Among the many Allied military units storming the Normandy coast on June 6, 1944, was the 16th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division. Ted Lombarski, a sergeant in the 16th’s F Company, recalled:“We were the first wave to hit the beach, Companies E and F of the 16th Infantry. The first wave went through hell that day.”As they approached Omaha Beach, the men of the 16th Infantry Regiment were met with a wall of enemy fire. Heavy casualtiesDespite the heavy losses and powerful German defense, as the day wore on it became clear that the 16th Infantry Regiment had secured a foothold on Omaha Beach. They were among the nearly 1,000 casualties of the 16th Infantry killed, wounded or missing on D-Day.
