Ruck PT for D-Day’s 75 Anniversary

Preamble:

75 years ago today, young men were storming the beach in Normandy, France against fierce resistance from German forces.  Many never made it off the beach.

Operation Neptune, the code name for what we call D-Day, was the largest amphibious assault ever. 132,715 allied troops landed on the beach at Normandy on 6 June, 1944 to secure freedom. Shortly after midnight in the hours before the amphibious landing, 24,000 airborne troops parachuted or rode gliders in the dark into France behind enemy lines. These troops included American forces from the 101st and 82nd Airborne units.

German casualties on D-Day have been estimated at 4,000 to 9,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead.
Total casualties for both sides in the Battle of Normandy (June 6 – 25, 1944) were approximately 425,000.

The Allies failed to achieve any of their goals on the first day. But they continued to fight and the rest is history.

D-Day +5 (June 11^th) the invasion had landed:

• 326,547 troops
• 54,186 vehicles
• 104,428 tons of supplies

This was truly and international effort with the following countries fighting on D-Day:

Allied Countries: 

• United Kingdom
• USA
• Canada
• France
• Poland
• Australia
• Belgium
• New Zealand
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Czechoslovakia
• Luxembourg
• Greece

YHC announced intentions to host a ruck PT workout at The Norseman and the Alphamen responded with men coming from The Gladiator, Hooch, The Rubicon, Grindstone and Big Creek as well as The Norseman.

Warm-O-Rama:

At 0530 we left the flag for the ruck to the track. As we walked YHC gave the above as a context to what we were all doing this morning.

The Thang:

As we arrived at the track, YHC introduced the GORUCK Workout #3 for June that honors the 101st Airborne:

The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions of the US Army were the first on the ground. Dropped behind enemy lines, 13,100 paratroopers and 3,937 glider troops landed across the Cotentin peninsula. They were scattered, but airborne forces consolidated at various points and took the key city of Carentan on June 13, 1944

For time:

• 101 thrusters
• 400 meter ruck
• 101 lunges
• 400 meter ruck
• 101 ruck high pull
• 400 meter ruck
• 101 seconds plank
• 400 meter ruck (back to flag)

6 Minutes of Mary (or 5)

• Ruck Flutters
• LBC with ruck on chest
• Freddie Mercury
• Oblique L/R
• Nacho took us out with the T-Bomb

COT:

We are thankful for the sacrifices made on behalf of our freedom. For the men and women who left farms, teaching jobs, banks, factories and school to take up arms to fight tyranny. May we never have to do so again.