06.06.11 — Duty, Honor, Country

U.S. Army troops wade ashore on Omaha Beach on the morning of 6 June 1944, as the Normandy landings begin.  Soldiers wade through surf and Nazi gunfire to secure a beachhead during the Allied Invasion.

June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy. The D-Day cost was high -more than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded -- but more than 100,000 Soldiers began the march across Europe to defeat Hitler.

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Monday, June 6, 2011 — D-Day

Puzzle by Gary Whitehead / Edited by Will Shortz

USMA, CADET, WESTPOINT (1A. Initials for 56-Across; 38A. Enrollee at 56-Across; 56A. School whose motto consists of the last words of 17-, 25- and 45-Across) and DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY, found in CIVIC DUTY (17A. Serving on a jury, e.g.), MAID OF HONOR (25A. Bridge’s attendant) and BACK COUNTRY (45A. Rural areas) comprise the interrelated group of this brilliant Monday crossword.

Other — ACUMIN and CUMIN (43D. Keenness of mind; 18D. Curry ingredient), ADMIRE, ANDEAN, ASYLUM, LAND HO (9D. Cry from a crow‘s-nest), WET MOP, WRITER, ZOOM IN.

Five-letter — AFOOT, ALAMO (10D. 1836 battle site), ALTER, ARSON, Take A STAB at (try), BASSI, CD ROM, CYRUS, CZARS, DRYER, GIZMO, HAIKU, IBSEN, “IT’S IN the bag”, KAZOO, KEY UP, KLUTE, LAIRD and LAIUS (9A. Scottish landowner; 53A. Father and victim of Oedipus), NASTY, NLERS, NORAS, NO SIR (24D. Military denial), OGLER, OPTED, RETRO, SAUDI and SAUTE, SCOPE (36D. Rifle attachment), STRUM, SUEDE, TASTE, TROOP (35D. Army unit).

Short stuff — ADO, ALTO, ARK, Commedia dell’ ARTE, AS OF, AXIS (4D. W.W. II foe, with “the”), CIRC, CNN, DIOR, FEY, FLEW, GOO, HALO, ILL, MIX, MODS, NAPE, NET, OPE, PRIX, RAID (37A. Sudden military action), SCAT, SGTS (33A. Some NCOs), SOFA, SRI, SSRS, TWO, UPC, WAY (56D. Modus operandi), YSER (64D. River of Flanders).

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Click on image to enlarge.

Puzzle available on the internet at

THE NEW YORK TIMES — Crossword Puzzles and Games.

Remaining clues — ACROSS: 5. Beginning on; 14. Grand ___ (annual race); 15. Scruff; 16. Take in or let out; 19. Mean-spirited; 20. Elvis’s “Blue ___ Shoes”; 21. Look up to; 22. Channel with “Anderson Cooper 360”; 27. Get a closer look, as wit a camera; 29. Molten taar, e.g.; 30. Not an accidental fire; 31. Saintly glow; 39. Magazine fig.; 40. Armenia and Azerbaijan, once: Abbr.; 41. Fashionable Christian; 42. Jug band instrument; 43. Noah’s boat; 44. Clean, as a floor; 51. Unlock, in verse; 52. Sanctuary; 55. Play lightly, as a guitar; 60. Pan-fry; 62. Aviated; 63. “A Doll’s House” playwright; 65. Sax type. — DOWN: 1. It’s scanned at checkout: Abbr.; 2. ___ Lanka; 3. 1,004, in old Rome; 5. Like llamas and Incas; 6. Riyadh resident; 7. Made a choice; 8. Tina of “30 Rock”; 12. Fashionable again; 13. Alternative to a clothesline; 18. Curry ingredient; 21. “The game is ___”: Sherlock Holmes; 22. Ivan, Nicholas and Peter; 23. Author Ephron and others; 26. Leering sort; 28. Hip ‘60s types; 31. Poem with exactly 17 syllables; 32. Hoopla; 33. “Shoo!”; 34. Thingamajig; 38. Electronic storage device; 42. Excite; 44. Blogger, for one; 45. Low-voiced singers; 47. “Hannah Montana” star Miley; 48. 1971 Jane Fonda/Donald Sutherland film; 49. Padres and Pirates, informally; 50. First small bite; 54. Divan; 57. Under the weather; 58. Equipment in badminton and fishing; 59. Start of D.C.’s ZIP codes or area code.