1. Clay Jones 2A

2.  Even after the Battle of Stalingrad and the Russian counteroffensives that pushed back Hitler’s perimeters of territory of eastern Europe, he still controlled a huge portion of western Europe except neutral Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, and Sweden.  Without direct intervention by the U.S. Hitler’s power and military dominance would be prolonged for years.

3.  June 6, 1944- Normandy, France, General Eisenhower made the decision to invade the beaches of France. - Over 160,000 Allied troops and 30,000 vehicles are landed along a 50-mile stretch of fortified French coastline and begin fighting on the beaches of Normandy.  Three months before D-Day, a strategic air campaign was inaugurated, this prepared for the invasion by restricting the enemy from shifting their reserves.

4.  There were five beaches that were invaded: -Omaha -Utah -Sword -Gold -Juno  There were also five units; 2 U.S., 2 British, and 1 Canadian.

5.  The invasion was a huge piece of the plan to end the Nazi Reich.  By the end of August 1944, all of northern France was liberated.

6.  Invasion also known as “Operation Overlord”  Band of Brothers: the paratroopers in the movie were just like the ones that actually landed in Normandy on D- day.  The “Bedford Boys” -Nineteen boys from one small American town — Bedford, Virginia — died in the first minutes of D-Day. In the new book "The Bedford Boys," Alex Kershaw tells the story that inspired the movie "Saving Private Ryan."  The scheduled date to invade was pushed back a day to June 6, 1944 because of bad weather that threatened the landing of the troops.

8.  "American Experience. D-Day. Maps | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 06 Apr. 2011..  "D-Day Fact Sheet, 6 June 1944 Normandy, France: Ike:General Dwight D. Eisenhower Center: Operation Overlord, Omaha Beach, Invasion of Europe." Kansas Heritage Group | Established 1993 | Kansas (KS) History, Old WestKS, Cities, Museums, Art, Racing, Cowboy Cooking, Laughead Web | Www.kansasheritage.org. Web. 06 Apr. 2011..  "D-Day." World War II History Info. Web. 06 Apr. 2011..  “Encyclopædia Britannica's Guide to Normandy 1944." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Apr. 2011..