By Brandon Fey, Associate News Editor
2024 marks a major milestone in the reminiscence of World War II. This year marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when the Allied powers invaded the beaches of Normandy in occupied France on June 6, 1944. To celebrate this legacy, the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College and Dwight D. The Eisenhower Society co-sponsored the D-Day 80 Symposium on April 20.
The program began with a welcome and advent from the Eisenhower Institute’s Executive Director, Tracie Potts, who highlighted the Institute’s commitment to preserving the legacy of World War II and the role played through General Dwight Eisenhower as Supreme Leader of the Allied Forces.
Potts followed Carol Hegeman, executive director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Society, who especially thanked the event’s many sponsors, including the Robert M. Lauman Charitable Foundation, the World War II American Experience Museum, Destination Gettysburg, the Eisenhower National Historic Site, the World War II Foundation and the Federal Pointe Inn.
The first occasion was a presentation entitled “Americans on D-Day,” given by the Professor Emeritus of Curators of American Military History at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, Dr. John C. McManus.
In his lecture, McManus spoke of the D-Day invasion as a team effort among cooperating allied nations, which also marked the first time the U. S. took a leading role in a foreign operation. He contextualized the difficulty of many of Eisenhower’s decisions when planning the operation, raising the need for a bombing crusade that he legalized and which resulted in the unfortunate deaths of thousands of French and Belgian civilians before the invasion. He also referred to the conflicting perspectives between Eisenhower’s British and American advisers, which he had to take into account as Supreme Allied Commander while respecting his impartiality, given his American citizenship.
McManus went on to mention private anecdotes about those involved in the land, sea and air parts of the operation. Each story focused on the adaptability and determination of the soldier, sailor, and airman who managed to triumph over a myriad of unforeseen stumbles. blocks to achieve victory.
Concluding his segment, McManus said, “If we take a look at American D-Day historians, this is the beginning of the end of World War II in Europe. But it is also the beginning of a new internationalist and militarily tough global leader who was part of our willing to shed his own blood for Europe’s security.
The next event was titled “Perspectives on the D-Day Roundtable” and included a panel moderated by Gettysburg College history professor Dr. Michael Birkner.
The first panelist was Susan Eisenhower, president emeritus of the Eisenhower Institute, whose presentation was titled “Early Planning for Operation Overlord; important but little-remembered leadership decisions. “He began by discussing General Eisenhower’s leadership in World War II, emphasizing the desire to integrate the Allies. multinational perspectives while maintaining a coherent strategic approach. These principles are applied in each of your strategic decisions, adding resource allocation.
According to Eisenhower, his grandfather was able to make difficult decisions because he guided the intelligent regulars through a sense of duty without regard to their memory in history, citing their reflections in his journals.
Of General Eisenhower’s diary entries, he said: “He reflects on what he calls the ‘myopia’ of the average human being and his fear of publicizing his intense, non-public view that top officials have. . . On several occasions, he added that his precept of effort would do its duty, no matter where it led. And in doing so, he would be responding to a higher calling, that of serving something greater than himself.
Still, efforts to combine all of those elements underscored one of the biggest upsets Eisenhower faced, which was that the United States was gaining more and more ascendancy over its founding country and that Britain was beginning to lose control of its empire and war. It’s one of the themes of war.
The next panelist was retired Colonel Dr. Doug Douds. His presentation, entitled “Operational Dilemma; The German Defense of Normandy,” provided a picture of D-Day from the underrated German perspective. He focused on the strategic differences between German field marshals. Gerd Von Rhundstedt and Erwin Rommel in view of the greater lack of coordination between the leaders of the German High Command, who were to blame for the lack of sufficient air and naval presence to protect those opposed to the invasion.
Douds also spoke of the lesser-mentioned Osttruppen, who were Eastern European infantrymen enlisted in the ranks of the German army. These infantrymen, he explained, defended the beaches with specific zeal, because they knew that an Axis victory was a hope for them. to be executed on their return to the Soviet-occupied east.
The last panelist, retired Maj. Gen. William Matz Jr. , whose speech titled “Allied Airborne Operations in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. “The general spoke of the parachute and glider landings that took place the night before the invasion of the beaches. He explained the immense challenge faced by airborne infantrymen, as heavy anti-aircraft defenses forced pilots to locate launch positions select to those originally planned. Matz highlighted the ingenuity of the infantrymen and airmen who, even though they were prevented from landing in the planned positions, controlled to regroup as soon as they landed and headed for the nearest targets.
The symposium then took a brief intermission to allow the public to enjoy a lunch prepared through Gettysburg College Food Services in the atrium of the Restoration Center. They were greeted via an original World War II Willys MB jeep, parked outside the Atrium.
After lunch, the program resumed with a presentation by the U. S. Naval Academy’s Professor Emeritus. U. S. Secretary of State Dr. Craig L. Symonds. A lecture, entitled “‘The Navy Saved Our Furs’: Support for U. S. Naval Gunfire”U. S. Embassy on D-Day,” he quoted a document made through U. S. Gen. Omar Bradley shortly after the operation’s success. Symonds focused on the indispensable role of the Allied navies in supporting the D-Day invasion. He explained how naval artillery was used to weaken German fortifications on the beaches, allowing ground forces to advance.
His presentation addressed in particular the impromptu coordination between infantrymen and sailors to direct artillery towards camouflaged German defenses, while most of the radios brought to the beach were flooded or destroyed. One example involved sailors observing the direction of U. S. tank guns to deduce the location of targets on the coast. Symonds praised the courage of those involved, as several destroyer ships nearly ran aground while crossing the beaches to fire direct fire at point-blank range.
The final presentation was made through the Director of the Institute of Public Service, David Eisenhower.
His speech, titled “Triumph and Tragedy: D-Day and Beyond,” focused on how the strategic elements of D-Day continued throughout the rest of World War II and beyond.
It began with a discussion of the 1943 Tehran Conference, in which President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin met to expand a common strategy and begin making plans for the postwar period. He connected this to General Eisenhower’s role in making plans for the D-Day invasion and united the participants through the clarity of his goal and his deep drive to succeed, which he maintained throughout the rest of the war. He then reflected on the role played through the United States in leading the West during the Cold War. and how Eisenhower’s example of dynamic cooperation was implemented to deter the Soviet Union.
“What between 1944 and 1945 makes the preeminent position that the United States occupied in the postwar period predictable and inevitable. All this is being taken at the Tehran Conference,” he said.
The symposium ended with a final expression of appreciation from Potts and Hegeman. Following the program, speakers proceeded to a signature consultation in the foyer of Masters Hall. Attendees were then presented with optional activities, adding a guided D-Day excursion. victims buried at Gettysburg National Cemetery and a screening of the film “D-Day at Pointe Du Hoc,” hosted by Col. John Fenzel, executive director of the WWII Foundation.
This is a perfect report on a very good symposium. Congratulations to everyone who planned and participated!! ️