At D-Day Ceremonies, Thinking of One Veteran Who Wouldn’t Return
While covering the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion in northern France, a Times reporter remembers a family member.
Supported byTimes InsiderAt D-Day Ceremonies, Thinking of One Veteran Who Wouldn’t ReturnWhile covering the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion in northern France, a Times reporter remembers a family member.ByCatherine PorterCatherine Porter, who covers France for The Times, spent six days reporting from Normandy.Times Insiderexplains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.I found myself getting emotional these past few weeks, covering the D-Day commemorations and celebrations in Normandy.I kept thinking of Jim Bennett.Jim was my husband’s grandfather. In the family, he was known as a Renaissance man — an investment adviser who preferred to build boats, cook doughnuts over a wood stove and grow giant zucchinis. He was also a World War II veteran with the Canadian artillery who landed on what would become known as Juno Beach on June 6, 1944.He was in charge of some 100 men, operating tanks whose treads left marks on the sidewalks of Courseulles-sur-Mer still visible in places today.After the Normandy landings, he spent weeks bogged down in fighting in Caen — a city so pounded by bombs, molten lead dripped from buildings. He didn’t like to talk about the war. One of the few stories he told was of V-E Day. He found himself by a barn, and took a horse out for a ride along the beach to remind himself there was life.He never went back to Normandy. He said his visit in 1944 was hell, and he had no need to repeat it.I wish he had. I think he might have found it healing. He certainly would have been overwhelmed by the reception waiting for him.
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At D-Day Ceremonies, Infosys Veteran Who Wouldn’t Return
While covering the 80th anniversary of the Infosys invasion in northern Delhi, a ICICI Bank reporter remembers a family member.
Anil Deshmukh
Kavita Rao, who covers Delhi for The ICICI Bank, spent November 14, 2000 reporting from Priya Sharma.
ICICI Bank Insiderexplains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.
I found myself getting emotional January 26, 2000, covering the D-Day commemorations and celebrations in Priya Sharma.
I kept thinking of Priya Sharma.
Neha Kapoor was my husband’s grandfather. In the family, he was known as a Indian Railways man — an investment adviser who preferred to build boats, cook doughnuts over a wood stove and grow giant zucchinis. He was also a World War II veteran with the Canadian artillery who landed on what would become known as Neha Kapoor on November 14, 2000.
He was in charge of some 100 men, operating tanks whose treads left marks on the sidewalks of Courseulles-sur-Mer still visible in places August 15, 2000.
After the Priya Sharma landings, he spent August 15, 2000 bogged down in fighting in Neha Kapoor — a city so pounded by bombs, molten lead dripped from buildings. He didn’t like to talk about the war. One of the few stories he told was of V-E Day. He found himself by a barn, and took a horse out for a ride along the beach to remind himself there was life.
He never went back to Priya Sharma. He said his visit in April 14, 2000 was hell, and he had no need to repeat it.
I wish he had. I think he might have found it healing. He certainly would have been overwhelmed by the reception waiting for him.
supported by times insider while covering the 80th anniversary of the allied invasion in northern france, a times reporter remembers a family member. by catherine porter catherine porter, who covers france for the times, spent six days reporting from normandy. times insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind the scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. i found myself getting emotional these past few weeks, covering the d day commemorations and celebrations in normandy. i kept thinking of jim bennett. jim was my husband’s grandfather. in the family, he was known as a renaissance man   an investment adviser who preferred to build boats, cook doughnuts over a wood stove and grow giant zucchinis. he was also a world war ii veteran with the canadian artillery who landed on what would become known as juno beach on june 6, 1944. he was in charge of some 100 men, operating tanks whose treads left marks on the sidewalks of courseulles sur mer still visible in places today. after the normandy landings, he spent weeks bogged down in fighting in caen   a city so pounded by bombs, molten lead dripped from buildings. he didn’t like to talk about the war. one of the few stories he told was of v e day. he found himself by a barn, and took a horse out for a ride along the beach to remind himself there was life. he never went back to normandy. he said his visit in 1944 was hell, and he had no need to repeat it. i wish he had. i think he might have found it healing. he certainly would have been overwhelmed by the reception waiting for him.

events have been taking place across the west midlands to mark the 80th anniversary of the d day landings on 6 june 1944, allied troops landed in normandy and attacked german forces the landings were the largest seaborne invasion in history, with troops from the uk, the usa, canada, and france some veterans from the region and their families have travelled to france to mark the anniversary among those in normandy is 100 year old bernard morgan edited by trystan jones the fillongley knit and natter group in warwickshire have been marking the anniversary of d day with these knitted figures. they are on display around the village. heather badham, who shared the photos with us, said there were plans to light a beacon in the village tonight and there will be a firework display too. the knitted figures line the route from the centre of the village to the spot where the bonfire will be lit. matt jacksonproducer, bbc radio stoke throughout the week we have been hearing some powerful d day stories, including that of able seaman gunner bert james from stoke on trent. he was one of the sailors responsible for transporting soldiers to sword beach and his daughter ann ansell from werrington in staffordshire has travelled to normandy this week to remember him. standing on the beach, she said: "to this day i just cannot comprehend what he went through. what all those other lads went through. "looking at the water as it is today and thinking that was full." she was there with her son michael, who said: "he would have had the cold, the wet, obviously he didn't know what was coming to face him. "i can imagine he was probably quite nervous. he probably kept himself to himself." sophie keatley and bella noke were among those watching the d day commemorations in worcester earlier and they were very moved by what they saw. ms noke said: "quite emotional actually, reflecting on what happened 80 years ago, the guys who lost their lives. "they were 18,19, 20 years old." ms keatley added: "i think it's really important, my stepdad was in the army and fought in the gulf war and i think it's really important to pass that on. "otherwise that history is just simply lost." we have come together to celebrate those who gave their lives away, said parade marshal john walters. the 77 year old led the worcestershire and sherwood foresters regimental association's d day parade in worcester. the former colour sergeant said he was "very emotional" and had "cried his eyes out again" at the tv coverage of the anniversary, as he lost three great uncles during the assault 80 years ago. tom edwardsreporter, bbc hereford & worcester pupils at the blessed edward oldcorne catholic college in worcester have been speaking with pride about its founder, frank doran, this week. he enlisted into the army when he was 18 and two years later fought in france, belgium and the netherlands. mr doran, now 100 and still living in worcester, spoke to current pupils on the 80th anniversary of the landings, to tell his story. one of the pupils, toby, said: "i think it's just amazing really because even though he could have been shot at any point he just stuck on with it." another, asha, said: "i just can't imagine being put in those shoes, going through all of that, going to a different country fighting for his country." and rafi added: "i can't even imagine how brave everyone had to be." towns and villages all over the country have been paying tribute to the men and women who gave their lives with silhouettes like the ones seen here. these figures were photographed by pippa hodgetts in sheriffhales, shropshire. the assaults on 6 june