatched group of men crawled along toward the foot of the cliffs, armed and organized

and returning fire on the enemy. One soldier moved out ahead of the others, in full view of the

enemy overhead. He pinned his eyes on that single soldier, watching as he climbed.

“That man’s a fool,” [a lieutenant] yelled. “A damn, crazy fool!” 

Major Donahue smiled. The lone soldier was making slow progress. He reached out for a foothold

and slipped, nearly falling, but he was climbing again. Other men were following him now. Some fell

as they were shot down, tumbling back to the foot of the cliffs. Others took their places. The first man

had somehow… miraculously… made it nearly to the top. It was simple then. A few grenades was all

it took. An entire nest of machine gunners disappeared into a cloud of smoke and ash. A few minutes

and the one next to it was destroyed. An opening was made. The soldier beckoned to those beneath

him and they rushed the cliffs wildly. Dozens at first and then hundreds, once they realized there was

a way up. Just another one of many small victories achieved to contribute towards the great victory.

“A fool, you say?” the Major called back to the Lieutenant. “You mean a hero.” He made a mental

note to find the soldier, if he had survived. Here was a man worthy of a silver star. He had seen many

such brave and foolhardy actions today. This bloody hell was turning ordinary men into extraordinary

heroes.

The victory didn’t happen at once. Bit by bit, piece by piece, the battered, broken army surged forward.

Fueled by determination, eyes sparked with rage, the men who had seen their brothers die at their sides

fought fiercely. Not one would die in vain. It was the unspoken rallying cry of the survivors. 

✯✯✯

That's all you get for now, and it's way more than I actually intended to share, but unfortunately, once I get going, I can hardly stop... 😏

Till Next Time!!

~Juliette