The month of June 1944 began with the news of victory for the Allies in Italy as the city of Rome was liberated from German control by the US Fifth Army on June 4. The attention and celebration were short-lived however as all eyes and ears quickly turned to Normandy, France two days later, June 6, with the announcement that the invasion of France had begun. The Allied invasion force was massive, unlike anything that had ever been attempted before. There were just under 7,000 Naval vessels and 12,000 planes used to deliver and support the landing of 160,000 mostly American and British troops launched from the English coastline. U.S. forces were assigned the two beaches on the west side of the invasion line: Omaha and Utah. Omaha was the deadliest and had the highest number of casualties.
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About Ronald P. May
About Ronald P. MayAuthor, Historian, Public Speaker, and Preserver of Life Stories
Ron holds a Masters’ Degree in World War II Studies from Arizona State University. He is the author of four published books: three of them feature stories of World War II veterans and his most recent book highlights World War II Landmarks in Indiana.
Ron May is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania and lives in Westfield, Indiana with his wife, Glenda. He was a Lutheran Pastor for 25 years and a Navy Reserve Chaplain for 22 of those years. Ron currently serves as the Chaplain at Hoosier Village Retirement Center Community in Zionsville, Indiana. He is also a personal historian specializing in helping veterans preserve their military service stories. Ron does public speaking engagements focused on World War II history and veteran stories. He also portrays himself as America’s most beloved war correspondent, Indiana native Ernie Pyle, reflecting on his wartime experiences through a dramatic first-person presentation.