Deyner´s Notes!

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Several countries(and the whole world) are commemorating this year the 76th anniversary of “The Normandy landings”: what we know as “D-Day”. That day(June 6th, 1944) Allied forces landed by the french region of Normandy in an attempt to secure 5 beachheads to start the Allied invasion of Europe.

It was a victorious day but dark in many ways: more than 19 000 people died while the landing took place. There are still in the world living people who took part in that landing(or took part in the defense against the landing) that remember that day as “The Longest Day” of their lives; referencing the events of that day seemed endless.

Many things have been written about that landing and year after year governments, countries and people gather together to commemorate that day, its meaning and the lives that were lost. D-Day is usually remembered in the press and social media via iconic photos that were taken that day, like those that were taken by the war photographer Robert Capa who was the first photographer landing with Allied forces in Normandy. He took a series of photos who became iconic over time: The Magnificent Eleven.

I want to remember that day from another point of view: from the forgotten heroes point of view, from those who were called crazies and those who stayed home waiting for their loved ones to return. Remembering the forgotten we can commemorate as well!

They called him CRAZY!

One of first soldiers to charge the beach on D-Day was a Canadian bagpiper who said he only survived because German snipers thought he was too crazy to shoot. On June 6th, 1944 a canadian soldier named Bill Millin played the bagpipes as he was landing to boost morale as Allied troops stormed beaches in Normandy.

Fig 1. *Before D-Day, Bill Millin plays the bagpipe for these comrades in England(https://www.dday-overlord.com)*

England's War Office had officially banned bagpipers from the war's front lines, saying they would attract enemy fire. But Millin got a pass because of his Scottish heritage. **:)**

Armed with nothing but his instrument and a kilt. He recalled later talking to German soldiers who said he was spared because they thought he was crazy, so he was not shooted at all as remembered by himself: “I didn't notice I was being shot at. When you're young, you do things you wouldn't dream of doing when you're older.” – he said for a New York Times interview years later.

Dark fate in bloddy waters: stories of brothers

Many people in the world know that the film “Saving Private Ryan” is loosely based on the Niland brothers' story: real events that happened those days when Allied forces were landing in Normandy. The story of Niland brothers is well known because of Steven Spielberg's film gave them popularity and it is a wonderful and sad story at the same time: only two survive the war and two were killed in action on consecutive days.

Fig 2. The Niland brothers; from left to right: Edward(survivor), Preston(killed in June 7th), Robert(killed in June 6th), and Frederick(survivor, private “James Ryan” in the film Saving Private Ryan is loosely based on him)(https://en.wikipedia.org)

But they were not the only brothers who went to fight the WWI and died on D-Day.

The brothers Bedford Hoback and Raymond Hoback, were both killed on action on D-Day. The two brothers were from Bedford Town and enlisted the army together. The youngest, Raymond, joined just to be with big brother Bedford. After joining the National Guard, they were assigned to Company A, 116th Regiment, 29th Infantry Division, along with several dozen other young men from the town. Together, the Hoback brothers were part of the First Infantry Division that stormed Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.

Fig 3. *Bedford and Raymond Hoback: the two brothers landed on June 6th, 1944 in Normandy and were killed in action. Raymond's body was never found.(https://www.dday.org)*

They were among the first ones landing that day and according to the records they couldn't have lived long due to the first waves of Allied landing were those one who recieved heavy fire from german lines. Several of the men in their company reported that they saw Raymond's body lying on the beach near the water's edge, but they didn't know whether he was wounded or dead. They think that his body got taken out to sea by the tide.

The family recieved in a short period of time two telegrams stating that one brother was killed in action and the other was killed and supposedly his body could not be recovered left, leaving the family mired in the deepest pain. But here is a coincidence of destiny which

that always comes to try to mitigate hopelessness for good souls: one day family received the most unexpected gift in the mail.

It was a letter and a small package. The letter read: “I was walking along the beach D-Day plus one. I came upon the Bible and as most any person would do I picked it up.” The handwritten letter from an American soldier accompanied Raymond's most precious belonging: his Bible.

Fig 4. *Raymond's Bible found on June 7th by na american soldier and sent back home. Hoback's sister is the legal owner.(https://dailypress.com)*

Accidentally an american soldier found Raymond's Bible and he picked it up from the sand to keep it from being destroyed and he just thought that Raymond's parents, would like to have it...something that had belonged to Raymond, so he send it back to home, bringing Hoback's mother a little joy into the pain.

That day, besides the Hoback's brothers, landed in Normandy the Stevens twins and the Powers brothers who were also from Bedford town, but unlike the former the latter did survive D-Day. A total of 20 Bedford youth died that day.

...Their story and the story of Bedford boys worth a movie, don't you think dear reader?

D-Day was also experienced from across the Atlantic.

