THE NORMANDY INVASION on D-Day brought Americans to the streets in massive numbers. Some went to rallies, some to church, some just went out to be around their fellow citizens.
The web site of the Smithsonian Institution has as remarkable series of pictures made that day. Take a look – it will be time well spent.
Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia leads a rally in New York
From the article:
New information was difficult for American media outlets to obtain; CBS World News’ radio program from the day makes multiple references to German media broadcasts, which were the main source of updated information. In Philadelphia, the mayor sounded the Liberty Bell for the first time in over a century. In New York City, the New York Stock exchange observed two minutes of silence and in Madison Square, WNYC held a D-Day rally, featuring speeches and songs presided over by the city’s mayor Fiorello La Guardia. Like Roosevelt, La Guardia led the city in a prayer, telling those gathered—and those listening at home on their radios: “We, the people of the City of New York, in meeting assembled, send forth our prayers to the Almighty God for the safety and spiritual welfare of every one of you and humbly petition Him to bring total victory to your arms in the great and valiant struggle for the liberation of the world from tyranny.”