D-Day

It was 65 years ago today. June 6, 1944. The invasion of Normandy. D-Day. The 1st and 29th Infantry Division of the United States Army faced the 352nd Infantry Division of the German Army. It was Germany’s best trained division. The place was Omaha beach, which had high bluffs, heavily funneled bunkers, machine guns and artillery. 5000 American soldiers died that day, most within a few hours. It is estimated that 20,000 American soldiers were wounded.

One of those wounded was a young lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers who landed with the 1stth Infantry Division.

He was assigned to the First Engineer Specialty Brigade. Having already participated in the invasion of North Africa, Sicily and Italy, battle was no stranger to him. But his recollection of D-Day would be different.

“When the ramp was lowered from our landing boat, the entire company became inert,” he recalled. “Except for me as a lieutenant, and hey, I was just an engineer, we were leaderless and almost incapable of action. Every officer and sergeant was either killed or wounded, and it became a struggle of survival and rescue. Boys from Georgia, Alabama, New York, California and all over the country were dying right beside me.”

He was also wounded. A piece of shrapnel tore into his left arm during the invasion. He wrapped it up and continued his effort to survive and rescue. His left arm would never be the same.

He received a purple heart for the wound he received in the Battle of Omaha Beach on D-Day. He would also receive a Bronze Star. He went on to fight in the Battle of Okinawa, and achieved the rank of Major. He considered a military career, but decided to resign his commission after the war. He was more interested in teaching and coaching young men.

He became a football coach, and in his pre-game talks to his team, he would often draw analogies between the great battles he had fought in World War II, and the battles about to take place on the gridiron.

Most Auburn fans only know of him as “the gentleman head football coach.” After all, he was at the helm of Auburn’s football team for 25 years.

The Stadium bears his name. In fact, when the stadium name was changed from “Cliff Hare Stadium” to “Jordan-Hare Stadium” in 1973, it was the first time in NCAA history that a stadium was named for a living, active coach.

His name was Ralph “Shug” Jordan.

And today, I don’t want you to remember him as the beloved and endeared Auburn Football Coach from the 50’s to the 70’s. No, today I want you remember that he was just another boy, a boy from Selma, Alabama, who stood side by side with other young men….some from Georgia, some from New York, some from California, some from Alabama….

Today I want you to remember him as one who fought for country and for our freedom. I want you to remember that 65 years ago today, he, along with others who were our country’s best and brightest, hit the beaches of Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno and Sword. Remember that he was wounded along with thousands of others as they hit the Normandy Beaches on D-Day.

His name was Ralph “Shug” Jordan. And he IS a “true” American hero.


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