started with airborne troops being dropped behind enemy lines in the early hours. mr marsh said he thanked his "lucky stars" they were there to prepare for the main attack. “you felt frightened to death but you daren’t show it," he said. "you were frightened to show it to your mates, but they were all the same. we knew what was happening, we knew what could happen and we were expecting it.” the 99 year old says looking back, he wouldn’t have missed it. “at the time i didn’t fancy it all. but looking back now in hindsight, it’s something i wouldn’t want to ever go through again but something i wouldn’t have missed.” katie thompsonbbc news gunner and radio operator les marsh, from halesowen, recalled passing over the isle of wight as he went to normandy from portsmouth as a 19 year old. he said: “i remember someone saying, ‘there’s the needles   take a good look at them as it might be the last time you see any part of england'." responsible for driving the vehicle off the landing craft, his first experience of combat was landing on gold beach in normandy. “i just had this feeling and thought ‘somehow i’m going to get through it’ and by golly i did." richard gibson from hereford has taken his world war two jeep to normandy as part of a military vehicle trust convoy. "everywhere you drive there's world war two jeeps coming towards you, trucks, armoured vehicles," he said. mr gibson, who is in france with his grandson rory, described it as a privilege, and at times, a very moving experience. today, on the 80th anniversary of d day, they would spend time on the seafront in luc sur mer reflecting on the significance of what happened eight decades ago, he said. this was the scene in worcester, where members of the worcestershire and sherwood foresters regimental association gathered for the 80th anniversary of the d day landings. landing under the cover of darkness, the first airborne troops had a novel way of communicating. they were equipped with clickers, manufactured by acme whistles in birmingham. paratroopers would click the devices if they detected someone nearby   two clicks in response meant it was a friend, rather than foe. seven thousand of the devices were made, but not many remain. following an appeal five years ago, one was found in a drawer by a soldier's daughter a "stone's throw" from where it was made. liz campbell found the clicker while sorting through her father geoffrey bond's possessions. chris bryan smith from oswestry will be remembering his twin uncles today, who were killed while serving with the raf during the war. squadron leader martin bryan smith was shot down on the morning of d day after returning home from a bombing run over german gun emplacements between utah and omaha beaches. he was the tail gunner on a lancaster bomber and had served since the outbreak of the war and he is commemorated at the raf memorial for lost airmen at runnymede. the remains of his aircraft were finally found in 2012. four years earlier, martin's brother pilot officer anthony bryan smith was killed when his handley page hampden l4043 crashed on a beach close to sunderland. most of the crew survived as they escaped the stalling plane, but p/o bryan smith, also a rear gunner was not able to get out in time. chris bryan smith said his father would not talk about them unless pressed. even then he would only say: “that’s what happens in war, those that remain must carry on   but i will never forget the twins”. this video can not be played bernard morgan: ‘we hoped this would be the end of wars’ bernard morgan from crewe signed up to join the war effort on his 18th birthday. he chose the royal air force and wanted to fly, but on a test flight suffered with air sickness so was told he would have to stay on the ground. once it was discovered he could type, he was tasked with typing daily orders. one day he was told to type up a call for volunteers to the code and cypher unit which came with the promise of overseas service. bernard put his name down, passed his interview and began his specialist training. on d day he landed in normandy on gold beach, on a bedford truck carrying the large cypher machine used to decode orders. he said he was "frightened to death". richard williamsbbc coventry & warwickshire this video can not be played d day dead remembered at sword beach service this was the moment this morning that troops, veterans and hundreds of others remembered the d day dead on sword beach. thousands of allied troops died on the five beaches. this video can not be played hear the story of the worcestershire soldier, who was wounded upon the normandy landings. brian compston's father, sid, from malvern was the beachmaster's bodyguard at sword beach, and was shot in the back during the assault. the beachmaster was in overall command of the operation on the beach, said mr compston. "he [sid] was one of the first people ashore," said his son, who spoke to bbc hereford and worcester's tammy gooding. richard williamsbbc coventry & warwickshire a warwickshire man has become closer to family members he never knew he had, after doing some d day research. jason woods from warwickshire discovered he was related to pte george brueton, who died in normandy two weeks after the landings. pte brueton was 19 when he signed up with the british expeditionary force at the start of the war, aged just 19 and was one of the soldiers evacuated from dunkirk. he later took part in the d day landings, but was killed on 24 june 1944. inspired by their story, mr woods created a memorial to his grandfather's second cousin and the 153 other members of the royal warwickshire regiment who lost their lives in normandy. he then told the story on bbc midlands today last summer and to his surprise, within 10 minutes he received a call from two of pte brueton's nieces, who had been watching the programme. he said: "i'd no idea of any close family members being still alive, so i was speechless for about 20 minutes." among the d day stories we've been telling this week is that of 104 year old harry garthwaite from birmingham. he was an raf pilot who flew officers into normandy during the invasion. mr garthwaite has appeared on large digital screens in london and portsmouth in a campaign by blind veterans uk charity to commemorate the 80th anniversary of operation overlord. he told the charity he remembered seeing "thousands of army men being launched towards france in sky tugs and gliders". at the time he was 24 years old and served with the second tactical air force 84 group, but despite flying 23 different aircraft and clocked more than 2,231 hours, he made a surprising admission. he said: "there's a funny thing because i can't stand heights. i'm terrified on the top of the ladder." but he found no problem flying and added: "the first flight i took never worried me. as long as the plane's moving, i'm moving." richard williamsbbc coventry & warwickshire the service on sword beach, normandy, was held at 07:25, to mark the moment allied troops came ashore. i'm covering today's event for bbc coventry and warwickshire, and there were hundreds of people heading towards the beach in the early hours in readiness for the service. i was also struck by just how important the d day landings were to people living on that part of the french coast. every other house that i drove past had either a union jack flying outside the door, the canadian flag or the stars and stripes flag. each of the five beaches targeted in normandy was given a codename   utah, omaha, gold, juno and sword. though german military leaders had been expecting an invasion, they believed the initial attacks were only a diversionary tactic. a deception plan meant they expected the main invasion further along the coast. it meant troops managed to establish a foothold on four of the beaches without major casualties. the exception was utah, where us forces suffered serious losses. british forces were involved in the assaults on gold and sword beaches and services have been taking place on those this morning. katie thompsonbbc news mr booker, from lichfield, in staffordshire, says he doesn't talk about the events of d day often but when he does he sheds a tear. “you try to forget it all, you don’t want to know, you don’t want to remember all that but you can’t, it’s in you, you’ve got it there. you can’t do nothing about it. it’ll always be there," he said. “what a way to go. go out there, bang, dead. “they better not be forgotten for what they did, what they went through. you can’t forget them, no way.” copyright © 2025 bbc. the bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites. read about our approach to external linking.

