Letters from an American June 5, 2026 Heather Cox Richardson Jun 05, 2026
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had good news for the American people when he gave his twenty-ninth Fireside Chat on June 5, 1944. The day before, June 4, Rome had fallen to Allied troops. “The first of the Axis capitals is now in our hands,” Roosevelt said.
The president pointed out that “it is…significant that Rome has been liberated by the armed forces of many nations. The American and British armies—who bore the chief burdens of battle—found at their sides our own North American neighbors, the gallant Canadians. The fighting New Zealanders from the far South Pacific, the courageous French and the French Moroccans, the South Africans, the Poles and the East Indians—all of them fought with us on the bloody approaches to the city of Rome. The Italians, too, forswearing a partnership in the Axis which they never desired, have sent their troops to join us in our battles against the German trespassers on their soil.”
This group of ordinary men from many different countries had worked together to defeat the forces of fascism. For all that the fascists boasted of the superiority of their form of government over democracy, in Italy “[o]ur troops have found starvation, malnutrition, disease, a deteriorating education and lowered public health—all by-products of the Fascist misrule,” FDR said.
But the president warned Americans that the fall of Rome was only the beginning. “We shall have to push through a long period of greater effort and fiercer fighting before we get into Germany itself,” he said. “[T]he victory still lies some distance ahead. That distance will be covered in due time—have no fear of that. But it will be tough and it will be costly.”
FDR knew something his audience did not. On the other side of the Atlantic, paratroopers, their faces darkened with cocoa, were already dropping into France, and the soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the Allies were on their way across the English channel.
The order of the day from their commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, on the evening of June 5 had read: “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed people of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.”
“Your task will not be an easy one,” it read, but it assured the troops that the Germans had suffered great defeats and Allied bombing had reduced German strength, while “[o]ur Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!”
Eisenhower’s public confidence did not reflect his understanding that the largest amphibious invasion in military history was a gamble. The seas on the crossing were rough, and the beaches the men would assault were tangled in barbed wire, booby trapped, and defended by German soldiers in concrete bunkers. On June 5, in pencil on a sheet of paper, he had written a message to be communicated in case the invasion failed.
“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops,” it read. “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 dedication to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.”
But Eisenhower’s letter was never delivered.
On the morning of June 6, 1944, five naval assault divisions stormed the beaches of Normandy. Seven thousand ships and landing craft operated by more than 195,000 naval personnel from 8 countries brought almost 133,000 troops to beaches given the code names UTAH, OMAHA, GOLD, JUNO, and SWORD.
By the end of the day, more than 10,000 Allied troops were wounded or killed, but the Allies had established a foothold in France that would permit them to flood troops, vehicles, and supplies into Europe.
When FDR held a press conference later that day, his comment to the cheerful reporters highlighted the extraordinary weight of the past 24 hours. “I knew last night, when I was doing that broadcast on Rome,” he told them, “that the troops were actually in the vessels, on the way across.”
My uncle was on a ship; it hit a mine and he was one of the few survivors. He was reassigned and sent over a few days later, to take his place in the 12th Army.
He told of being dug in and having a German fighter plane swoop down and kill most of a British unit camped out in the valley below them. One of the very few stories, my Dad said, that he'd EVER told of the war. I always wondered if he saw any death camps in Germany.
I have a fine German officer's dress bayonet as one memento of his time in the war.
Thanks, Uncle Bob! SAY ‘NO’ TO WAR! RESIST!
My Dad was in the liberation forces who freed France and liberated Nazi concentration camps
He rarely spoke about his "adventures" there, but was very proud that he was awarded two American bronze stars with valor as well as the highest honor from France, the medals to foreign veterans who liberated France, the Croix de Guerre with the right to wear it attached to the Fourragere (braided cord) symbolizing exceptional valor.
His command liberated at least 2 camps where he saw things that he was not able to articulate without turning into a puddle of tears for what was done to so many people for no good reason whatsoever.
Apparently, it was pretty common for soldiers canped out in shallow tunnels to be murdered in the sleep by German soldiers sneaking through the area in the dead of night too, as well as being shot dead from airplanes shooting every square foot of land once they'd located where the allies were sleeping.
There are very good reasons why returning soldiers wouldn't talk about it.
And yes, it was traumatizing. Another relative by marriage had trouble with alcoholism and spousal abuse due to what they called 'shell shock' back then, PTSD now. He didn't get much sympathy in the family due to the abuse, but the psychological damage was real. SAY ‘NO’ TO WAR! RESIST!
Yeah, it was very real! Vietnam was another war with severely
Posted by Sia on June 7, 2026, 9:46 am, in reply to "Good on him!" ADMIN
traumatized soldiers who never got the respect they deserved or the help they desperstely needed as a result.
on June 6, 2026, 4:29 pm
