Five days ago, as this column was being written, marked the 75th anniversary of one of the most momentous days in world history, a day which is mentioned every year in news reports and remembrances, but little celebrated.

Tuesday, June 6, 1944, was a miserable day at the beaches of Normandy, following a storm which had delayed the invasion of Europe; a day on which a good portion of 156,000 Allied troops were anxious to depart the vomit-laden ships and landing craft which had carried them across the English channel, even in the face of German machine guns.

Five designated beaches awaited these troops from many countries — the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Greece and Poland. Omaha and Utah beaches were assigned to U.S. troops, Gold and Sword were the property of British personnel and Juno was delegated to the Canadians.

There were 225 U.S. Army Rangers tasked with scaling the cliffs of Point du Hoc to neutralize huge German artillery pieces there which were positioned to fire directly onto the beaches. After reaching the cliff heights against stiff German defenses, the Rangers found the Germans had not yet placed the guns.

The ships which carried the invading armies were manned by 195,700 seamen, accounting for 6,939 vessels including 1,213 combat ships, 4,125 landing craft, 736 support ships and 864 merchant ships.

Before the day was over, the 156,000 men would be accompanied by more than 200,000 vehicles of all types, from tanks to jeeps, with 27 amphibious tanks lost in the surf before getting ashore.

But the beaches weren’t the only places of activity that day.

In the wee hours of the morning, American and British (and other nationalities) paratroopers had begun dropping inland, well beyond the beaches, to interrupt the movements and communications of the Germans.

These troops were delivered by 2,395 aircraft and 897 gliders. Because of faulty navigation, lousy weather and German antiaircraft fire, the skyborne troops were scattered widely over the French countryside.

In other airborne operations 11,590 Allied aircraft flew 14,674 sorties (one aircraft flying one mission) that day. Of those aircraft, 127 were lost, not counting losses of troop carriers and gliders.

By the end of the day, the Americans had suffered 2,499 dead, 3,184 wounded, 1,928 missing and 26 captured.

British and Canadian casualties (killed and wounded) were 2,700 and 946, respectively.

German losses were estimated to be between 4,000 and 9,000 of the estimated 40,000 awaiting Allied troops wading ashore.

Today, 27 cemeteries across Europe hold the remains of 9,386 American dead and more than 22,000 other Allied combat personnel, as well as tens of thousands of Germans.

And the men and women of that ‘Greatest Generation’ are rapidly passing away (on May 29, a local 95 year-old Pacific War Marine veteran passed away).

Soon they will all be gone and World War II will begin to become as obscure as World War I — the war to end all wars — is now.

Perhaps the most readable book about this memorable day is “The Longest Day” by Cornelius Ryan.

So, if you didn’t take a moment on June 6 to stop and think about the immensity of effort that was expended on that singular day, maybe today you can.

There are still a very few who were there who will.

Chuck Witt is a retired architect and a lifelong resident of Winchester. He can be reached at chuck740@bellsouth.net.