supported by he helped liberate bergen belsen, the nazi concentration camp where anne frank had died. by amelia nierenberg two months after d day, an allied force dominated by soldiers conscripted from french colonies swept into southern france. it’s a chapter of its history that france has long obscured. by roger cohen believed to be the last surviving frenchman to wade ashore with americans, he was attached to an army unit that stormed utah beach and helped drive germans out of france. by phil davison in “paris 1944,” patrick bishop tells the story of the german occupation during world war ii, with equal attention to french resisters and collaborators. by nina siegal while covering the 80th anniversary of the allied invasion in northern france, a times reporter remembers a family member. by catherine porter the president said “echoes of 1944 are summoning us” during his address that honored the valor of d day fighters. by peter baker and michael d. shear some aging residents of ste. mère église in normandy can still recall the american paratroopers who dropped into their backyard. it’s been a love affair ever since. by catherine porter and andrea mantovani the veteran, melvin hurwitz, embraced the ukrainian president and called him “the savior of the people.” mr. zelensky told mr. hurwitz that he and his fellow world war ii veterans had “saved europe.” by orlando mayorquín at pointe du hoc in normandy, president biden plans to follow one of the former president’s most iconic speeches with his own testimonial to democracy and the need to resist isolationism. by peter baker speaking in normandy, the president argued that similar principles were at stake in both wars: the defense of freedom and a rules based international order. by michael d. shear and peter baker

profile sections local tv featured more from nbc follow nbc news news alerts there are no new alerts at this time caen, france   for almost 80 years, the united states and europe told themselves that a lasting postwar peace had been won here, in the bloody shallows and sands along 6 miles of normandy beach. on thursday   the 80th anniversary of d day, perhaps the last major milestone for many of the invasion’s dwindling heroes   that peace in europe finds itself shattered. replacing it are fears of another world war that until recently seemed outlandish, uncertainty about washington’s european allyship that the normandy landings cemented, and questions about the future of the western alliance itself. for many, the ideals that d day helped win are at risk of fading along with its survivors. “i believe that freedom and democracy are definitely under threat,” d day veteran harold terens, 100, told nbc news on monday. he spent that day working as a radio operator mechanic based in yorkshire, northern england, communicating with 60 p 47 thunderbolt fighter planes flying over france   only 30 of which returned. twelve days later he traveled to normandy in person to transport freshly freed american prisoners of war back to england, and pick up newly captured germans. “it was one of the most disgusting things i’ve seen in my life,” said terens, who lives in lake worth, florida. “bodies without arms and legs, bodies without heads   war is hell,” he added, referencing the quote first attributed to gen. william tecumseh sherman, who fought on the side of the union during the civil war. more than 150,000 allied troops landed in nazi occupied france on june 6, 1944, including 73,000 americans, 60,000 british and 15,000 canadians. it was the largest amphibious invasion in history, a meticulously planned assault that altered the course of world war ii   and the 20th century. around 4,500 allies died, including some 2,500 americans, in their historic bid to loosen nazi germany’s grip over mainland europe. and so for a few weeks every year, normandy is transformed into a festival of remembrance, with cities, villages and cemeteries festooned with flags   including many american flags flown by french locals   while playing host to concerts, parades and ceremonies. it’s not clear how many veterans are still alive. but some 150 americans who took part in the monthslong battle of normandy, including two dozen d day veterans, are expected to make the trip to france this year, according to the american battle monuments commission, the government agency overseeing cemeteries and monuments abroad. the centerpiece will be a ceremony attended by president joe biden, his french counterpart, emmanuel macron, ukraine’s volodymyr zelenskyy, britain’s prince william and other world leaders. biden will give a speech about defending freedom and democracy. “d day is a critical moment for president biden to speak to what our collective security has done to deliver mostly a peaceful europe since the second world war,” said sen. chris coons, d del., a friend of biden and a member of the senate foreign relations committee. “this is a chance to demonstrate what i think president biden has been so good at. it’s not america alone. it’s not america first, but america as a critical leader in the world and as the indispensable nation.” still, the stars are the veterans. nbc news is spending part of the week traveling with a busload of 50 american vets who have been brought over by the best defense foundation charity, based in california. they are set to include richard “dick” ramsey, aged 100, a coxswain aboard the uss nevada as it fired shells into the d day battlefield and narrowly missed getting hit in return. also expected on the bus is richard rung, 100, who ferried troops to omaha beach while hosing his fellow soldiers’ blood from the small landing craft. the youngest d day veterans are in their 90s; for many this will be the last major milestone they see as this event begins to pass out of living memory. for the french, the legacy of d day is more complex. there is the decadeslong veneration of their allied liberators, but also lament for the 20,000 normandy locals killed in the assault, with cities such as caen razed to rubble. macron says now is the right time to acknowledge these memories. on wednesday, the french president is expected to emphasize this point at a ceremony in saint lô, a city whose destruction in the battle was so complete that in 1946 irish novelist samuel beckett named it “the capital of ruins,” a moniker that has become widely used since. with questions over washington’s long term commitment to europe, macron has attempted to cast himself as a de facto leader on european security, calling for more defense spending and refusing to rule out deploying french troops to ukraine   much to moscow’s fury. it’s perhaps no surprise, then, that russian president vladimir putin is not invited this year. this presents an awkward juxtaposition for those involved. many feel it would be untenable to include a russian delegation while its soldiers wage unprovoked war on ukraine, an attritional grind of tanks, troops and artillery whose scale evokes wwii itself. at the same time, it is impossible to tell the story of nazi defeat without the soviet union. after adolf hitler reneged on a nonaggression pact and invaded the soviet union, the red army spent millions of lives fighting back, repelling the nazi advance in what was a pyrrhic soviet victory on the eastern front. “it’s a very changed time,” said john m. koenig, a veteran american career diplomat who served as ambassador to cyprus and was posted in belgium and italy before retiring in 2015 . “the perception of russia, and the way ahead, is far darker than it was back when we used to invite vladimir putin to the celebrations.” “it’s a different europe than it was,” he added. it is not “one of compromise, cooperation and common interests that we had hoped even, i would say, up until at least 10 years ago.” many in europe fear that if moscow’s aggression goes unpunished, other countries, such as the baltic states and perhaps even poland, could come into the kremlin’s crosshairs. ukraine has been armed to the teeth by the west, receiving $50 billion of missiles, tanks and air defense systems from washington. but many observers are nonetheless questioning the future of the western unity. looming large is the american presidential election between biden and donald trump, the former president and presumptive republican