The phrase “D-Day” and it’s origin ?

[Kevin]

”Today is D-Day,” Narongsak Osottanakorn, head of the rescue mission.

I know D-Day came from the invasion of Normandy in WWII June 6. But has the expression “Today is D-Day” taken on a general sort of everyday slogon for a special day?

The above quote is from the rescue of the Thai soccer team. I’m sure y’all have seen the quote. Which also makes me wonder, the rescue leader and source of the quote isn’t American. It just seems kind of an odd way to describe the event.

Is it appropriate to use the phrase “Today is D-Day” when describing an important day? Or should this phrase be reserved for ONLY the actual day of June 6, 1944.

And don’t get me started on the idiot team coach who took those kids into the cave in the first place. At the very least he should have to pay for the rescue. But that is a different topic altogether.

 

[mohavesam]

Internet sez:

"According to the U.S. military, “D-Day” was an Army designation used to indicate the start date for specific field operations. In this case, the “D” in D-Day doesn’t actually stand for anything—it’s merely an alliterative placeholder used to designate a particular day on the calendar. The military also employed the term “H-Hour” to refer to the time on D-Day when the action would begin. This shorthand helped prevent actual mission dates from falling into enemy hands, but it also proved handy when the start date for an attack was still undecided. Military planners also used a system of pluses and minuses to designate any time or day occurring before or after D-Day or H-Hour. For example, D+2 meant two days after D-Day, while H-1 referred to one hour before H-Hour. These terms allowed units to effectively coordinate their operations ahead of time even when they didn’t know their actual start date, and they also provided flexibility in the event that the launch day shifted.

Use of these terms stretches back to World War I. One American field order from September 1918 noted, “The First Army will attack at H-Hour on D-Day with the object of forcing the evacuation of the St. Mihiel salient.” Other nations had their own shorthand. In World War I, the French used the code date “J-Jour,” while the British called their operation start days “Z-Day” and “Zero Hour.”

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

I've heard the term used in a military fashion over and over as Sam's article describes, including the invasion of Iwo Jima--I think it's just we the American public who limit it to 6 June 1944.

An acquaintance is named D-----, and her birthday is June 6. So we wish her "Happy D-day!" to cover all bases.

"But it's my birthday, too!" Someday maybe she'll get the joke.

Rick C

 

[Bob Wright]

"D Day" and "H Hour" were the date and time of a military operation when the specific date and time had yet to be set. Even it it were already set, planning was done as a security measure.

Events were scheduled at "D - 1 (D minus one) meaning the day before the planned event, as well as "D+2" and that jargon was used to describe expected happenings. Thus was set the progress of any endeavor. Every amphibious landing in the Pacific had its own "D Day."

Bob Wright

 

[Kevin]

Wow! I honestly didn’t know any of this. I just found it odd someone in Thailand used what I thought was an American military phrase.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[GunnyGene]

My youngest daughter invaded the world on June 6th. :wink:

 

[Dan in MI]

I have heard the term D-Day quite a bit recently to apply to a day with some special connotation of an event.

 

[bobski]

zero hour, 9am.....rocket man!
Elton john.........