Robert Capa, Life Magazine photographer landed at Omaha Beach with the American troops. They went in at Easy Red/Fox Green sector. June 6, 1944 .He took this photo and won a Pulitzer Prize. * (see below)
By Paul Goldfinger, MD Editor @Blogfinger
Robert Capa landed with the troops and shot quickly with his Leica 35 mm camera. He handed over his film to an aide who got the film out to a boat and then on to England for processing. Unfortunately, an overzealous lab tech ruined most of the exposures except for a few. The image above is one of them, and the Capa D-Day collection is among the best examples of American photojournalism.
There were 12 surgical teams that went in on D-Day, but only 8 made it to shore. Medics quickly organized the wounded. Medical stations and field hospitals were quickly established on shore. Of the wounded who made it to a medical station, less than 1% died.
During the month prior to D-Day, American factories manufactured 100 million doses of the wonder drug Penicillin. There were 4,644 U.S. Army nurses who were stationed on the European front in 1944. They landed on the beaches on June 10 and walked 5 miles or more to field hospitals.
Normandy, a few days after D-Day. Aircraft bring in containers of blood for transfusion. *
(Still photographs by Paul Goldfinger obtained from the movie Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielberg.)
Troops dropped off in the bloody water move in to Omaha Beach, Dog Sector. Paul Goldfinger still. High mortality in the first wave.
Tom Hanks as Capt. John Miller regains his composure after barely making it ashore. There is mayhem and death all around. Paul Goldfinger still image.
Medics try to save lives on the beach, but deadly fire inhibits effectiveness. Paul Goldfinger still.
Nazi pill boxes take a high toll on the beach. Eventually Capt. Miller and his men break through to open the log jam. Paul Goldfinger still.
* Reference: Time Magazine D-Day 70th Anniversary Tribute (re-issue of the 2004 Time Classic)
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT. From the soundtrack of the film The Aviator
Eileen and I went to France with her parents for the 40th anniversary of D-Day. Her Dad, Bernard Harkavy, insisted on going, and it was very emotional.
He had been stationed then in England where he was involved in weather forcasting, a key ingredient for D-Day.
Our bus arrived as they were about to close the American cemetery at Normandy, overlooking the beach.
But the driver prevailed on the guards, and we were allowed in.
That day reminds me of the opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan when an elderly D-Day veteran returns with his family to pay his respects to Capt. Miller.
If you never saw this movie, you must do so. It is on Netflix now. —-PG
Touching article. Thank you.