Received via email at 3:04 AM EDT for publication. ~ Dinar Chronicles

At 3 a.m. EDT on June 6, 1944 President Roosevelt received the call from Commander Eisenhower that the invasion had indeed commenced.

By dawn on June 6, 18,000 parachutists were already on the ground; the land and amphibious invasions had began by 6:30 a.m. EDT.

The British and Canadians overcame light opposition to capture Gold, Juno and Sword beaches; so did the Americans at Utah.

The task was much tougher at Omaha beach, however, where 2,000 troops were lost and it was only through the tenacity and quick-wittedness of troops on the ground that the objective was achieved.

By day’s end, 155,000 Allied troops–Americans, British and Canadians–had successfully stormed Normandy’s beaches.

Though it did not go off exactly as planned, as later claimed by British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery–for example, the Allies were able to land only fractions of the supplies and vehicles they had intended in France–D-Day was a decided success.

By the end of June, the Allies had 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles in Normandy and were poised to continue their march across Europe.