Speaker Series: Cape Cod's Connections To D-Day

Chatham Marconi Welcomes Mr. Joe Yukna to its Speaker Series

Learn about Cape Cod’s amazing connections to D-Day, arguably the most important date of the 20th Century.  The Cape was the original home of the Engineer Amphibious Command and the Amphibious Training Command.  Some of the units that formed and/or trained here were the the 1st Engineer Special Brigade (ESB), the 2nd ESB, 3rd and 4th ESB, 1st Infantry Division, the 45th and 36th Infantry Divisions.

While Chatham Navy Radio was quietly and surreptitiously having a major impact on the naval Battle of the Atlantic, there was much more expansive activity going on elsewhere on Cape Cod.  This photo lecture describes the exploits of the units that trained here on the Cape and then went on to dramatically affect the D-Day battle.  The 1st Engineer Special Brigade (ESB) was one such unit.  It was formed in June, 1942 at Camp Edwards (now Joint Base Cape Cod) and trained on Washburn Island (off the coast of East Falmouth).  Two years later, following amphibious assaults in North Africa and Italy, its soldiers landed on Utah Beach on D-Day.  The 1st ESB landed 30 minutes before the regular troops and suffered a 30% casualty rate.

Learn why the Government ‘stole’ the ferry Naushon, how the Amphibians’ "zoot suit” saved hundreds of lives, and much more about the Cape’s fascinating connections to D-Day.

 About Our Speaker

Military historian Joseph Yukna is a co-Founder and the Director of the Cape Cod Military Museum in Bourne, Mass.  Joe's interest in the military history of Cape Cod began over twenty years ago while working as a civilian Department of Defense Police Officer on Camp Edwards.