By nightfall on June 6th 1944 - D-Day, Hitler's Atlantic Wall on the coast of Normandy had been breached by the Allied Forces, at a cost of 9500 casualties!

Many of our soldiers from World War I and II, are at rest in U.S. Military Cemetaries in Europe.

There are 30921 men and women of the U.S. Military Service from World War I resting in U.S. Military Cemetartries in France. There are 93,238 men and women of the U.S. Miltary Service from World War II, resting in U.S. Military Cemetaries in France, Belguim and England.

Starting with the Korean War, all men and women of the U.S. Military Service who have died in combat are now returned back home to the United States.

In 1944, the United States Government placed and initial order for 500,000 Purple Hearts, in preparation of the possible Invasion of Japan. As history states that after the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan, these 500,000 Purple Hearts where not needed.

Since the end of World War II, the U.S. Government has never place an order to restock the inventory of Purple Hearts that are still in storage from the 1944 order.

SFC Steven H. McGarthwaite
U.S. Army, Retired, 1968-1995
Vietnam Veteran