There is urgency in their voices when Metro Detroit historians remember D-Day, a day often referred to as the beginning of the end of World War II.
June 6, 1944, was the day the Allied Forces were able to establish a beachhead in Normandy, opening the way for more than 326,000 troops to arrive, along with 50,000 vehicles and 100,000 tons of equipment to use in their drive to clear northern France of German forces and liberate Paris.
Where did that supply of equipment and vehicles come from? The answer is a long list of cities, but there is total agreement: no American city contributed more to the Allied powers during World War II than Detroit.
Hence, the city became known as "The Arsenal of Democracy," a term coined by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during one of his Fireside Chats on the radio.
From children in school to line workers in factories to cooks in the kitchen, Detroiters could assure the Allied soldier – “We’ve got your back.”
Exhibition and Lecture Series
In the "We've got your back" exhibition and lecture series, we are honoring those on the home front.
The Michigan Military Technical and Historical Society of Eastpointe combed through its collections, combining posters and artifacts for the exhibition that will open at 6:30 pm on Thursday, May 9, along with the first of four lectures that will continue each Thursday at 6:30 through May 30.
D-Day Celebration
The goal is to add context to the June 6, D-Day celebration, on the lakefront lawn of the Alger House, home to Les Braves II, At Water’s Edge. The sculpture is a twin of the sculpture dedicated on Normandy Beach in honor of the 60th anniversary of D-Day.
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The exhibition in the Patriot Gallery will be open 9 am – 8 pm, daily, thru June 10.
Current Series
6:30 pm, May 9 — An overview of Detroit manufacturing focused on the war effort by Ron Lamparter, introduced by Alan Wagner. The lecture is free, but registration is required. Click here to reserve your seat.
Detroit's automobile plants, retooled for the war effort, built everything from tanks to bombs to guns.
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