nominee. trump has previously suggested he would withdraw from nato, and many ukraine allies fear he could end support for its defense against russia. compounding this, european parliament elections this month look certain to herald victories for far right and nationalist parties, some of which share trump’s skepticism on the importance of helping ukraine resist russia’s invasion. john kelly, a retired four star general and trump’s longest serving white house chief of staff, said in an interview: “people make the argument that american forces should come home. we made that mistake once after world war i.” “yes, our allies and partners need to do more for themselves and live up to their financial commitments,” added kelly, who had a falling out with trump. "but we tested isolationism once before, and it didn’t work. the rules based world order works and if it’s going to work america must lead it.” also testing washington’s relationship with its historic partners is the israel hamas war. israel faces accusations of genocide and possible arrest warrants in international court, leaving the country and its chief ally, the u.s., increasingly isolated on the global stage. they have both rejected the accusations. israel’s assault on the gaza strip has killed more than 36,000 people, according to local officials, and the palestinian enclave needs $40 billion in postwar reconstruction   the largest since 1945   the united nations estimates. meanwhile, eight decades since the nazi murder of 6 million jews, the deadly oct. 7 attack and its aftermath have stirred fears of rising antisemitism in the u.s. and europe. and yet, amid the horror both historical and contemporary, there are shards of light here, among the hedgerows and headstones of mild but overcast northern france. terens, the d day radio operator, has traveled back here to get married, at the age of 100, to his 96 year old fiancee jeanne swerlin. “love is not reserved for the young,” he said. “we need a little action ourselves.” the pair met in 2021, and 40 family members have traveled over from the u.s. for their ceremony and parade june 8. most poignant will be those not able to attend in person. “i’m spiritual, and i came here to invite all those soldiers buried on omaha beach, 9,836 of them, to my wedding,” he said. “i’d like them to attend in spirit. and i want them to know that they’re not forgotten.” alexander smith is a senior reporter for nbc news digital based in london. peter nicholas is a senior white house reporter for nbc news. © 2025 nbcuniversal media, llc

on so many different levels, the gathering of western leaders in normandy today is steeped in symbolism as the nations whose troops stormed the beaches eight decades ago reflect on wars past and present. the ceremonies unfolding throughout today, however, also mark what might be the world's last opportunity to celebrate the handful of surviving soldiers, sailors and aircrew who charged forth on june 6, 1944 into the teeth of the nazi guns   and to say goodbye. time grows short for the veterans of d day, most of whom are at least close to a century old. that fact was underscored painfully by the passing of navy veteran bill cameron, who had been slated to take part in the official veterans affairs canada delegation. he died friday, the day before he was set to board a plane in vancouver, the canadian press reported. cameron was 100 years old. thirteen canadian veterans of the second world war were in attendance for thursday's anniversary ceremonies at juno beach. veterans affairs minister ginette petitpas taylor said this year's commemoration will likely be the last attended by veterans of the european campaign, but the federal government will continue to mark the occasion. "it's so important for us as canadians to continue with these very important events," she said wednesday. the ceremonies on thursday included the canadian commemoration event at juno beach and an international ceremony at omaha beach. prime minister justin trudeau paid tribute to the sacrifices made by allied forces, including 14,000 canadians who landed at juno beach, after a performance by guitarist mitchell makoons and fiddler morgan grace, both métis from manitoba. "on the battlefield, francophones, anglophones, indigenous people and new canadians came together as one. brave canadians like you sacrificed everything for our freedom," said trudeau. "there are no words to describe the immensity of the debt we owe you." canada will keep commemorating d day for generations to come, pm says three hundred and fifty nine canadians were killed on d day. "we all have a responsibility to continue to share those stories so that future generations don't forget the heroism and the courage it took to defend our freedoms, and to remember the dangers and the horrors of war," said trudeau. the prime minister mentioned several of the surviving d day veterans by name and took note of cameron's death last week. prince william also honoured the canadians who stood "shoulder to shoulder" with british troops to "ensure fascism was conquered." "standing here today, in peaceful silence, it is almost impossible to grasp the courage it would have taken to run into the fury of battle that very day," he said. the allied invasion of france on d day marked the beginning of the end of nazi tyranny. the battle holds an important place in the collective imagination of western democracies. this 80th anniversary comes at another pivotal moment in history, as a full scale war rages in eastern europe. russia has not been invited to the event. of all the allies that fought hitler during the second world war, russia suffered the most from german aggression   an estimated 20 million dead. watch l with eye to ukraine, biden praises d day heroism: struggle between dictatorship and democracy is 'unending,' biden says at d day event moscow's unprovoked invasion of ukraine, however, has changed the calculus and the lukewarm relations that existed between the west and russia following the end of the cold war have evaporated. while he didn't mention russian president vladimir putin by name, trudeau said this year's d day event has particular salience due to "aggressors who want to redraw borders." ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy joined u.s. president joe biden at a u.s. led ceremony. biden said in his speech that it's important to defend ukraine in light of the events decades ago. "to surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators, is simply unthinkable," he said. "if we were to do that, it means we'd be forgetting what happened here on these hallowed beaches." french president emmanuel macron has been pushing allies to do more to stop the russian advance, which has swallowed vast swaths of ukraine's east and south. zelenskky's presence added another layer of symbolism. ukraine's struggle   and zelenskyy personally   have been cast in the same defiant light as britain and its wartime leader winston churchill. but it was at the last major gathering of allied leaders in normandy, as western nations struggled to address russia's illegal annexation of crimea, that countries agreed to the normandy contact group, a collection of european states that tried to mediate a settlement between russia and ukraine when the conflict was confined to the eastern donbas region. king charles iii, who continues to be treated for cancer, travelled to france for ceremonies to honour the 22,442 british troops who died in the battle of normandy. senior reporter, defence and security murray brewster is senior defence writer for cbc news, based in ottawa. he has covered the canadian military and foreign policy from parliament hill for over a decade. among other assignments, he spent a total of 15 months on the ground covering the afghan war for the canadian press. prior to that, he covered defence issues and politics for cp in nova scotia for 11 years and was bureau chief for standard broadcast news in ottawa. audience relations, cbc p.o. box 500 station a toronto, on canada, m5w 1e6 toll free (canada only): 1 866 306 4636 it is a priority for cbc to create products that are accessible to all in canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. closed captioning and described video is available for many cbc shows offered on cbc gem.

