Station HYPO

CTR1 (EXW) Michael J. Strange, USN
June 6, 1986 – August 6, 2011

Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 1st Class (EXW) Michael J. Strange hailed from the historic city of Philadelphia. Many rightfully consider the city of Boston as the “cradle of liberty”, but it is also true that the city on the banks of the Schuylkill River played a critical role in securing the nation’s freedom. Today, the city of Philadelphia looks very different from the time when men like Franklin and Lafayette walked its streets, but despite the centuries that have passed, the city continues to produce patriots who are willing to defend the nation in times of peril.

The military deception operation prior to the D-Day invasion in 1944 was known as Operation Fortitude. This elaborate plan was part of a larger strategy called Operation Bodyguard, designed to mislead the Germans about the exact location and timing of the Allied invasion of Western Europe. The deception was critical in ensuring the success of the actual landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944, by convincing the Germans that the main invasion would occur at Pas de Calais, the narrowest point between Britain and France, rather than in Normandy. Here are the key elements of the deception, including physical and communication techniques:

It only took 83 years to pass for the Battle of Midway, the crown jewel of Naval cryptology to be forgotten.  No ceremonies, no email no nothing mentioned anywhere except for a few social medial posts!  VERY disappointing. I guess we forgot!