Chicago Tribune war correspondent John “Beaver” Thompson during World War II, circa May 1944. (Chicago Tribune archive) By John Thompson, Chicago Tribune Press Service. AT AN INVASION PORT, Somewhere in England, June 6.
— Thousands of soldiers of the American army are pouring down the quaysides onto landing craft or waiting their turn as we sit here watching the beginning of the greatest invasion ever attempted. Spread before us lie hundreds of warships, loaded transports, and landing craft of all kinds awaiting orders. Other ships attached to this force already have moved to the assembly area.
What we still can see is staggering. Yet is is only a part of one force and our force is only one phase of the entire operation. In almost every port in the United Kingdom scores of similar scenes are involving American, British, and other allied troops.
To those of us who have taken part in or observed as correspondents the invasion of North Africa the campaign in Tunisia, or the invasions of Sicily, and Italy, the scope of this operation is beyond superlatives. In months of covering the allied armies’ preparations for their task on this island we have gained some knowledge of the forces to be used. But the last few days in our loading areas and ports have demonstrated how hard the allies will hit when they throw their full weight against Hitler’s fortified shores.
This time no boys are being sent to do a man’s job. There appears to be no underestimation of the enemy’s p.