June 6th, 1944 - “….They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest — until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war. For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home. Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom. And for us at home — fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them…”
Directly after the moment American forces assaulted Normandy, France, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the nation about D-Day. This attack was led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower through the combined effort of many free nations to finally end Hitler’s grip over Europe. Since World War II started on September 1st, 1939, the Nazis wreaked terror in Europe, killed millions of innocent people, perpetrated the Holocaust, and sought the enslavement of others.
Roosevelt’s words were the “beginning of the end” toward the strength of Hitler in a final chapter that marked the defeat of the Third Reich. Whereas Americans were elated and worried over the fate of these landings, Eisenhower guided 160,000 soldiers who landed at Normandy and were transported by 5,000 ships. Overhead, 13,000 aircraft attacked German positions along the “Atlantic Wall” and dropped 23,000 airborne troops at landing sites behind the beaches to cause confusion and havoc against the Wehrmacht. There were almost 7,000 Higgins Landing Craft that brought soldiers to the landing sites, and “Operation Fortitude,” the deceptive mission to confuse German forces, paid dividends as Hitler refused to quickly re-deploy his armor from Calais.
And there were local Long Islanders who served in different roles to gain the success of this plan and quickly secure a military foothold in France. Future New York Yankees great Yogi Berra was on a rocket ship that aided the landings of the soldiers and was later ordered to help undertake the invasion of Southern France. When Berra entered Yankee Stadium, he was still in his naval uniform.
January 20th, 1945 - “…And so today, in this year of war, 1945, we have learned lessons — at a fearful cost — and we shall profit by them. We have learned that we cannot live alone, at peace; that our own well-being is dependent on the well-being of other nations far away. We have learned that we must live as men, not as ostriches, nor as dogs in the manger. We have learned to be citizens of the world, members of the human community. We have learned the simple truth, as Emerson said, that ‘The only way to have a friend is to be one.’ We can gain no lasting peace if we approach it with suspicion and mistrust or with fear….”
Roosevelt made history by entering his fourth presidential term. There was a noticeable deterioration in his health from the unrelenting pressures of the Depression and war. Even as he met Allied leaders Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin, the burden was seen on Roosevelt’s face and demeanor. While American forces pushed further into Germany and fought against tenacious defenses at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Roosevelt was forced to preside over the changing world order brought on by the replacement of Hitler with the expansion of communism under Stalin.
There were strains between the two emerging superpowers, as both counted on each other to end the war, but mistrusted each other’s military and political motives. This friction was clear at the Yalta Conference, and Roosevelt’s health was not helped as he was forced to travel 14,000 miles round trip to participate in these talks.
Churchill feared the strength of Stalin, especially as Soviet forces made their way through Eastern and Central Europe, and advocated for a greater Western Allied presence to prevent communist domination in this area. Roosevelt sought the quickest ways to end the war, even if it meant that Stalin had a stronger presence in Europe, and he pushed for Soviet involvement against the Japanese after Hitler was finally defeated. It was a vital mistake to allow Soviet involvement in the Pacific and Asia, as they virtually conducted no fighting but benefited from the weakened status of the Japanese to conquer additional territories.
March 1st, 1945 - “…..There were two main purposes in this Crimea Conference. The first was to bring defeat to Germany with the greatest possible speed, and the smallest possible loss of Allied men. That purpose is now being carried out in great force. The German Army, and the German people, are feeling the ever-increasing might of our fighting men and of the Allied armies. Every hour gives us added pride in the heroic advance of our troops in Germany — on German soil — toward a meeting with the gallant Red Army. The second purpose was to continue to build the foundation for an international accord that would bring order and security after the chaos of the war, that would give some assurance of lasting peace among the nations of the world. Toward that goal also, a tremendous stride was made….”
Roosevelt returned to a nation that was weary of war, as Americans emerged as leaders in being the “Arsenal of Democracy” through armed forces involvement and industrial production. With American forces enduring losses before the expected invasion of Japan and troops making their way into the German heartland, Roosevelt was determined to gain a “total victory” and a lasting peace. But he was absolutely “spent,” and a medical check-up determined that Roosevelt suffered from heart ailments, high blood pressure, and bronchitis, which led to poor memory and difficulty concentrating.
On April 12th, 1945, Roosevelt was at his retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia, where he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Quickly, the little-known Vice President Harry S. Truman took the oath to become the next president. Truman asked Eleanor Roosevelt if there was anything he could do to “help” her. Eleanor colorfully responded, “What can we do for you? You’re the one who is in trouble now.”
Truman barely knew President Roosevelt and, when he became our leader, remarked, “It felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.”
In Europe, Eisenhower, General George S. Patton, and Omar N. Bradley met together to discuss the final aspects of defeating the Nazis. With their armies destroying German resistance and liberating concentration camps, they openly wondered about the future under Truman. Roosevelt promoted all three of these leaders to the highest ranks in the Army, and they spoke with him at wartime conferences, inspections, and meetings to discuss current and future operations.
Whereas Eisenhower would later become a dominant Republican president, he was saddened at the loss of Roosevelt. From Georgia up the coast to Hyde Park, New York, on the Hudson River, the train that brought Roosevelt to his final resting place was met by tens of thousands of Americans who grieved him along the route.
Roosevelt made mistakes in leadership, but it is highly doubtful that we will ever again see a leader handle the immense pressures that he constantly faced over such a long period during the presidency of the United States.