Operation Fortitude

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew there needed to be an operation to gain back France from the Germans in WWII. The theory — force the Germans to engage in a two-front war — one in France, the other on the Russian front. And if the lessons of WWI were any indication, fighting a battle on two fronts would be damn near impossible.

In June 1943, it became clear that German U-Boats were no longer a significant threat to the Allies, which meant the ocean was now safe for the flow of supplies and equipment from the U.S. to Britain. This gave the British confidence months later to agree with the plan of an immense operation to cross the English Channel and liberate France.

Like any successful plan, there needed to be some form of deception, misdirection, and some way to distract the opponent. Military historian and author Flint Whitlock says that Operation Fortitude was "the real key to success on D-Day." To pull off the deception, the Allies created a "dummy army" called the First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG) commanded by none other than Lt. General George Patton. When German spy planes made runs over Southeast England, they saw what looked like the buildup of a massive invasion force. But the regiments of tanks and landing craft were mostly inflatable decoys. This allowed the invasion on the beaches of France to face less resistance. It was still a tough battle, but without Operation Fortitude, it might have been a disaster for the unified armies of Canada, Great Britain, and the United States.

Patton would have to sacrifice his willingness/ego to be in the spotlight for the success of the operation. He would have to demonstrate mental toughness. Mental toughness is doing what is right for the team when it might not be right for you. Now, we all know Patton had a colossal ego; he wanted to be the center of any battle. And Dwight D. Eisenhower knew all about that ego and used it to his full advantage. The Germans knew Patton was a top commander, a valuable asset in leading the Allied forces. But they never thought he would be a decoy.

What can we as leaders and teachers learn from the success of Operation Fortitude? We need to understand those we lead. We need to know their strengths, their weaknesses, and how those qualities can help the team — even if they need to become a decoy. Mental toughness means burying your ego, but it also means the leader/teacher must know how to maximize those we lead. Great talent always wants the ball when the game is on the line; they always want the chance to compete; to play a part in winning. But sometimes being a decoy can be as successful. Patton might not have had a role on D-Day, but he was instrumental in the overall success of the war by his actions that day.

This past weekend, we celebrated the 76th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy and honored those who served and paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

They taught us bravery, they taught us sacrifice, and they taught us that we can all apply Operation Fortitude to our own lives.

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