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| Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Woodstock, and Snoopy sitting on a World War II era tank overlooking Omaha Beach. Image courtesy of CBS and Charles M. Schulz. |
Today marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the name given to the Allied invasion of Normandy in Northern France and the beginning of the subsequent liberation of Western Europe from occupation by forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The invasion took place in the morning hours of Tuesday, June 6, 1944.
Allied casualties on the first day were around just over 10,000 men, with 4,414 of these confirmed dead. The highest casualties inflicted among the U.S. forces were those inflicted on the 1st Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Division who stormed Omaha Beach -- about 2,000 casualties. The Germans suffered anywhere between 4,000 to 9,000 casualties.
Nearly 160,000 American and British soldiers were sent across the English Channel with nearly 5,000 landing and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers participating. The Normandy landings were the largest seaborne invasion in military history to date. The invading Allied forces established five beachheads in Normandy and a base of operations leading to the final defeat of Nazi Germany less than a year later on Monday, May 7, 1945 -- V-E Day.
One of the very first times I'd ever heard of the details of this remarkable story of D-Day and World War II came from the 1983 CBS Peanuts special What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? A Tribute, which premiered on US Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 1983.
As a kid, I found the story fascinating. As a pseudo-adult, I look back on it and the story it told fondly. Peanuts creator Charles M. "Sparky" Schulz -- himself a U.S. veteran of WWII -- came up with the idea for the story in 1981, which would immediately follow the events of the 1980 Peanuts special Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) continuing the adventures of that blockhead, Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Snoopy and Woodstock as they traveled in northern France.
The story was written by Schulz, produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by long-time Peanuts director Bill Melendez. The music for the special was composed by Judy Munsen.
The story begins with Charlie Brown back home placing photos from his trip to France in a photo album. Sally, his younger sister, joins him asking how the trip went, leading into the story being told in the form of a flashback.
Charlie Brown and his friends: Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, his dog Snoopy and sidekick Woodstock, begin their adventure leaving the chateau from Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown heading on the road back to the train station for the return trip to London in their somewhat dilapidated rental car with Snoopy driving -- and getting into one more accident and eventually breaks down completely in a small French town.
The gang rent another car from a French lady who largely accepts their offer after seeing Snoopy dressed in his World War I Flying Ace outfit. The new car has its own set of problems for Charlie Brown in particular because it uses a problematic hand-crank that throws him to the ground whenever Snoopy starts up the engine. This gag happens on three separate occasions in the course of the 28 minute special. There is another gag where Snoopy has to contend with a flock of French birds who mob their rental car on two different occasions.
Soon the gang end up getting lost somewhere along the Normandy coast and camp at a nearby beach for the night. Linus appears to be haunted by the spot they are camping in and wakes up shortly before daybreak. He walked along the beach and realizes from the landscape and imaginings of the battle and the ruins of several fortifications that they are at Omaha Beach. He then informs the others as they wake up.
Linus then tells the story of the battle of D-Day, showing them the sites, including the German pillboxes, the remains of the artificial port built by the Allies to land supplies and soldiers, and La Pointe du Hoc, where Marcie reads, then translates a nearby marker at the memorial site.
From there, Linus leads the group to the nearby Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial for all of the American soldiers. The voice of U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower is also heard reminiscing about the experiences of the battle.
The tribute includes some really outstanding (for their time) animated images of the battle imposed over actual newsreel footage of the actual battle itself -- in some cases with the characters inserted through rotoscoping -- as Linus continues to tell the story of the Normandy invasion.
Leaving Normandy behind, the gang proceeding north and arrive near Ypres, Belgium, which Linus recognized as the site of a series of major battles during the First World War. They pull over near a field of red poppies with white crosses, which grew throughout the wastelands of battles fought during the war.
They arrive at the John McCrae Memorial Site and the gang walk among the large bomb craters and trenches still visible at the site of the British field dressing station. Looking at the fields of red and white poppies, Linus then recites the haunting poem: In Flanders Fields written on the site in 1915 by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.
Walking among the World War I veterans graves at the nearby Essex Farm Cemetery, also overgrown with poppies.
In a really moving scene, the group comes away realizing what the human impact of the wars were, and how important the sacrifice of the soldiers truly was in shaping the world we live in today. Standing among the field of red poppies, Linus then turns and asks, "What have we learned, Charlie Brown?"
The scene flashes back to him and Sally, who tells Charlie Brown that he is pasting the pictures upside down -- one last bit of comic relief in what ended up being a pretty deep and moving tribute to the fallen of war.
Allied casualties on the first day were around just over 10,000 men, with 4,414 of these confirmed dead. The highest casualties inflicted among the U.S. forces were those inflicted on the 1st Infantry Division and 29th Infantry Division who stormed Omaha Beach -- about 2,000 casualties. The Germans suffered anywhere between 4,000 to 9,000 casualties.
Nearly 160,000 American and British soldiers were sent across the English Channel with nearly 5,000 landing and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers participating. The Normandy landings were the largest seaborne invasion in military history to date. The invading Allied forces established five beachheads in Normandy and a base of operations leading to the final defeat of Nazi Germany less than a year later on Monday, May 7, 1945 -- V-E Day.
