Honoring The Sacrifices of The D-Day Invasion

On June 6, 1944, Allied soldiers bravely stormed the beaches of Normandy, France. The Normandy beaches were chosen because of the range of air cover, and it was shortest distance from Great Britain. Five landing beaches were selected for the assault: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches. As dawn broke, the largest armada ever assembled began its assault on the beaches of Normandy. By the end of the day, the Atlantic Wall, (which took the Germans years to build), had fallen and the invasion was a success. The events of D-Day forged partnerships and reinforced trans-Atlantic bonds that remain strong today.

- 150,000 Allied soldiers land on the shores of Normandy.

- 5,000 vessels with 30,000 vehicles crossed the English Channel to France.

- 13,000 men parachuted into France.

- 11,000 planes were involved

- More than 300 planes dropped bombs.

- 9,000 allied soldiers were dead or wounded after the first day.

- At Omaha Beach, 9,387 Americans are buried.

- The beaches were approximately 200 yards before any natural protection.

- Factors to determine D-Day included the need for long day, a day near a full moon (to guide ships/airborne troops) and strong tides.

- D-Day was scheduled one day earlier but due to weather concerns General Eisenhower moved the date to June 6.

- The beaches of Normandy were so named as part of the five sectors of the Allied invasion. The beaches are still known today by the D-Day code names.

- Utah Beach

- Omaha Beach

- Gold Beach

- Sword Beach

- Juno Beach

- U.S. troops stormed only two of the five beaches (Utah and Omaha). Great Britains and other smaller forces stormed Gold and Sword beaches while the Canadiens stormed Juno Beach.

- Decoding Enigma, the great German code machine, intercepted German codes helped pinpoint German fighting units in the Normandy area.

- D-Day is the largest amphibious (land and water) invasion in history.

- Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion.

- Only two of the beaches (Juno and Gold) were linked on the first day and all 5 were not linked until June 12th.

- The landing craft boats were originally designed for use in Louisiana swamps.

Heroes Work Here

In an effort to acknowledge the extraordinary effort that our healthcare workers in the County are making, the emergency services community paid a visit to the Westchester County Medical Center on Tuesday evening with apparatus, signs and masks!



Almost all of the participating rigs were staffed to capacity as they staged at the County Police Headquarters on Dana Road in Valhalla. With participation by many fire, police departments and ambulance corps, the mood was upbeat and almost jubilant as everyone prepared to begin one of the largest parades Westchester County has ever seen. 



So for about an hour or so, everyone on the front lines escaped the daily reality of the Coronavirus, social distancing, wearing masks, missing our friends, work colleagues, restaurants and favorite hangouts to pay tribute to the real heroes in all of this while driving under the American flag hoisted high by the Hawthorne and Elmsford Fire Departments’ aerial ladders.

September 11th Reflection

The summer has unofficially come to an end. Labor Day barbecues have ended. Summer homes are being shuttered. And to some, a new school year has begun. But sadly, that's not all. Next week will mark the 15th Anniversary of the attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001. Politicians will make every attempt to get some “9-11 exposure”, traveling in haste to different ceremonies making speeches and shaking hands. For those who responded on that awful day, well, they will be introspective, pray silently, hug love ones and yes, also go to the 9-11 ceremonies.

Many have consistently said, “We must never forget,” these attacks made upon all Americans on that fateful day. We must never forget those who were killed. The emergency services personnel who fought so valiantly to go in to “do their jobs” did so knowing it could always be their last alarm. For many, this time turned out to be just that. Yet, they went in anyway. Critics have continued to find fault. The command center should not have been where it was; the building could have been fireproofed so it wouldn’t burn: President Bush didn’t react quickly and so on. But, as they sat in the comfort of their easy chair, the naysayers have proved one thing: actions do speak louder than words and on this day their words are not welcome.

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, killed 2,996 people immediately. This number includes the 2,977 victims and the 19 hijackers who perpetrated the attacks. 246 people died on the airliners that flew into the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the field in Pennsylvania. The attack on the Pentagon claimed 125 lives, and the attacks on the World Trade Center claimed 2,606. Victims at the World Trade Center included workers in the building, emergency first responders and people fleeing in the streets. The attacks have also claimed the lives of a number of people who helped clear the wreckage afterward, as cancer and other conditions caused by toxic smoke have begun to emerge. Those heroes continue to struggle every day with the 9-11 attacks.

