dr_wogz

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While we all remembered (and thanked) those who fought on this day, a few of us at teh feild started to talk about 'those days'

And a question came up..
VE day is 'Vicotry over Europe' and VJ day is 'Victory over Japan'

What does teh 'D' stand for in 'd-day'?! I understand it as 'dooms day'..

Am I right?!

or is it "Dwight's day"?!

CP140

I understood it was just a way of simplifying orders and plans. "D-Day" refers to the start date of the operation. So your orders/plans would include something like ..."At D-1 (1 day before the start), all troops will be in position."... or at D+2 the 3rd regiment will advance to a position 3 miles from...."

In this way, plans could be prepared and distributed ahead of time.... before a decision was made as to when the whole operation was to begin. All that was then required was for someone to say D-Day is ....June 6th.... then all your plans go into effect.

This would save you from having to change dates in orders/plans and redistribute them....almost a guarantee that someone would end up with the wrong set...

scottrc

He is correct, "d-day" is a military term.
You may also hear D-Day refered to in the battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Also, the Anzio Landings and Operation Torch had a d-day tagged to them. Normally, you will hear "D-day" referenced from vets talking about these landings. I was watching CNN Saturday and the commentator who was interviewing a vet from the Okinawa campaign got confused because he kept refering to the day he hit the beach as "D-Day". She ket asking him if he was at D-Day and he said "which one?"

3DFanatic

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Gotta love the IQ level of your average reporter

MinnFlyer

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Yes, the "D" in "D-Day" actually stands for "DAY". So in effect, you are saying "Day Day"

Same goes for "H-Hour"

CharlieDelta

The invasion was planned many months in advance for 3rd June and that was designated A-day.

The whole operation hinged on a window of calm weather and as 3rd approached the meteorologists forecast rough conditions. In what was probably the most momentous forecast of all time the required window of calm was predicted for 6th June (D day) and the decision was made to go on that day.

I live and fly RC in Southampton in the UK and we dont have to look hard to see constant reminders of the build up to the Normandy invasion. For example we drive down a substantially laid track to our flying site. Why anyone would bother to lay such a track in a boggy field that goes nowhere would be a mystery - answer is that invasion vehicles were stationed on these fields awaiting dispatch to the Normandy beaches and the track was to ensure access.

This Sunday a B-17 flew overhead, part of the commemorations, a fantastic sight and sound. We have had a lot of focus and interest in D-day over here which is good to see. A timely reminder of huge debt of gratitude that we owe.

Best Wishes
Chris Devrell

Azcat59

Hearkening back to my Army days (1953-56) I think it refers to "Disembarkation" day. My old Webster's says "To remove to shore from on board a vessel, to land, debark."

I was never shot at, but I "disembarked" down those rope ladders to a small landing craft a few times. Those guys that did it on D Day at Normandy, or the other days at Iwo Jima, etc. deserve all the honor we can give them.

Clair Sieverling

CP140

Well, it's by no means definitive, but the Oxford English dictionary says D-Day, "...the day on which any operation is scheduled to begin."

Every operation has a start date and time. By keeping the start date (D-Day) generic, you can send out plans with no definite start date or time and put them into effect when the conditions are right. Apart from the advantage of not having to resend all your op orders each time the start date changes, it also reduces the amount the enemy can find out from an intercepted plan... he knows it's coming, but not exactly when, so he can't put his troops on alert at a specific time. Yes, he can bring them to alert for a period of time, but eventually he has to stand them down for maintenace/rest etc

blw

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CharlieDelta,

Thanks for the sentiments and B-17 story. Believe it or not, that means a lot over here. Big time!!!!

ballgunner

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Being a European combat vet I'm in a bit of a snit for not including the memories and actions that took place on Sword, Juno, Gold and Utah beaches. Not everyone landed on Omaha. There were other nations troops also involved but we here in the USA seem to celebrate only the Omaha landings. Point du Hoc cliffs climbed by the Rangers was with out doubt one of the most heroic missions of any group on any of the five landing zones but it wasn't the only heroic act, just one of many. God bless them all. There are only 1/4 of U.S. WWII vets still living today. D-Day and H-Hour reminds me of friends and relatives under those white crosses in Normandy.

dr_wogz

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Thanks all,
It sorta cleared it up!!

We Canadians had a memorial on Juno, had a lot of dignitaries & such at teh event. Juno, after all, was our beach!

blw

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I have to agree with you, Dr. The Canadians did a lot more than fight and die on Juno beach. My inlaws were teenagers in Holland during the war. Their memories are mostly of the Canadians, but they do remember the food drops by us. My father in law was bicycling to see his girlfriend (my mil now) when he saw the first waves of planes and gliders. He saw them split up when they broke off to the three drop zones. We had a friend visit last week. Her home was in Arnhem. It was demolished in the fighting for the bridge.