Seventy-five years ago on June 6th, 1944 began the invasion of the European continent through France by the Allied Expeditionary Force. The attack that would ultimately lead to fall of Nazi Germany began at 6:30 AM on the French coast. Shortly after midnight men from the 101st and 82nd Airborne were dropped behind the coast on the Cherbourg peninsula. By 4:30 AM the 82nd Airborne had captured the town of Ste-Mere-Eglise.

Radio journalism was ready for the invasion. Since it was well known that an invasion would be coming, the networks were prepared to report to America the events that would unfold on this day. What was not known was just when the invasion would begin. These web pages reflect how mostly U.S. Broadcast Journalism reported the start of the invasion from the perspective of American's who had their radios tuned in to listen.

The best way to use this web site is to follow through each category item in order. The timeline reflects events as Americans heard them via radio reporting.

For another perspective on the D-Day landing, read Ernie Pyle's account - A Pure Miracle. Pyle was a master of telling the story of the little guy, of describing the fears and daily strife of soldiers fighting in World War II. Click here for his account.