The lost art: D-Day Published June 7, 2010 By Airman 1st Class Jarad A. Denton 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- "Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! "You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. "Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely. "But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory! "I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! "Good Luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking." - Gen. Dwight David Eisenhower Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces, supreme allied commander While D-Day is largely remembered as a ground invasion, General Eisenhower did not underestimate the importance of airpower to the success of the mission. As early as January 1944, five months before the planned invasion of Normandy, American bomber formations were effectively drawing out the German Luftwaffe while the P-51B Mustang fighters destroyed them. General Eisenhower relied heavily on air support to clear the skies and pave the road to D-Day. His letter prior to the invasion was a call-to-arms for all servicemembers. In contrast to modern military communication, General Eisenhower wasn't afforded the luxuries of instantaneous communication commanders enjoy today. He communicated through pen, paper and dissemination to his staff. "General Eisenhower's letter to the Allied Forces prior to D-Day is one of history's finest examples of command narrative," said Ryan Warner, 28th Bomb Wing historian. "In the current age of electronic media, the often informal e-mail lacks a certain element of sincerity. A hand written or tangible paper generates a more effective impact." Mr. Warner said General Eisenhower fully understood the importance of achieving victory during the allied invasion of Europe on D-Day. Both he and his military leaders knew even with proper planning and execution there would still be a heavy price to pay with no guarantee of success. "General Eisenhower realized the gravity of the situation and the imperativeness of a successful invasion," Mr. Warner said. "His letter perfectly illustrates that." With the advent of the digital age Mr. Warner believes letter writing throughout the spectrum of military history has become a lost art form. "Although the sentiments conveyed by current commanders to their subordinates carry the same message, something is lost in translation," he said. "Perhaps we can all take a 'note' from the greatest generation." However, Col. Steven Hiss, 28th BW vice commander, believes if General Eisenhower was operating in this day and age his message would have incorporated the technology utilized by today's military leaders. "Security issues aside, I think General Eisenhower would have presented his letter in the form of a video broadcast to his forces," Colonel Hiss said. "His message would have remained the same, but the impact would have been enhanced by the ability of servicemembers to see their commander and not just read his words." Colonel Hiss said the advent of video broadcast technology has given commanders a means to address their people in a more personal manner, without leaving anything open to misinterpretation. "There is a tendency to draft or respond to e-mails without fully appreciating the underlying message," he said. "This can lead to Airmen making incorrect assumptions about the tone of their commander's message." Just because an e-mail is brief, said Colonel Hiss, doesn't mean the author is irritated or angry. However, people have a natural tendency to read into messages, which can often lead to communication problems. "If we all take a little extra time to craft messages with the same level of dedication and concern as General Eisenhower then we can benefit from the clear communication he used to motivate his forces to do the impossible." For more information on historic documents that helped to shape our Nation visit The National Archives website at http://www.archives.gov/.