One of the very first times I'd ever heard of the details of this remarkable story of D-Day and World War II came from the 1983 CBS Peanuts special What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? A Tribute, which premiered on US Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 1983.
As a kid, I found the story fascinating. As a pseudo-adult, I look back on it and the story it told fondly. Peanuts creator Charles M. "Sparky" Schulz -- himself a U.S. veteran of WWII -- came up with the idea for the story in 1981, which would immediately follow the events of the 1980 Peanuts special Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) continuing the adventures of that blockhead, Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Snoopy and Woodstock as they traveled in northern France.
The story was written by Schulz, produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by long-time Peanuts director Bill Melendez. The music for the special was composed by Judy Munsen.
The story begins with Charlie Brown back home placing photos from his trip to France in a photo album. Sally, his younger sister, joins him asking how the trip went, leading into the story being told in the form of a flashback.
 |
| Charlie Brown tells his sister, Sally, about the return trip through northern France. |
Charlie Brown and his friends: Linus, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, his dog Snoopy and sidekick Woodstock, begin their adventure leaving the chateau from Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown heading on the road back to the train station for the return trip to London in their somewhat dilapidated rental car with Snoopy driving -- and getting into one more accident and eventually breaks down completely in a small French town.
The gang rent another car from a French lady who largely accepts their offer after seeing Snoopy dressed in his World War I Flying Ace outfit. The new car has its own set of problems for Charlie Brown in particular because it uses a problematic hand-crank that throws him to the ground whenever Snoopy starts up the engine. This gag happens on three separate occasions in the course of the 28 minute special. There is another gag where Snoopy has to contend with a flock of French birds who mob their rental car on two different occasions.
 |
| The gang camping on the side of the road near the French coast in Normandy. |
Soon the gang end up getting lost somewhere along the Normandy coast and camp at a nearby beach for the night. Linus appears to be haunted by the spot they are camping in and wakes up shortly before daybreak. He walked along the beach and realizes from the landscape and imaginings of the battle and the ruins of several fortifications that they are at Omaha Beach. He then informs the others as they wake up.
 |
| Linus imagining the metal obstacles used for the Atlantic Wall and realizing that he is standing on Omaha Beach. |
Linus then tells the story of the battle of D-Day, showing them the sites, including the German pillboxes, the remains of the artificial port built by the Allies to land supplies and soldiers, and La Pointe du Hoc, where Marcie reads, then translates a nearby marker at the memorial site.
From there, Linus leads the group to the nearby Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial for all of the American soldiers. The voice of U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower is also heard reminiscing about the experiences of the battle.
 |
| Linus showing the gang the battle-scarred German gun emplacements along Omaha Beach. |
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| Marcie reading a memorial marker at La Pointe du Hoc where US Army Rangers scaled the cliff to take the shore guns from German forces during D-Day. ICI des combattants demeurent, la bataille dans son choos les a unis pour L'ETERNITE. HERE remain combatants, the battle in its chaos has united them for ETERNITY. |
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| The gang walk among the crosses and monuments at the Normandy American Cemetery where thousands of U.S. soldiers are buried. |
The tribute includes some really outstanding (for their time) animated images of the battle imposed over actual newsreel footage of the actual battle itself -- in some cases with the characters inserted through rotoscoping -- as Linus continues to tell the story of the Normandy invasion.
Leaving Normandy behind, the gang proceeding north and arrive near Ypres, Belgium, which Linus recognized as the site of a series of major battles during the First World War. They pull over near a field of red poppies with white crosses, which grew throughout the wastelands of battles fought during the war.
They arrive at the John McCrae Memorial Site and the gang walk among the large bomb craters and trenches still visible at the site of the British field dressing station. Looking at the fields of red and white poppies, Linus then recites the haunting poem: In Flanders Fields written on the site in 1915 by Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.
Walking among the World War I veterans graves at the nearby Essex Farm Cemetery, also overgrown with poppies.
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| The gang walking among the site of the field hospital where Canadian poet, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote his most famous poem: In Flanders Fields during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. The nearby Essex Farm Cemetery monument can be seen in the background. |
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead, short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from falling hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
~John McCrae
~John McCrae
In a really moving scene, the group comes away realizing what the human impact of the wars were, and how important the sacrifice of the soldiers truly was in shaping the world we live in today. Standing among the field of red poppies, Linus then turns and asks, "What have we learned, Charlie Brown?"
The scene flashes back to him and Sally, who tells Charlie Brown that he is pasting the pictures upside down -- one last bit of comic relief in what ended up being a pretty deep and moving tribute to the fallen of war.
What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? would go on to win a Peabody Award for "distinguished achievement and meritorious public service" in broadcasting. It also remains one of this bloggers top ten favorite Peanuts animated stories of all time -- certainly in the top five overall, largely because of the outstanding way the story of D-Day and the reading of In Flanders Fields was done by Linus throughout the special. It is truly a tribute to remember. In closing I will leave y'all with the following Peanuts comics honoring D-Day and those who fought to liberate Europe in World War II.   |
Never Forget!
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