Sorry folks, posting this a bit out of order. Omaha beach was one of the bloodiest and unforgiving of the 5 beaches on D-Day. Between ineffective air bombardment, high seas swamping many of the tanks intended to support the troops, currents pushing many landing craft East of where they were supposed to land, and absolutely wicked defenses designed by Erwin Rommel, it was a blood-bath for many of the first boots to hit the ground. The worst was probably in the Western sector of Omaha, Dog Green 1. This point was strategically vital, as it had the only paved road off the beach. Troops in this part of the landing suffered 90% casualties, including 20 from a small town in Bedford, VA, which only had 5,000 residents. Many of these fallen heros are buried at the Normandy cemetery.
