June 1944 was significant for two reasons.
On June 6, 70 years ago, the largest amphibious assault in history was launched by Allied Forces on Normandy in France. It was the death knell for Hitler’s Germany.
Two days before, another major event happened that directly affected the war and later Chicago. The German submarine U-505 was captured in the North Atlantic. The Navy kept the capture a secret to maintain access to the German’s code machine. Later, that prize ship would become a major attraction at the Museum of Science and Industry.
I was reminded of both these events last month when my husband gave the oath of promotion to a fellow officer in front of the U-505. Family, friends and several Navy men, active and retired, looked on. After the brief service, volunteer Navy submarine veterans gave us a private tour of the sub.
We also saw the latest Omnimax movie, “D-Day: Normandy 1944,” narrated by Tom Brokaw, author of The Greatest Generation. The “film explores history, military strategy, science, technology and human values (and blends) multiple cinematographic techniques, including animation, CGI and live-action images.” It was educational and appealing and thoroughly enjoyable for all ages. It is a wonderful tribute to the Greatest Generation who gave their lives for our freedom and the freedom of many countries.
Before Commander Michaels’ parents attached his new shoulder boards, he gave recognition to Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Mayo. Mayo died in March at Norfolk naval station when he stepped in front of a civilian shooter to protect another petty officer. Mayo’s mother was quoted as saying her son “died in the line of duty.”
See the movie and admire what our soldiers and sailors did in the line of duty.
D-Day: Normandy 1944 runs through May 2015. See the movie at www.msichicago.org.
