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How Would the D-Day Invasion be Reported today?
(This is what you would hear if today's media reported on D-Day at
Normandy)
June 6, 1944. NORMANDY- Three hundred French civilians were killed and thousands
more wounded today in the first hours of America's invasion of continental
Europe. Casualties were heaviest among women and children. Most of the French
casualties were the result of artillery fire from
American ships attempting to knock out German fortifications prior to
the landing of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops. Reports from a
makeshift hospital in the French town of St. Mere Eglise said the
carnage was far worse than the French had anticipated, and reaction
against the American invasion was running high. "We are dying for no
reason," said a Frenchman speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Americans can't even shoot straight. I never thought I'd say this, but life was
better under Adolph Hitler."
The invasion also caused severe environmental damage. American troops,
tanks, trucks and machinery destroyed miles of pristine shoreline and
thousands of acres of ecologically sensitive wetlands. It was believed
that the habitat of the spineless French crab was completely wiped out,
threatening the species with extinction. A representative of Greenpeace
said his organization, which had tried to stall the invasion for over a
year, was appalled at the destruction, but not surprised. "This is just
another example of how the military destroys the environment without a
second thought," said Christine Moanmore. "And it's all about corporate
greed." Contacted at his Manhattan condo, a member of the French
government-in-exile, who abandoned Paris when Hitler invaded, said the
invasion was based solely on American financial interests. "Everyone
knows that President Roosevelt has ties to big beer," said Pierre
LeWimp. "Once the German beer industry is conquered, Roosevelt's beer
cronies will control the world market and make a fortune."
Administration supporters said America's aggressive actions were based
in part on the assertions of controversial scientist Albert Einstein,
who sent a letter to Roosevelt speculating that the Germans were
developing a secret weapon, a so-called "atomic bomb." Such a weapon
could produce casualties on a scale never seen before and cause
environmental damage that could last for thousands of years. Hitler has
denied having such a weapon, and international inspectors were unable to
locate such weapons even after spending two long weekends in Germany.
Shortly after the invasion began, reports surfaced that German prisoners
had been abused by Americans. Mistreatment of Jews by Germans at
so-called "concentration camps" has been rumored but so far remains
unproven.
Several thousand Americans died during the first hours of the invasion,
and French officials are concerned that uncollected corpses pose a
public health risk. "The Americans should have planned for this in
advance," they said. "It's their mess and we don't intend to clean it
up."
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