"By the time the sun rose in New York City on the morning of June 6, 1944, the first and second waves of American troops had come ashore under heavy German fire on the beaches of Normandy.

Working under the command of General Eisenhower, an armada of 5,000 ships brought troops to the beaches of Normandy, one of the largest in military history. Almost 150,000 troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on that summer day, and approximately 20,000 of those by parachute.

News of the invasion spread quickly that early morning in the streets of New York City. New Yorkers had their ears and eyes glued to radio stations and newspapers. The Daily News proclaimed in bold lettering: “INVASION BEGINS”.

New York Times editors rushed to put out a special 6 a.m. edition, with a front page headline announcing the “Great Invasion is Under Way.”"