By the time americans were waking up on the morning of June 6, 1944, the first and second waves of American troops had come ashore under relentless German fire on the beaches of Normandy. Most people didn't know what was happening that day due to the invasion date was keept top secret to secure the success. Once the invasion was taking place, it was no longer necessary to hide what was happening from general public.

Once announced, the whole World stopped. Big cities like New york experienced moments of impatience and despair as shown in the photos taken by combat photographer Phil Stern. He was an U.S. Army Ranger wounded in Sicily and recovering from his wounds back home. Early that day he listened the news and pick up his camera and went outside trying to catch the historical moment... from the other side of the Atlantic.

If Robert Capa's pictures are iconic photos of D-Day from easter side of the War, Stern's photos are their equals, but on the opposite side, from home.

Fig 5. *New York Times news ticker in Times Square announcing “Allied Armies Invade Europe.“(Phil Stern Archives)*

Fig 6. *Fulton Street, people walk by a hard-to-miss sign outside a church announcing “INVASION DAY Come in and pray for Allied Victory.” (Phil Stern Archives)*

Fig 7. *New Yorkers gathering together in the streetsto listen to latest news from the Invasion Day. (Phil Stern Archives)*

Also, some other incredible images were captured by other photographers(Howard Hollem, Edward Meyer and MacLaugharie), showing how tense was New York City on D-Day as news were spreading.

Fig 8, Fig 9. *People get petrified while listen to the news or go out of work or churches to listen better(https://www.dailymail.co.uk)*

Fig 10. *Children salute the French flag at a French school in Manhattan early that day.(https://www.dailymail.co.uk)*

The invasion day, D-Day, was experienced across the Atlantic too. By the time americans were waking up that day, thousands of young men were laying down over the red waters of Normandy beaches giving up their lives to history forever.

Waverly B. Woodson, Jr: a story to remember.

Between all the units landing that day in Normandy beaches there was a single unit made up of black soldiers: the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion. Their strange mission was to raise a curtain of hydrogen-filled balloons high over Omaha and Utah Beaches.

Fig 11. Members of the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion setting up the first hydrogen-filled balloons over Omaha Beach on D-Day.(https://www.history.com)

The 320th was all but written out of the story of D-Day and would have gone unnoticed if it wasn't for a story written by one of its members, a black medic named Waverly B. Woodson, Jr.

Fig 12. Waverly “Woody” Woodson Jr. was on the first wave when landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day.(https://www.history.com)

Corporal Waverly “Woody” Woodson Jr., was a 21-year-old medic from West Philadelphia when he splashed down in four feet of churning sea and waded toward Omaha Beach around 9 a.m. on the morning of June 6, 1944. A German shell had just blasted apart his landing craft and killed the man next to him and even himself thought he was dying.

Despite been seriuosly injured he managed himself to set up a medical aid station. For the next 30 hours he tried to survive German snipers while continuing his work as a medic: he removed bullets, dispensed blood plasma, cleaned wounds, reset broken bones and at one point amputated a foot. He also saved four men from drowning. Having treated at least 200 men, Woodson finally collapsed from his injuries and was transferred to a hospital ship. Once he recovered he required his immediate transfer to Omaha Beach again.

In the summer of 1944, Woodson was a star. Newspapermen came to interview the modest pre-med student, and the local paper in Philly called him “No. 1 invasion HERO.” Many people, including his commanding officers and several generals, thought his actions were enough to grant him the “Medal of Honor”. He was recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross—the second-highest military award—but that the office of Gen. John C. H. Lee believed he had earned even more than that.

As happened with many black soldiers and others “non-white-male” soldiers in WWI and WWII, as time passed his popularity was its way down till reach the point of complete oblivion. He died in 2005 without been granted the “Medal of Honor” or any other kind of distinction. Recently, Mr. Woodson relatives, launched a petition to the US Congress to raise his Bronze Medal to a Silver Medal as a start to pave the road to get the posthumous “Medal of Honor” for this American hero.

As a curious fact, Mr. Woodson brother served with the famed Tuskegee Airmen, the first black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps (AAC), a precursor of the U.S. Air Force....coincidence of fate maybe?

Final thoughts...

D-Day was, as said before, a victorious day but a darker one because the amounts of lives lost on each side, no matter which side you look at. Year after year nations and people around the whole World celebrate this day remembering people fallen, usually always the same people. Let´s commemorate this day by remembering those who participated and were forgotten by history: they´re heroes too and they deserved it...

Want to finish by leaving you, dear reader, with a simple statement: we should always remember that War is something really unnecessary, it is an event planned by men for other men to die instead...stay safe!

If you are an enthusiast of historical photograph and amazing discoveries do not forget to follow me at https://coil.com/u/deyner1984 because i will be releasing soon new and impressive contents about it!!!

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