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It was 81 years ago today June 6, D -day 1944 our soldiers invaded the beaches of Normandy, ultimately leading to the end of World War II. However, it came with a great price. Today I America does not realize how much freedom really does cost. God bless those who were willing to die to give me freedom. The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944, brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history. The operation, given the codename OVERLORD, delivered five naval assault divisions to the beaches of Normandy, France. The bloodiest single day in the history of the United States military was June 6, 1944, with 2,500 soldiers killed during the Invasion of Normandy on D-Day. Traditionally, three times an offensive force was needed against defensive forces usually dug in and defended. * 5,333 Allied ships and landing craft embarking nearly 175,000 men and bombarding the beaches.* The British and Canadians put 75,215 troops ashore, and the Americans 57,500, for a total of 132,715, of whom about 3,400 were killed or missing.* Those figures include 20,000 Allied airborne troopers. * The U.S. VII Corps sustained 22,119 casualties from 6 June to 1 July, including 2,811 killed, 13,564 wounded, 5,665 missing, and seventy-nine captured.* American personnel in Britain included 1,931,885 land, 659,554 air, and 285,000 naval—a total of 2,876,439 officers and men. While in Britain they were housed in 1,108 bases and camps.* The Allied forces for Operation Overlord comprised twenty-three infantry divisions (thirteen U.S., eight British, two Canadian); twelve armored (five U.S., four British, one each Canadian, French, and Polish); and four airborne (two each U.S. and British)—for a total of twenty American divisions, fourteen British, three Canadian, and one each French and Polish. However, the assault forces on 6 June involved two U.S., two British, and one Canadian division.* 3,958 heavy bombers (3,455 operational)* 1,234 medium and light bombers (989 operational)* 4,709 fighters (3,824 operational), for 9,901 total and 8,268 operational aircraft. Allowing for aircrews, 7,774 U.S. and British Commonwealth planes were available for operations on 6 June, but these figures do not include transports and gliders.* 830 C-47 cargo planes, many pulling gliders flew into Normandy in the early hours of June 6. Many were shot down or crashed. The casualty rate of the gliders was very large. 3,900 were sent in via gliders.* 850,000 German troops awaited the invasion. There were sixty infantry divisions in France and ten panzer divisions, possessing 1,552 tanks. In Normandy itself the Germans had deployed eighty thousand troops, but only one panzer division.* Approximately fifteen thousand French civilians died in the Normandy campaign. with* While we focus on D-Day, the casualties of D-Day were merely an introduction to the cost of the invasion. The subsequent battles to break out of Normandy were far more costly with 226,386 casualties: 72,911 killed/missing and 153,475 wounded.* Usually not considered in the invasion are the 1,554 merchant ships, Merchant Marines and US Navy Armed Guard of which most were lost supplying the troops prior to D-Day. Merchant Marine losses surpassed those of any military branch. The US Navy Armed Guard gunners took the greatest percentage of killed of any units of the Navy.* Also not usually considered are the 26,000 KIAs of the 8th Air Force, most of whom were lost before D-Day softening up German infrastructure.