On D-Day, a roughly 7,000-yard stretch of beach in Normandy, France, given the code name "Omaha," proved to be the Allies' biggest obstacle to the success of Operation Overlord. The assignment to take Omaha Beach, establish a beachhead, and move inland into France was given to two American divisions: the already battle-hardened 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One) and the untested 29th Infantry Division (The Blue and the Gray), which had yet to see any combat in World War II.

On D-Day, a roughly 7,000-yard stretch of beach in Normandy, France, given the code name "Omaha," proved to be the Allies' biggest obstacle to the success of Operation Overlord. The assignment to take Omaha Beach, establish a beachhead, and move inland into France was given to two American divisions: the already battle-hardened 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One) and the untested 29th Infantry Division (The Blue and the Gray), which had yet to see any combat in World War II.