The 56-Year-Old General in the First Wave at Utah Beach

At dawn on June 6, 1944, Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., fifty-six years old and walking with a cane, waded ashore with the first wave at Utah Beach. The landing craft had come in south of the planned beach. What he decided in the next few minutes helped shape the whole day. We follow Ted from his father's shadow through the First World War, North Africa and Sicily, to Utah Beach and his death in Normandy five weeks later. Built from the U.S. Army Center of Military History study of Utah Beach (1947), his Medal of Honor citation, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the National Park Service, the American Battle Monuments Commission, and HistoryNet. The famous line he is said to have spoken on the beach is reported in several versions, and we tell you which source says what. Sources: Medal of Honor citation (G.O. No. 77, 1944); U.S. Army Center of Military History, Utah Beach study (1947); Congressional Medal of Honor Society (Harper, 2022); National Medal of Honor Museum; National Park Service; ABMC; HistoryNet (quoting Brady). Chapters: 0:00 A general in the first wave 1:05 Growing up a Roosevelt 2:49 The First World War 4:27 Between the wars 6:19 North Africa and Sicily 8:21 Asking to go in first 10:30 H Hour, Utah Beach 15:21 The wrong beach turns lucky 16:35 Holding the beach 21:39 Normandy and his death 24:44 The Medal of Honor 27:16 Two brothers in Normandy