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The Speech Eisenhower Prepared If Normandy Invasion Failed

(June 5, 1944)

On June 5, 1944, the day before the D-Day invasion of Normandy, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, worried abut the possibility the operation would fail. He was prepared to take responsibility for that failure and prepared the following remarks for that eventuality: 

Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone.


Source: Scott Simon, “The Speech Eisenhower Never Gave On The Normandy Invasion,” NPR Weekend Edition, (June 8, 2013).