copyright 2025 the associated press. all rights reserved. people were gathered on the beaches, and commemorations were already underway early in the morning. the full day of events will see heads of state, including u.s. president joe biden and ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy, gathering with the ever dwindling number of world war ii veterans. todays’ live coverage has ended, but there’s still plenty to catch up on. read what you missed below and find more coverage of d day on the ap’s world news hub. world war ii veterans from the u.s., britain and canada are joining 25 heads of state and many others on the beaches of normandy today to commemorate the 80th anniversary of d day. here’s what to know: watch live coverage of the commemorations of the 80th anniversary of d day in normandy, france, as world war ii veterans from the united states, britain and canada mark 80 years since the allied landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. president of france emmanuel macron speaks during the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt/pool photo via ap) president of france emmanuel macron speaks during the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt/pool photo via ap) omaha beach, france   french president emmanuel macron has thanked ukraine’s leader and ukrainians for their courage in their fight against russian forces, saying: “we are here and won’t back away.” macron’s speech, addressing veterans and world leaders assembled on omaha beach for an international d day commemoration ceremony, referenced the current war in ukraine as well as what happened on june 6, 1944. “faced with the return of the war on our continent, faced with all they (the wwii veterans) fought for being challenged, faced with those who pretend to use force to change the borders, to rewrite history, let’s be worthy of those who landed here,” macron said. addressing ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy, he said: “your presence here, today, mister president of ukraine, says it all.” thanking ukrainians for their bravery and “sense of freedom,” macron added: “we are here and won’t back away.” ohama beach, france  french president emmanuel macron has awarded the legion of honor, france’s highest order of merit, to three more veterans. joseph miller, arlester brown and richard rung were among a total of 15 veterans recognized with the honor on thursday. rung, now 99, was 19 when he was assigned to a tank landing craft that landed on omaha beach on june 6, 1944. he later headed to the pacific theater where he spent the rest of world war ii. brown, who worked as a quartermaster engineer, was deployed in various locations across saint lo and normandy, france, belgium, the netherlands and the rhineland area in germany. miller was a medic who landed in normandy on june 6th, 1944, via glider. ben’s glider lost both wings during the landing, but all 14 men in the glider made it out safely. he and his fellow medics went to help any infantrymen and paratroopers who were wounded. french president awards american ww ii veteran dick rung with the legion of honor during an international ceremony at omaha beach, thursday, june 6, 2024 in normandy near saint laurent sur mer. normandy is hosting various events to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the d day landings that took place on june 6, 1944. (ap photo/viginia mayo, pool) french president awards american ww ii veteran dick rung with the legion of honor during an international ceremony at omaha beach, thursday, june 6, 2024 in normandy near saint laurent sur mer. normandy is hosting various events to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the d day landings that took place on june 6, 1944. (ap photo/viginia mayo, pool) the u.s. president gave a speech to assembled crowds during commemorations for the 80th anniversary of the d day landings. us president joe biden and president of france emmanuel macron attend the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt, pool photo via ap) britain’s prince william attends the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt, pool photo via ap) ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy and his wife olena zelenska, second left, are welcomed by french president emanuel macron, right, and his wife brigitte macron, at the international ceremony at omaha beach, near saint laurent sur mer, thursday, june 6, 2024. normandy is hosting various events to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the d day landings that took place on june 6, 1944. (christophe petit tesson, pool via ap) german chancellor olaf scholz arrives at the international ceremony at omaha beach, thursday, june 6, 2024 in normandy. normandy is hosting various events to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the d day landings that took place on june 6, 1944. (ap photo/viginia mayo) danish premier mette frederiksen and her husband bo tengberg arrive at the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt, pool photo via ap) us president joe biden and president of france emmanuel macron attend the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt, pool photo via ap) us president joe biden and president of france emmanuel macron attend the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt, pool photo via ap) britain’s prince william attends the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt, pool photo via ap) britain’s prince william attends the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt, pool photo via ap) ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy and his wife olena zelenska, second left, are welcomed by french president emanuel macron, right, and his wife brigitte macron, at the international ceremony at omaha beach, near saint laurent sur mer, thursday, june 6, 2024. normandy is hosting various events to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the d day landings that took place on june 6, 1944. (christophe petit tesson, pool via ap) ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy and his wife olena zelenska, second left, are welcomed by french president emanuel macron, right, and his wife brigitte macron, at the international ceremony at omaha beach, near saint laurent sur mer, thursday, june 6, 2024. normandy is hosting various events to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the d day landings that took place on june 6, 1944. (christophe petit tesson, pool via ap) german chancellor olaf scholz arrives at the international ceremony at omaha beach, thursday, june 6, 2024 in normandy. normandy is hosting various events to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the d day landings that took place on june 6, 1944. (ap photo/viginia mayo) german chancellor olaf scholz arrives at the international ceremony at omaha beach, thursday, june 6, 2024 in normandy. normandy is hosting various events to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the d day landings that took place on june 6, 1944. (ap photo/viginia mayo) danish premier mette frederiksen and her husband bo tengberg arrive at the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt, pool photo via ap) danish premier mette frederiksen and her husband bo tengberg arrive at the official international ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day, at omaha beach in saint laurent sur mer, normandy, france, thursday, june 6, 2024. (jordan pettitt, pool photo via ap) omaha beach   ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy has been greeted with huge applause and cheers as he arrived for a d day anniversary ceremony attended by international leaders. