MFE Marines take to Normandy beaches during battlefield study

Photo By Sgt. Rocco Defilippis | Lt. Col. Van Nguyen, Marine Forces Europe assistant chief of staff personnel, takes a photograph inside the chapel at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Nguyen was part of a group of MFE Marines who recently traveled to Normandy for a professional military education study of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France in 1944.  

04.19.2008

Story by Sgt. Rocco Defilippis 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

By Sgt. Rocco Defilippis
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe Public Affairs

NORMANDY, France - A group of 27 Marines from the Marine Corps Forces Europe staff traveled to the beaches and historic towns of Normandy, France, April 16, for a battlefield study of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Nazi occupied Europe.

During their two-day stay in Normandy, the Marines visited the historic sights and icons of the American efforts to liberate Europe during World War II as the culmination of a six-month study focusing on the development, evolution and history of Marine Corps' amphibious warfare doctrine.

The Marines who participated in the event visited the battlefields of Omaha and Utah Beaches, sites to some of the bloodiest fighting of the war; Sainte Mère-Église, a strategic town seized by American paratroopers; Pointe du Hoc, a key piece of ground overlooking Omaha and Utah beaches taken and held by the soldiers of 2nd Ranger Battalion; La Fière, a key bridge in the Norman country side and Arromanches, the town where a large and important port was constructed by the Allies.

"Given our amphibious nature, we have a unique opportunity to benefit from the study of the largest amphibious operation in history," said Lt. Col. Holden Dunham, event coordinator and Dallas native. "You can read about history in a book, but when you get the chance to walk the actual grounds, it really provides you with a better understanding."

Traveling to the six sites by bus, one or two Marines would provide a researched presentation on the significance of each location to the entire group as part of the professional military education experience.

During their six-month study, the Marines looked extensively into the evolution and implementation of Marine Corps amphibious operations.

Dunham said that during the study, the Marines focused on the development of amphibious landing crafts and the birth of War Plan Orange, a contingency plan for defending American interests in the Pacific.

According to "First to Fight" by Gen. Victor H. Krulak, the textbook utilized during the PME, it was the work of the Marine Corps planners who developed War Plan Orange that led to the Marine Corps' development of The Tentative Manual of Landing Operations of 1934.

Dunham said this groundbreaking document became the service standard for landing operations and was eventual copied outright by the Army and used exclusively for every amphibious operation of World War II.

As the largest, most complicated amphibious operation ever conducted, Dunham said studying Operation Overlord is beneficial to military professionals because of the role the Marine Corps had in developing the concept.

"Going to Normandy allows us to witness first hand how the doctrine that was developed by the Marines was used in that amphibious assault," Dunham said. "We have been looking at all of the history and details of the development of amphibious warfare, and we can come here to see how these concepts worked in action."

As a special liberty opportunity, the Marines and sailors of almost all ranks who volunteered for the trip got the chance to walk in the footprints of America's "Greatest Generation," witnessing first hand some of the most important landmarks of World War II.

"Seeing the sights around Normandy was an amazing experience," said Sgt. Jude Castro, security force Marine and Queens, N.Y. native. "It gave us a great opportunity to try to put ourselves in the shoes of those heroic men who fought there."

Because of the history that lead to it and all of the aspects involved with it, Dunham said Marines of all ranks and specialties can benefit greatly from the study of Operation Overlord.

"The Spartan king Thucydides said, 'Nations who draw a great distinction between their thinkers and their warriors have their thinking done by cowards and their battles fought by fools,'" Dunham said. "That really highlights the importance of military professionals to study history and become thinking warriors. That's what we are doing here."

• Date Taken: 04.19.2008
• Date Posted: 04.25.2008 03:44
• Story ID: 18764