By Donna Wichelman
Today is Independence Day in the United States of America, marking the 250th anniversary of the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
Today is Independence Day in the United States of America, marking the 250th anniversary of the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.
Declaration of Independence and Flag with Thirteen Stars: iStock
While many colonists in the original thirteen colonies would have preferred to remain British subjects, the Founding Fathers believed the British government had violated their rights by imposing taxes and trade controls without their consent after the French and Indian War. Students of colonial history will remember the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, and the Tea Act, which colonists considered intolerable. Perhaps if King George III had granted them representative seats in Parliament, we’d still be subjects of Britain today.
Continental Congress Signing of the Declaration of Independence: Wikiimages
Unfortunately, the king refused to grant any concessions to the colonists. So, believing the British government had become too tyrannical, they chose the only path they believed open to them to secure their freedoms and independence: war. Thus, the Founding Fathers boldly moved to create a new and independent nation they called the United States of America.
But there was a time when Britain and the United States worked together to defeat a common enemy, a more fearsome tyrant whose ideology and ultimate goal was to reshape Europe into a German-dominated, racially-oriented empire. Adolf Hitler wanted supreme power, ruling over conquered nations that supplied him with food and other resources, and exterminating those whom he considered undesirables. These people were not just the Jews, though they were the most visibly targeted group and resulted in the Holocaust. He also wanted to destroy the weak, the sick, the Gypsies, and the homosexuals, among others.
But there was a time when Britain and the United States worked together to defeat a common enemy, a more fearsome tyrant whose ideology and ultimate goal was to reshape Europe into a German-dominated, racially-oriented empire. Adolf Hitler wanted supreme power, ruling over conquered nations that supplied him with food and other resources, and exterminating those whom he considered undesirables. These people were not just the Jews, though they were the most visibly targeted group and resulted in the Holocaust. He also wanted to destroy the weak, the sick, the Gypsies, and the homosexuals, among others.
Nazi Flag on Town hall of Libourne, France During the Occupation in June 1940: Care of the Libourne City Archives
Jewish Man Made to Wear a Fabric Star in France
Actual Star of David owned by Josette Melinon, a Jewish Survivor
from World War Two
Long before the United States entered the war, Britain had already declared war on Germany in September 1939. But badly in need of ships, weapons, fuel, and money by 1940, Winston Churchill approached President Franklin D. Roosevelt for aid. Though originally neutral, Roosevelt created the Lend-Lease Act of March 1941, enabling the United States to send Britain military supplies.
In August 1941, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met aboard a naval vessel in Placentia Bay, off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, to create a joint statement—a set of principles they envisioned for the postwar world. They laid out eight shared goals and summarized them in a statement on August 14, 1941.
“. . . After final destruction of the Nazi tyranny, [we] hope to see established a peace which will afford to all nations the means of dwelling in safety within their own boundaries, and which will afford assurance that all men in all lands may live out their lives in freedom from fear and want. . . . [S]uch a peace should enable all men to traverse the high seas and oceans without hindrance.” See more on the Atlantic Charter.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States and Britain cooperated militarily. It became a coordinated strategy through the Combined Chiefs of Staff, which gave a priority to defeating Nazi Germany. Several major campaigns emerged from the combined forces, the most well-known being Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
American General Dwight D. Eisenhower served as Supreme Allied Commander. British, American, Canadian, and other Allied forces landed in Normandy, and the liberation of France and the rest of Europe began.
In August 1941, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met aboard a naval vessel in Placentia Bay, off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, to create a joint statement—a set of principles they envisioned for the postwar world. They laid out eight shared goals and summarized them in a statement on August 14, 1941.
“. . . After final destruction of the Nazi tyranny, [we] hope to see established a peace which will afford to all nations the means of dwelling in safety within their own boundaries, and which will afford assurance that all men in all lands may live out their lives in freedom from fear and want. . . . [S]uch a peace should enable all men to traverse the high seas and oceans without hindrance.” See more on the Atlantic Charter.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States and Britain cooperated militarily. It became a coordinated strategy through the Combined Chiefs of Staff, which gave a priority to defeating Nazi Germany. Several major campaigns emerged from the combined forces, the most well-known being Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
American General Dwight D. Eisenhower served as Supreme Allied Commander. British, American, Canadian, and other Allied forces landed in Normandy, and the liberation of France and the rest of Europe began.
Map of the Combined Allied Invasion--British, American, Canadian, and
French of Normandy, France, June 6 1944
Picture of French Citizens Celebrating the Liberation of France in Normandy
During the war, the British and Americans cooperated in numerous ways.
· Strategic bombing efforts;
· Intelligence gathering, particularly breaking German codes, i.e., Enigma, which enabled the Allies to track German vessels and military strategies;
· Strategic bombing efforts;
· Intelligence gathering, particularly breaking German codes, i.e., Enigma, which enabled the Allies to track German vessels and military strategies;
Actual Enigma Machine, Normandy Museum: Donna's Gallery, May 2026
· Technology and weapons development, such as radar, sonar, code breaking machines, aircraft technology, and atomic research.
While US and British leaders didn’t always agree, and tensions sometimes ran high (e.g., over the timing of D-Day), ultimately, cooperation between the two nations enabled the Allies to win the war and defeat the tyranny Hitler sought to impose on the world.
While US and British leaders didn’t always agree, and tensions sometimes ran high (e.g., over the timing of D-Day), ultimately, cooperation between the two nations enabled the Allies to win the war and defeat the tyranny Hitler sought to impose on the world.
I happened to be in Libourne, France on VE-Day this past May 8, 2026, eighty-two years after the Liberation of France. All over France, they still celebrate the day, remembering the great cost paid for their freedoms against a tyrannical maniac and giving honor to those who fell in action. On D-Day itself, all totaled, 10,300 British, American, and Canadian forces perished, sacrificing their lives, so that France and all of Europe might live in freedom without fear.
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| VE-Day, Libourne, France: May 2026, Donna's Gallery |
"When in the course of human events ..."
Weaving history and faith into stories of intrigue and redemption grew out of Donna's love of travel, history, and literature as a young adult while attending an international college in Wales, U.K. She enjoys developing plots that show how God's love abounds even in the profoundly difficult circumstances of our lives. Her stories reflect the hunger in all of us for love, belonging, and forgiveness.
Donna was a communications professional before becoming a full-time writer. Her short stories and articles have appeared in inspirational publications. She has two indie-published romantic suspense novels, Light Out of Darkness and Undaunted Valor, in her Waldensian Series.
Donna and her husband of forty-one years participate in ministry at their local church in Colorado. They love spending time with their grandchildren and bike, kayak, and travel whenever possible.
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