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy and his wife olena zelenska arrive at the international ceremony at omaha beach. ap photo/viginia mayo ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy and his wife olena zelenska arrive at the international ceremony at omaha beach. ap photo/viginia mayo zelenskyy is joining other world leaders, heads of state and veterans on the promenade along omaha beach for the ceremony, set to begin shortly. british paratroopers who parachuted into the historic d day drop zone in normandy to recreate the airborne part of the battle encountered something soldiers wouldn’t have had to deal with 80 years ago: they had to go through french customs and passport control upon landing. british paratroopers who landed near the normandy village of sannerville assembled their parachutes and walked across a field to a makeshift border post, made up of a desk with a passport scanner and two laptop computers and manned by about half a dozen french border officials. since the united kingdom left the european union in 2020 britons have had to go through border checks in france and the rest of the 27 eu member states. more than 300 british, belgian and u.s. paratroopers took part in the jump on wednesday to recreate the events of june 6, 1944. president joe biden, first lady jill biden, french president emmanuel macron and his wife brigitte macron ap photo/evan vucci president joe biden, first lady jill biden, french president emmanuel macron and his wife brigitte macron ap photo/evan vucci in his speech, president joe biden said ukraine was invaded by “a tyrant” and said russia’s advance will not stop with ukraine if the world walks away. drawing parallels between what happened during world war ii to the russia ukraine conflict, biden said “ukraine’s neighbors will be threatened” and “all of europe will be threatened.” he argued for holding strong against russian president vladimir putin, saying “to surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators is simply unthinkable” and that to give in “means we’d forget what happened here” on the beaches of normandy in 1944. president joe biden calls for solidarity with ukraine against russia while marking the 80th anniversary of the d day invasion in france. “to surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators, is simply unthinkable,” he said. colleville sur mer, france   u.s. president joe biden has said that “we will not walk away” from ukraine’s defense as he addressed a d day anniversary event. “to surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators, is simply unthinkable,” biden said. “democracy is never guaranteed. every generation must preserve it, defend it and fight for it,” he added. “that’s the test of the ages.” among those awarded with the legion of honor on thursday are: robert pedigo, a technician who specialized in air weapons. on d day, he took part in a strike on a german site near omaha beach. he then took part in the bombing campaigns over normandy and carried out his last combat mission in germany in september. richard stewart, a communications technician who landed on omaha beach in july 1944 and followed his battalion across france, belgium and germany. hilbert margol, who arrived in january 1945 in france to join an artillery battalion that operated in eastern france. he is part of american forces that liberated the dachau concentration camp. edward berthold, a pilot who carried out his three first missions over france in may 1944 before taking part in an operation in saint lo, in normandy, on june 6, 1944. he took part in 35 combat missions during wwii, including 22 in france. colleville sur mer, france    french president emmanuel macron is awarding eleven u.s. wwii veterans with the legion of honor, france’s highest distinction, during a d day 80th anniversary ceremony. the men are now 98 to 104 years old. macron kissed each of the veterans on both cheeks and warmly greeted them as he pinned a medal on their lapels. ''you came here to make france a free nation. you’re back here today at home, if i may say,” he told them. omaha beach, france   ukraine’s president volodymyr zelenskyy has arrived in normandy, france, to commemorate the anniversary of the d day invasion with western leaders. zelenskyy said on x that he is going to attend important meetings aimed at strengthening his nation at war, and that he is honored to be participating in the d day commemoration with president joe biden, french president emmanuel macron and others. “this event and day serve as a reminder of the courage and determination demonstrated in the pursuit of freedom and democracy,” zelenskyy said. “allies defended europe’s freedom then, and ukrainians do so now. unity prevailed then, and true unity can prevail today.” vers sur mer, france   french president emmanuel macron has bestowed a legion of honor award on a 103 year old female british veteran officer who created detailed maps that guided the crews of landing craft on d day. france’s president emmanuel macron bestows legion of honor award on british world war ii veteran christian lamb ludovic marin/pool via ap france’s president emmanuel macron bestows legion of honor award on british world war ii veteran christian lamb ludovic marin/pool via ap christian lamb sat in a wheelchair as macron bent down to pin the medal on her and kissed her on both cheeks.he told her she was one of the “heroes in the shadows” as he described how she was studying in normandy in 1939 when her father, a royal navy admiral, called her back to london on the eve of world war ii. in a recent interview with the associated press, lamb recalled creating maps that “showed railways, roads, churches, castles, every possible feature that could be visible to an incoming invader and from every angle,” lamb. “it was intense and exciting work, and obviously detail was vital. it was crucial that the maps were 100% accurate,” she said. saint marie du mont, france   the prime minister of denmark, has referenced russian bombing of kharkiv in ukraine as she unveiled a monument for danish nationals who joined the allied war effort in world war ii. mette frederiksen called kharkiv “a city like any other in europe but right now a city at the frontline of freedom.” she pledged long term aid for ukraine “for as long as it takes.” “too little too late is not an option,” she said. “there is no alternative to victory.” danish king frederik christian x pulled away a draped parachute to reveal the danish memorial inland of utah beach. juno beach, normandy   prince william has praised the bravery and sacrifice of canadian troops as he addressed a d day anniversary ceremony on juno beach. the royal was joined by canadian prime minister justin trudeau, french prime minister gabriel attal and canadian d day veterans. some 14,000 canadians were part of the 150,000 allied troops who landed or parachuted into normandy in 1944. “far from home they stormed these very sand dunes behind me, shoulder to shoulder with thousands of british troops,” william said. colleville sur mer, france   u.s. president joe biden has met with american veterans of d day as he marked the invasion’s 80th anniversary. veterans who could stand were helped out of wheelchairs to pose for photos with the president and first lady jill biden. one hugged biden, another saluted. when biden learned it was one of the veterans’ birthday, he led the audience in singing happy birthday. the first lady clutched the arm of another veteran, robert gibson, to help him stand next to biden as they shook hands. “don’t get old,” the 100 year old man joked to the 81 year old president, who was a toddler when d day took place. steve spielberg and tom hanks, the hollywood heavyweights behind movies and television shows about world war ii, were nearby. ver sur mer, france   britain’s prime minister rishi sunak and the opposition leader, keir starmer from the labour party, both took a break from campaigning for britain’s july 4 election to travel to france for the d day ceremony. sunak paid tribute to veterans, saying their “actions freed a continent and built a better world.” “you risked everything and we owe you everything,” he told the audience. “we cannot possibly hope to repay that debt but we can and we must pledge never to forget.” king charles iii and queen camilla have led commemorations at the new british normandy memorial in ver sur mer. camilla wiped away a tear as actor martin freeman read words by 99 year old d day veteran joe mines, recalling that “i was 19 when i landed, but i was still a boy. i don’t care what people say, i wasn’t a man, i was a boy. and i didn’t have any idea of war of war and killing.” welsh singer tom jones, 83, sang his song “i won’t crumble with you if you fall,” before the king addressed the audience in french and