Europe and the dday landings. Mr. Symonds, thanks for joining us. My pleasure. Thank you. We just saw yesterday, mr. Symonds, an anniversary in normandy, the 70th anniversary of dday. A lot of dignitaries there to make the day special yesterday. Why do you think 70 years later this date still resonates with the American Public . Well, first of all, im glad that it does. I think its important to remember significant moments in american and even World History and particularly this one where the world changed so dramatically as a result of the sacrifice of those who invaded northern france in 1944. And i think the 70th is particularly moving. Its a lifetime. I mean, if you consider the biblical injunction that a man has three score years and ten, 70 years now have passed. Generations now born obviously do not remember dday, have no connection with it beyond perhaps those grainy old black and white images on Late Night Television or a chapter in a history book, and not even the most recent
Well, first of all, im glad that it does. I think its important to remember significant moments in american and even World History and particularly this one where the world changed so dramatically as a result of the sacrifice of those who invaded northern france in 1944. And i think the 70th is particularly moving. Its a lifetime. I mean, if you consider the biblical injunction that a man has three score years and ten, 70 years now have passed. Generations now born obviously do not remember dday, have no connection with it beyond perhaps those grainy old black and white images on Late Night Television or a chapter in a history book, and not even the most recent chapter. So enough time has elapsed now that it would be easy i think, unfortunately easy, to let those memories slip, and im glad were not doing that. Im glad were paying attention. This is a moment we should remember. Why do you think 70 years later, whats the most important thing for us to remember on this day about what happ
Then they would need more ships to protect those transports during the crossing. More ships would keep them supplied not only with arms and bullets but also with cocacola and hershey bars and newspapers. Cigarettes. That couldre ships take that force and bring it across the channel and landed on an opposed beach. Apart from all that, they would still need more ships, thousands of more ships, to fight another war in the Pacific Ocean ocean halfway around the world against the japanese. That voracious demand for shipping in particular was the singular greatest pediment and bottleneck in allied planning and execution of dday landing. Without the ships, planning for any of that was an exercise in futility. In short, the story of dday is 20 minutesrrific seen that we see at the opening of saving private ryan. That moment of unimaginable on the and sacrifice landing beaches. It was also the years of training asilding, well as the landing. The first element of it is a strategic one. There is
As we had a man there any right to suspect. He had to deal with americans who were quite assertive and was she. Pushy. Think if there is a particular tale that illustrates this. Like eisenhower, you are as much a political leader is a military leader. You have to keep his quiet between the various elements. There were difficulties between the royal navy, the united channel, andnd the terms of who have responsibility where. The commander in chief commanded the harbor and every ship in it. If there is an american ship, a british commander commands that ship until it leaves the harbor and once it is in the channel now it is under the command of an american rear admiral. Then when it gets involved in a joint task force unit, then it might fall again so those kinds of problems he had to deal with on a regular basis. And he did so as successfully as i think anyone could expect. Admiral. I think were done . Thank you very much. My pleasure. You for coming out on this dark and stormy night. [c
The air as we go through the afternoon. Now, joining us live from new york city is craig symon, the author of the new book neptune. Thank you for joining us. We just saw yesterday the anniversary of the normandy and the anniversary of the dday. Why do you think that this still resonates with the American Public . Glad that itm does. I think it is important to remember important moments in american and even world history, particularly this one, or the world changed so dramatically as a result of the sacrifice of those who invaded northern france in 1944. I think the 70 it is particularly moving. It is a lifetime. If you consider that a man has 70 years seven years now have passed. Generations born obviously do not remember, they have no connection with it beyond those white old black and images on latenight television or a chapter in a history book. Not even the most recent chapter. Enough time has elapsed now that it would be easy, unfortunately easy, to let those memories slip. I am g