# @auburnuniforms on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DZPz0H6j6ck
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66731435-auburnuniforms-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/1dce6dd944.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-06-06T14:00:55.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Clint Richardson (@Clintau24) — https://gondola.cc/Clintau24

## Caption

When 156,000 Allied soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy, Ralph Shug Jordan was one of them. In fact, Shug was one of the few people to know the secret details of the landings prior to June 6, 1944.⁣
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Jordan helped plan many amphibious landings during World War II. He was mainly in charge of logistics as a member of the U.S. Army's First Engineer Special Brigade. The D-Day dress rehearsal code name was "Exercise Tiger." Shug didn't have any input on the name, sadly.⁣
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"There were no atheists on those boats," Shug reflected on the moments just before storming Utah Beach.⁣
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Tucked inside Shug’s boot was a clipping of the Jan. 1, 1944, Auburn Plainsman. It featured one of the first printings of the Auburn Creed, written by Shug's mentor - George Petrie.⁣
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During the D-Day invasions, Jordan took shrapnel to his left arm & shoulder. Despite the fever and losing usage of his arm, Shug fought on, refusing to be evacuated to the hospital ship. Shug's men couldn't find him for some time but finally located him sitting behind a large rock on the beach. He was in incredible pain but was found smoking a cigarette.⁣
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When he returned to get treated, the doctor recognized his southern drawl and only spoke of Auburn and Georgia football. ⁣
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Shug was awarded a Purple Heart following the D-Day invasions.⁣
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Jordan also worked on the Okinawa landing, working closely with leaders to help plan the invasion. Shug's participation in the invasion was ultimately canceled when the US dropped the atomic bombs on Japan. He claimed those events saved his life.⁣
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Shug didn't speak of his time at war often. When he did, he never spoke to glorify himself or his actions. Those experiences were often used in times to motivate his teams. Jordan even credited playing football as allowing him to survive the war.⁣
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One of the best tributes to Shug came from Bear Bryant, who described his rival as having "more courage in his little finger than I've got in my entire body."⁣
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#auburntigers #auburnfootball #auburnuniform #wde #auburnuniformdatabase #auburnathletics #shugjordan #auburnfamily #jordanharestadium #dday #normandy #omahabeach #wwii #worldwar #worldwar2 #army #usarmy #wareagle

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## Tags

worldwar2, normandy, army, usarmy, jordanharestadium, auburnuniform, auburnathletics, wareagle, omahabeach, auburntigers, worldwar, shugjordan, auburnfootball, wwii, wde, auburnuniformdatabase, auburnfamily, dday

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