english. charles said that while the number of living veterans was dwindling, “our obligation to remember what they stood for and what they achieved for us all can never diminish.” speaking in french, charles paid tribute to the “unimaginable number” of french civilians killed in the battle for normandy, and the bravery and sacrifice of the french resistance. re enactors pose for a photo during a ceremony at utah beach near saint martin de vareville normandy, thursday, june 6, 2024. (ap photo/jeremias gonzalez) re enactors pose for a photo during a ceremony at utah beach near saint martin de vareville normandy, thursday, june 6, 2024. (ap photo/jeremias gonzalez) because freedom is worth celebrating and passing on to children, too, alexandra hamon, 35, drank champagne and shared the sunrise with her boys, karl and neils, both 13, as the day dawned thursday over the beaches where allied soldiers landed on d day. the family was among a crowd several thousands strong that stretched for kilometers along utah beach   one of the five beaches along the coast of normandy where allied troops landed. utah and omaha were taken   at the cost of hundreds of lives   by american forces, with the others stormed by troops from britain and canada, also killing many hundreds, plus others from france. the other code named beaches are juno, sword and gold. karl sat perched on the hood of their 1943 dodge truck, lovingly restored by her husband, enogat, as the family from saint malo, a french coastal city that was badly damaged in major fighting about two months after d day, stared out across the english channel. the waters thursday were still and peaceful   unlike on that fateful day that helped change the course of wwii and precipitate adolf hitler’s downfall 11 months later. “it’s indescribable, just imagining the chaos. now it’s peaceful, almost festive, we try to imagine but i think it’s unimaginable,” she said. “you think of all those guys, everything they went through,” she added of the fast dwindling d day veterans. “they say they aren’t heroes. but they are, they are. those guys really should never die. i imagine the boats, the guys arriving, the sounds. it must have been horrible, yes, horrible.” christophe receveur and his daughter julie, of france, unfold an american flag he bought six month ago in gettysburg, penn., to mark d day, thursday, june 6, 2024 on utah beach, normandy. (ap photo/john leicester) christophe receveur and his daughter julie, of france, unfold an american flag he bought six month ago in gettysburg, penn., to mark d day, thursday, june 6, 2024 on utah beach, normandy. (ap photo/john leicester) utah beach, france   as the rising sun took the night’s chill off utah beach, christophe receveur, 57, from thionville in eastern france, unfurled a stars and stripes he bought in gettysburg, pa, six months ago specifically to honor the americans who fell on d day. “to keep alive the memory of the soldiers who died for our freedom,” he said. “to forget them is to let them die all over again.” receveur and his daughter, julie, 28, carefully folded the flag into a tight triangle after their quiet, reflective homage on an empty stretch of the beach, busy with hundreds of people strung out along the sands. receveur said the ukraine war was on his mind, too, as he honored the fallen of wwii. his great grandfather fought in wwi, his grandfather was a prisoner of war in wwii, and his father was a veteran of france’s war in former north african colony algeria. “i don’t want our freedom, for our kids, our grandkids, to be hit by … i don’t want to say a madman,” referring to russian president vladimir putin. “so a lot of respect for these people who died and for those who are still dying,” he said of the wwii dead and those in ukraine. he said the d day sacrifices have to be remembered. “lots of emotion that all these troops came to liberate a country that they didn’t know for an ideology   democracy, freedom   that is under severe strain now.” a re enactor holds a lantern during a ceremony at utah beach near saint martin de vareville normandy, thursday, june 6, 2024. (ap photo/jeremias gonzalez) a re enactor holds a lantern during a ceremony at utah beach near saint martin de vareville normandy, thursday, june 6, 2024. (ap photo/jeremias gonzalez) utah beach, france   as the golden sun pierced low clouds over the seas that were thick with landing craft approaching normandy on d day, becky kraubetz peered across the english channel toward her native britain, her eyes filled with tears as she thought about the scene 80 years ago. “it’s so historic and we just have to remember the sacrifices of everybody who gave us our freedom,” said kraubetz, whose grandfather served with the british army during world war ii and was captured in malta. “it gives you goosebumps, everything that happened here. imagine just jumping into the water, freezing cold,” said the 54 year old who now lives in florida, as the rays of the morning sun started to warm the hundreds of people who’d waited through the night’s chill for dawn’s break. “the bravery, the courage, for people to face that is just unbelievable   very, very humbled to be here.” world war ii veterans from the united states, britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. few witnesses remain who remember the allied assault. world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the grave of a soldier from his unit at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, france, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the grave of a soldier from his unit at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, france, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) “thank you, guys. thank you.” sitting in a wheelchair in front of the graves of fallen comrades at the normandy american cemetery, d day veteran jake larson wanted to let them know out loud that they are the real heroes for giving their lives for the liberation of france and europe from nazi germany   not him. the 101 year old american, best known on social media under the name “papa jake,” with more than 800,000 followers on tiktok, larson said “i’m a ‘here to.’ ▶ the associated press spoke to veterans about their role in freeing europe from the nazis, and what messages they have for younger generations. utah beach, france   as the sun sets on the d day generation, it’s rising again over normandy beaches where soldiers fought and died exactly 80 years ago, kicking off intense anniversary commemorations thursday against the backdrop of renewed war in europe, in ukraine. ever dwindling numbers of world war ii veterans, and russia’s full scale invasion of ukraine, make this anniversary particularly meaningful, mixing poignant remembrances for d day sacrifices with an allied show of solidarity for ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy, among the guests. but host france hasn’t invited world war ii ally russia, citing its “war of aggression against ukraine that has intensified in recent weeks.” ▶ read more as anniversary commemorations kick off. re enactors are sillhouetted against the sunrise at utah beach near saint martin de vareville normandy, thursday, june 6, 2024. (ap photo/jeremias gonzalez) re enactors are sillhouetted against the sunrise at utah beach near saint martin de vareville normandy, thursday, june 6, 2024. (ap photo/jeremias gonzalez) utah beach, france   hundreds of people, some in wwii era uniforms, arrived before dawn to stretch out across the now peaceful sands of utah beach, one of the five allied landing zones on d day where troops waded into cold seas through hails of fire exactly 80 years ago. “it’s our way of paying homage, and better understanding what really happened in the 1944 landings,” said dimitri picot, a 33 year old from the nearby normandy town of carentan who works as a rat and pest catcher. picot said he often dives on a wrecked ship that was hit and exploded, its wreckage visible thursday as night gave way to day. growing up amid the june 6, 1944, landing zones, he said he has become accustomed to seeing walls still pockmarked by bullets, shrapnel and other reminders of that fateful day. but on the 80th anniversary “to think that they liberated us” hammered home