The Influence of the Noncommissioned Officer on 6 June, 1944 "Noncoms, Take The Men Off The Beach!"
Abstract
The American Army fought the climactic battle of World War II on the beaches of the Normandy coast. The battle engaged the soldiers of democracy against the soldiers of totalitarianism. It was a battle to the death, and in the summer of 1944 the outcome was anything but, a foregone conclusion. The outcome of this single battle would determine the outcome of the war. Simply put, the fate of the free world rested on the shoulders of a bunch of twenty year-olds. These magnificent warriors of democracy trained for over two years for the ultimate test of the twentieth century. They had the best equipment the American people could provide and the bravado to match. Only a few of them however had ever been in combat, or for that matter had ever killed or seen a friend killed. Most were men like Sergeants William Owens, B. McKinney, J. Storm and Julius Belcher. They had never heard a shot fired in anger. They were young men who witnessed a potential disaster in the making. Missed airborne drops, scattered and unorganized units were the norm everywhere along the Normandy Coast. On the beaches, the 116th and 16th Infantry Regiments of the 15t and 29th Infantry Divisions, landed, and within minutes many of their companies ceased to exist as fighting units.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 13, 2003
- Accession Number
- AD1117664
Entities
People
- Douglas E. Swenor
Organizations
- United States Army Sergeants Major Academy