The war diary of General Courtney Hicks Hodges begins on June 2, 1944, as Hodges and the U.S. First Army prepare for Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of France.

During World War II, U.S. Army generals often maintained diaries of their activities and the day-to-day operations of their command. These diaries have proven to be invaluable historical resources for World War II scholars and enthusiasts alike. Until now, one of the most historically significant of these diaries, the one kept for General Courtney H. Hodges of the First U.S. Army, has not been widely available to the public. Maintained by two of Hodges's aides, Major William C. Sylvan and Captai