Modern D-Day Coverage
Friday October 12, 2001
- TITLE: "Modern D-Day Coverage" The press corps operates differently in 2001 than it did 56 years ago in 1944. Radio was the big innovation in coverage of WWII. The notion of satellite phones, for instance, was unknown because the notion of satellites was unknown.
- "
Operation Overlord
" This was the code name for the invasion at Normandy.
- "
War Department
" After World War II the War Department was rename the Defense Department.
- "
General Marshall
" George C. Marshall was the military Chief of Staff during World War II. Later he went on to become Secretary of State where he oversaw the "Marshall Plan" which provided the means for Europe to be rebuilt.
- "
We shall fight on the beaches
" This was from Churchill's speech after the evacuation from Dunkirk. It was given in 1940 and was hardly likely to be a coded message about an operation which didn't occur for four years.
- "
two-and-a-half years
" It is useful to remember how long it took to invade Europe north of the Alps. This was before wars which were counted in days.
- "
Pas de Calais
" This is the French city just across the English Channel from Dover - one of the narrowest crossings. A great deal of time, effort, and energy was devoted to convincing the Germans that the invasion would come here.
- "
General Theordore "Teddy" Smith
" I made up the "Senior Seρor of Santiago Bay," but he represents modern military "analysts" who haven't fought in 30-40 years.
- "
Panzer Divisions
" In actuality, Hitler had taken personal control of the Panzers and refused to allow them to be repositioned away from Pas de Calais.
- "
Mayor Jacque Capituler
" The imaginary Mayor's last name translates, roughly, to "captitulate."
- "
Operation Fortitude
" This operation was real, but it was all a fake. As noted in the column Patton had been sent to Kent to fool the Germans into believing the attack would come at Pas de Calais.
As I was writing this I was wondering whether an "Operation Fortitude" would fall within the promise that the press exacted from Secretary
Rumsfeld that he would not lie to them.
- "
Emma Smith
" I made Emma up. And I don't believe any network has, yet, appointed a Senior Ethics Advisor. The title of her book is, also, fictitious.
- "
the "H" word
" In this age of political correctness, General Teddy Smith's use of the word, Hun, would probably be bleeped.
- Mullings' Catchy Caption of the Day:
Mine Eyes have Seen the Glory.
Military personnel react to the Battle Hymn
of the Republic
during the one-month memorial
service at the Pentagon yesterday.
(Win McNamee/Reuters)
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