At 8:46 AM the first plane, American Airlines Flight 11 struck the north tower. One hundred and two minutes later, the tower collapsed. Of course, we all know that the south tower was also struck and it too collapsed, only in forty-six minutes. The naysayers who complained that the buildings should have been better constructed allowing people in there to escape, need to give pause and realize what they are saying. The buildings were just that, buildings. They were not conceived, designed or built to be a landing area for jumbo jets traveling at hundreds of miles per hour. More remarkable however, was the fact that these buildings remained standing for as long as they did with jumbo jets inside both of them.

In 2004, three years after the attacks, The Victims Compensation Fund finished its work processing death and injury claims from families and relatives of September 11 victims. Families of those killed had until December 22, 2003, to apply for compensation. Families who agreed to get compensation from the federal fund agreed not to sue the airlines. In 2007, New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner ruled numerous deaths were due to toxic dust exposure and for the next few years continues to make more of the same diagnosis.

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund operated from 2001 to 2003 and received 7,408 applications for both death claims and personal injury claims. The fund made awards in 5,560 of those cases. After much public outcry, President Obama signed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, reopening and expanding the scope of the Victim Compensation Fund because so many other responders continue to be sick and suffer ailments caused by the attacks.

Beyond helping our first responders, the estimated costs of 9-11 is huge:
• $500,000 - Estimated amount of money it cost to plan and execute the 9/11 attacks.
• $123 billion - Estimated economic loss during the first 2-4 weeks after the World Trade Center towers collapsed in New York City, as well as decline in airline travel over next few years
• $60 billion - Estimated cost of the WTC site damage, including damage to surrounding buildings, infrastructure and subway facilities.
• $40 billion - Value of the emergency anti-terrorism package approved by the US Congress on September 14, 2001.
• $15 billion - Aid package passed by Congress to bail out the airlines.
• $9.3 billion - Insurance claims arising from the 9/11 attacks.

It isn’t or shouldn’t be about the money. It should be about our heroes, our loved ones, friends and relatives who responded. It should be about those who perished in those buildings. Many were reminded of the 1993 bombing and escaped when they felt their respective buildings shudder after the first plane crashed into the tower. No one knew why the attacks took place, but they knew they must respond. They proved why our first responders are referred to as The Bravest and The Finest.

There will be many September 11th ceremonies in upcoming days. We urge you to find and participate in any one of them. We also urge you to reflect on those we have lost and give thanks to those in uniform, any uniform and let them know their efforts are appreciated, respected and a valued part of our communities.

Thanking Our Veterans

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice between Germany and the Allied nations came into effect. On November 11, 1919, Armistice Day was commemorated for the first time. In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed the day should be “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory”. There were plans for parades, public meetings and a brief suspension of business activities at 11am.

In 1926, the United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I and declared that the anniversary of the armistice should be commemorated with prayer and thanksgiving. The Congress also requested that the president should “issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.”

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Sacrifice is the theme of Memorial Day. The sacrifice of individuals. The sacrifice of families. The sacrifice of communities. The sacrifice of a nation. Memorial Day is a time when America’s war heroes reminds us of the price for freedom. John Quincy Adams once said, “You will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you make good use of it.”

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. It is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. It is often said to be the ultimate sacrifice. Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966. Although,  it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of this day.

Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor the dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed. The date of Decoration Day, as he called it, was chosen because it wasn’t the anniversary of any particular battle.

On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.

The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).

Memorial Day is now observed in almost every state on the last Monday in May with Congressional passage of the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 – 363). Sadly, while there were many parades to honor our past heroes, few homes and businesses displayed the American Flag. Let’s hope patriotism is still alive and flourishing in our great country and take pause during the barbecues, beach-going, shopping and relaxation to remember those who have fallen for us so that we can have so much. May God bless them.

Honoring Our Veterans This Day

Thank A Veteran

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 an armistice between Germany and the Allied nations came into effect. On November 11, 1919, Armistice Day was commemorated for the first time. In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed the day should be “filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory”. There were plans for parades, public meetings and a brief suspension of business activities at 11am.

In 1926, the United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I and declared that the anniversary of the armistice should be commemorated with prayer and thanksgiving. The Congress also requested that the president should “issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.”

A heartfelt, “Thank you!” to all our Veterans.