Omaha Beach featuring Dr. John McManus

History Does You

On June 6, 1944, thousands of Allied soldiers waded ashore on the beaches of Normandy to begin the liberation of Western Europe. On Omaha Beach, the 29th Infantry division and 1st Infantry division came ashore and encountered some of the fiercest resistance of the war. We interviewed Dr. John C. McManus is Curators’ Distinguished Professor of U.S. military history at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. In addition to dozens of local and national radio programs, he has appeared on CNN, Fox News, C-Span, the Military Channel, the Discovery Channel, the National Geographic Channel, Netflix, the Smithsonian Network, the History Channel and PBS, among others. He also served as a historical advisor for the bestselling book and documentary Salinger, the latter of which appeared nationwide in theaters and on PBS's American Masters Series. Some of his work includes Grunts: The American Infantry Combat Experience, World War through Iraq, U.S. Military History for Dummies, and The Dead and Those About to Die, D-Day: The Big Red One at Omaha Beach. We explore the battle, the challenges, and experiences of the young men who came ashore as well as its impact on the wider conflict