June 5, 1944.

American industry gives the military the means to retake Europe.

Now the nation must sacrifice its sons.

Over 5.4 million US soldiers will invade Europe in World War II.

That's 40 times the number of US combat troops that originally invaded Iraq.

This is the night before the biggest single amphibious landing the world has ever seen...

D-Day.

Harold Baumgarten has come a long way since enlisting a year ago.

Many of us had our heads shaved so that our hair could not be grabbed during hand-to-hand combat.

Many of these men have less than 12 hours to live.

I did not expect to come back alive.

I wrote such to my sister to get the mail before my parents

and break the news gently to them when she received the telegram.

You know, we were brought upon good guys and bad guys.

We go back, we talk about our Westerns that way.

You know, Hitler was a clear enemy.

I think when you have a really clear enemy,

you've won the hearts and minds.

There is that commitment of sacrifice.

Eve of battle rituals include Mohican haircuts and war paint.

Preparations are mental as well as material.

Dog tags are taped together so they don't rattle.

Stealth can mean you live or die.

One officer tells his men what they can expect.

Look to the right of you.

Look to the left of you.

There's only going to be one of you left after the first week.

William Dabney now knows

what his special service mission is.

He has to drag a barrage balloon

ashore while under heavy fire.

It's a tactic designed to block German aircraft from strafing Allied troops.

His chances are slim, but he is determined to survive.