What does the “D” in “D-Day” stand for?
It has a few meanings, some say is “Demarcation day”, other say it was “Debarcation Day” while others say it was “Decimal Day” or just “Day-Day”; here’s a list of all Military designation of days and hours: A-Day was 20 October 1944, the day the Leyte Island Operation (the invasion of Leyte) began. C-Day is short for “Candy Day” which usually means when deployment for an operation commences. It is called “Candy Day” because before deployment candy is usually passed out to G.I.s from charitable organizations. (US) D-Day is the unnamed day on which an operation commences or is due to commence. This may be the commencement of hostilities or any other operation. The most famous is D-Day, June 6, 1944, when “Operation Overlord” began. Contrary to popular belief, the “D” does not stand for any specific word-the most popular being disembark. (NATO) E-Day is the unnamed day on which a NATO exercise commences. (NATO) F-Hour is the effective time of announcement by the U.S. Secretary of Defense
kwoo1213 Teacher College – Junior eNotes Editor I have searched high and low for this; however, the explanation seems to be a simple one. Each website I consulted referred to the “D” in D-Day as simply standing for “day,” which makes NO sense, I know. These critics simply say that D-Day simply referred to the day of the invasion and nothing more. …the most ordinary and likely of explanations is the one offered by the U.S. Army in their published manuals. The Army began using the codes “H-hour” and “D-day” during World War I to indicate the time or date of an operation’s start. Military planners would write of events planned to occur on “H-hour” or “D-day” — long before the actual dates and times of the operations would be known, or in order to keep plans secret. And so the “D” may simply refer to the “day” of invasion. (“American Experience: D-Day”) Sources: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dday/sfeature/sf_info.html Rate answer: $(‘#aScore-28713’).istars(setAnswerRating); Flag as inapp
Given the popularity of films like “Saving Private Ryan” and HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” this is a frequently asked question. The D in D-Day simply means “Day.” It is used to signify the day of an invasion or attack against enemy forces. Military jargon uses M-Minute, H-Hour, and D-Day for operations. This system was in use long before and long after the Normandy Invasion popularized these terms and introduced them into modern vocabulary. Communications over the radio are often difficult to hear due to static, etc., and these redundant terms are used to ensure that everyone understands their orders. The term D-Day was used throughout World War 2 and is still used in the U.S. military today. The term D-Day was used recently during Desert Storm to identify the day the U.S. launched the ground attack against Iraq. Soldiers also used this term during the campaign when referring to days following the invasion. For example, D + 3 = the third day after D-Day, D + 4 = the fourth day, etc. Other
