The giant guns of six Battleships unleash hell, the medium guns of five Heavy Cruisers did the same, 20 Light Cruisers also helped, and even the small guns of 135 Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts boomed out shells.
Over 4,000 small landing craft were used to put troops ashore.
The largest naval assault to date, and Logan was gonna be one of the first men to hit the beach.
The landing craft bobbed up and down, just about everyone got sick. If they didn't get sick because they were bouncing up and down like a cork, you got sick because someone else got sick.
Eventually even Logan's iron stomach failed him. He climbed up the ledge of the craft and threw up over the side.
Partially digested steak and eggs, a hardy meal for a rough day, went to the fish and sharks.
As he jumped back down a bullet dinged the top of his helmet.
"Holy shit!"
He had never once been shot at in his life. This was gonna be his first, and potentially last, battle.
Like many soldiers, he carried a crucifix around his neck. Like many soldiers he didn't think it would make a difference. Like many soldiers, he took it out and said a short prayer anyways.
Nearby they heard a massive explosion.
One of the adjacent landing craft took a direct hit from artillery. Ultimately, everyone disintegrated.
As they began to get close to the beach they heard the waves lapping on the shore.
Logan decided if he survived the war, he would visit this place later and see what it was like without the horror that was about to ensue.
The craft skidded to a halt on the ground, and a soldier began to lower the ramp.
The second they could see the pillboxes, the Germans opened up on them with heavy machine gun fire. Soldiers in the front of the boat didn't have a chance to move before they got slaughtered.
Logan was near the back of the boat and saw that he wouldn't get out through the front, so he climbed up over the side.
The water was on the deep side, but Logan was a solid 6'2 and could JUST reach the bottom. A few other people who weren't so tall clinged onto him in desperation. They nearly got him killed.
When he got on the beach, his mind went to his training. Find cover, anywhere!
There were a few Czech Hedgehog tank obstacles. He ran to the closest one and hunkered down.
He heard 30 or 40 shots ding off the hedgehog he was hiding behind. The Germans had no shortage of firepower.
He heard one of the DD, Duplex Drive, "swimming tanks" behind him. He turned around and glanced at it.
About that time one of the 88mm flak guns in the bunkers opened up and set the tank on fire.
Which in turn blew up the ammo rack, taking the turret off the tank, and killing the entire crew.
The incredible explosion disoriented him. His ears rang and it made his vision goes fuzzy for a while.
He looked around, and saw hundreds of his brothers in arms were already dead.
Someone had to do something.
Someone DID do something.
"THE ONLY MAN ON THIS BEACH IS GONNA BE A DEAD ONE! MOVE!"
Driven by these words, Logan decided to get up and run.
He couldn't stay here. Sooner or later artillery or one of the anti tank guns WOULD find him.
He was running towards a small rise in the ground that was close to the enemy bunkers.
Meaning the anti tank guns wouldn't be able to aim low enough, and artillery wouldn't have the shell arc to hit them.
It was about 10 feet from that rise that he felt like he was punched in the leg with a metal fist.
He stumbled and fell, but he quickly got up and made it into cover.
"I THINK I GOT ONE!"
He looked at his leg.
It was covered in blood. He'd been shot.
Something was wrong though. He didn't think he should be bleeding THIS much.
He took a look in the wound and saw blood spraying out. He paled from blood loss and from realization. His femoral artery had been sliced.
"MEDIC! … MEDIC!"
Unfortunatley, the medics were already overworked. He wouldn't get help in time.
He began to contemplate what he could've done better.
'I didn't fire a single fucking shot! What's the point of giving me a gun if I'm too much of a coward to use it!? DAMMIT!'
He had to come to peace with himself and God in just a few minutes, because he was dead. There were no two ways about it. He was gonna die.
Already he began to feel light headed.
Then he heard a voice.
'Do you wish to live after this life?'
He didn't speak aloud. He still had enough sense to not seem like a lunatic, even if other people were talking to their moms right now.
'Are… are you God?'
'You could say that.'
'I'm gonna die aren't I?'
'Yes, but if you'd like, I can offer you life after.'
'I would love to live after this.'
'Good, because bad things are about to happen, and we need your help.'
'What?'
'You'll find out in about 50 seconds.'
About that time his vision began to go dark, and indeed exactly 50 seconds after the voice stopped talking, he lost consciousness and soon died.