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Marine Noncommissioned Officers of U.S. Marine Corps Forces
Europe and Africa walked the sacred grounds, the once bloody stained sandy beaches of Normandy,
France, Dec. 11-13, 2015 to commemorate the legacy of D-Day during
World War II.
“To be able to re-live the largest amphibious
operation in U.S. military history, learn how it is connected into
our national identity, and experience how much the French honor the
sacrifice of our forefathers was beyond inspiring,” said Sgt. Miguel
A. Ramirez, a noncommissioned officer with Marine Forces Europe and
Africa.
71 years ago, D-Day was written into legend as the
largest seaborne, amphibious invasion in history; the day of the
historic Allied landings into Normandy on June 6, 1944, began the
liberation of German-occupied northwestern Europe from Nazi control
during World War II.
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U.S. Marine noncommissioned officers of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa at the Iron Mike statue in Normandy, France, Dec. 11-13,
2015 for a battle-field study of the historic amphibious Allied landings during World War II, also known as D-Day. The Marine NCOs are the backbone of service component operations for U.S. European Command that supports numerous NATO-led operations and exercises in Europe that enables the Alliance to continue their proven, enduring partnerships. (U.S. Marine Corps courtesy photo)
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“Sometimes we are so focused on our future that we forget
about our past,” said Ramirez. “This experience taught the
Marines about the small-unit leadership, resilience, and
courage of good men that made D-Day successful. Even against
the overwhelming Nazi-German opposition, the Allies were
able to succeed with sheer tenacity, strategy, and force.”
Retracing the footsteps of past leaders, NCOs
immersed themselves in the rich military history of Normandy
with battlefield studies of the beaches, historic objective
points, museums, and the Normandy American Cemetery and
Memorial.
“It's a
critical, awe-inspiring moment when you're standing on Omaha
beach or the cliffs of Point du Hoc, and you're looking at
the challenges they faced; how deep the cliffs were, the
size of the bluffs, the gun mounts dotted along the front
line...” said Ramirez.
The landing operations were the
first phase of Operation Overlord, the name assigned to the
establishment of a large-scale, defensive enclave on the
European continent. Superiority was gained through airborne,
seaborne, amphibious, and land operations by 13 nations; 10
of which are NATO allies today.
“Even though those
soldiers faced insurmountable odds, the pure commitment to
the man on their left and right helped them succeed in
taking that beach.”
The trip was provided to the unit
by the Marine Corps Association Foundation and the Marine
Corps University Foundation.
“MCAF is the charitable
arm of the Marine Corps Association & Foundation; together,
we are dedicated to the professional development and
recognition of today's Marines and to expanding the
awareness of the traditions and history of the [Marine
Corps],” said Stacey Churchill, director of operations,
Marine Corps Association Foundation
The trip
provided historical context and enhanced appreciation for
the challenges and successes regarding leadership traits
important to the Marine NCOs.
“We're dedicated to
funding all of our programs for today's Marines. Battle
studies such as [Normandy] provide outstanding opportunities
for Marines to embrace military history and their heritage
as warriors,” said Churchill. “These are hands-on learning
experiences for Marines and they are lessons that will not
be forgotten.”
When asked how these events enrich the
Marine Corps as a whole, Churchill responded with a quote by
T.L. Gatchel from a 1976 Marine Corps Gazette article:
“The implements of war change; the principles don't. The
lessons that can be learned at the site of a battle fought a
century ago can be as relevant as those learned at the site
of one fought yesterday.”
The command, stationed in
Stuttgart, Germany, is comprised of a small amount of NCOs
for a component staff that supports two Geographic Combatant
Commands.
“We don't have a high quantity but the
amount of quality I see in our command's NCO corps is great;
we are helping the component support three Marine Air-Ground
Task Forces in three countries, a combined-arms company in
Eastern Europe, and theater-security cooperation missions
throughout two continents; if you look at the fact that we
have only about 50 NCOs, it's quite impressive when you take
it all in,” said Ramirez.
The Allied commitment from
World War II remains strong today; the Marine NCOs are
called upon to support U.S. European Command for numerous
NATO-led operations and exercises around the European
continent that enables the alliance to continue their
proven, enduring friendships more than 70 years after D-Day.
More photos available below
Note: The opening sentence of this story
was edited by USA Patriotism!
By U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Tatum Vayavananda
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
The U.S. Marines
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