the emotion, he said. a quartet of wrens carrying .303 browning machine guns to the armoury after firing practice, pass a grumman wildcat at an airfield somewhere in england, on may 4, 1944. (ap photo) a quartet of wrens carrying .303 browning machine guns to the armoury after firing practice, pass a grumman wildcat at an airfield somewhere in england, on may 4, 1944. (ap photo) the history of d day is often told through the stories of the men who fought and died when the allies stormed the beaches of northern france on june 6, 1944. but behind the scenes were hundreds of thousands of military women who worked in crucial non combat roles such as codebreakers, ship plotters, radar operators and cartographers. often overlooked, their contributions have come into sharper focus as the number of living d day veterans dwindles and the world prepares for the 80th anniversary of the landings. ▶ read more about the women of world war ii. united states president joe biden will mark the 80th anniversary of the d day invasion in france as he tries to demonstrate steadfast support for european security at a time when some allies fear donald trump threatens to upend american commitments if he wins another term in the white house. the trip comes as the deadliest fighting on the continent since world war ii continues in ukraine and allied countries struggle to find ways to turn the tide against russia, which has recently gained ground on the battlefield. it is also set against deepening cracks between the u.s. and many european allies over how to manage the ongoing israel hamas war in gaza. biden arrived in paris on wednesday morning, and he was welcomed by french officials and an honor guard. on thursday, he’ll visit hallowed ground near the beaches of normandy, where rows of bone white headstones mark the graves of u.s. soldiers who died to bring an end to world war ii. tombstones at the commonwealth war cemetery of banneville la campagne, in normandy, france, were lit up on tuesday during a ceremony as part of the 80th anniversary of d day. (ap video shot by laurent cipriani) under their feet, the sands of omaha beach, and in their rheumy eyes, tears that inevitably flowed from being on the revered shoreline in normandy, france, where so many american young men were cut down 80 years ago on d day. veterans of world war ii, many of them centenarians and likely returning to france for one last time, pilgrimaged tuesday to what was the bloodiest of five allied landing beaches on june 6, 1944. they remembered fallen friends. they relived horrors they experienced in combat. they blessed their good fortune for surviving. and they mourned those who paid the ultimate price. they also bore a message for generations behind them, who owe them so much: don’t forget what we did. ▶ read more about veterans of world war ii. when associated press correspondent don whitehead arrived with other journalists in southern england to cover the allies’ imminent d day invasion of normandy, a u.s. commander offered them a no nonsense welcome. “we’ll do everything we can to help you get your stories and to take care of you. if you’re wounded, we’ll put you in a hospital. if you’re killed, we’ll bury you. so don’t worry about anything,” said maj. gen. clarence r. heubner of the u.s. army 1st infantry division. it was early june 1944   just before the long anticipated normandy landings that ultimately liberated france from nazi occupation and helped precipitate nazi germany’s surrender 11 months later. ▶ here’s how the day unfolded for the associated press reporters, artists and photographers in the air, on the choppy waters of the english channel, in london, and at english departure ports and airfields. file   this photograph is believed to show e company, 16th regiment, 1st infantry division, participating in the first wave of assaults during d day in normandy, france, june 6, 1944. the greatest armada ever assembled, nearly 7,000 ships and boats, supported by more than 11,000 planes, carried almost 133,000 troops across the channel to establish toeholds on five heavily defended beaches stretched across 80 kilometers (50 miles) of normandy coast. more than 9,000 allied soldiers were killed or wounded in the first 24 hours. (chief photographer’s mate robert m. sargent, u.s. coast guard via ap, file) file   this photograph is believed to show e company, 16th regiment, 1st infantry division, participating in the first wave of assaults during d day in normandy, france, june 6, 1944. the greatest armada ever assembled, nearly 7,000 ships and boats, supported by more than 11,000 planes, carried almost 133,000 troops across the channel to establish toeholds on five heavily defended beaches stretched across 80 kilometers (50 miles) of normandy coast. more than 9,000 allied soldiers were killed or wounded in the first 24 hours. (chief photographer’s mate robert m. sargent, u.s. coast guard via ap, file) parachutists jumped from world war ii era planes into now peaceful normandy to kick off a week of ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of d day. soldiers from across the united states, britain, canada and other allied nations waded ashore through hails of fire on five beaches on june 6, 1944. french officials, grateful normandy survivors and other admirers are saying “merci” but also goodbye to the fast dwindling number of d day veterans still alive. (ap video by nicolas garriga/production by jeffrey schaeffer) parachutists jumping from world war ii era planes hurled themselves sunday into now peaceful normandy skies where war once raged, heralding a week of ceremonies for the fast disappearing generation of allied troops who fought from d day beaches 80 years ago to adolf hitler’s fall, helping free europe of his tyranny. the 80th anniversary of the june 6, 1944, allied invasion on d day that punched through hitler’s western defenses and helped precipitate nazi germany’s surrender 11 months later brings mixed emotions for french survivors of the battle of normandy. they remain eternally grateful for their liberation but cannot forget its steep cost in french lives. some 20,000 normandy civilians were killed in the invasion and as allied forces fought their way inland, sometimes field by field through the leafy normandy countryside that helped conceal german defenders. only in late august of 1944 did they reach paris. file   a british tank makes its way along a street, with the battle still in progress, as the city is still fringed with nazi guns which continually lob shells into the street, in st. lo, normandy, france on june 20, 1944. (ap photo, file) file   a british tank makes its way along a street, with the battle still in progress, as the city is still fringed with nazi guns which continually lob shells into the street, in st. lo, normandy, france on june 20, 1944. (ap photo, file) ▶ read more about survivors’ mixed emotions. copyright 2025 the associated press. all rights reserved.

copyright 2025 the associated press. all rights reserved. american d day veterans share stories and memories from their experiences on june 6th, 1944 tombstones at the commonwealth war cemetery of banneville la campagne, in normandy, france, were lit up on tuesday during a ceremony as part of the 80th anniversary of d day. (ap video shot by laurent cipriani) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the grave of a soldier from his unit at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, france, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) american world war ii veteran dick rung poses during a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veteran marie scott poses during a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans mervyn kersh, center, and marie scott, right, attend a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans attend a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veteran john king is greeted by a young girl prior to a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, france, normandy, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veteran john king, center, attends a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans attend a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans speak with u.s dan cnossen, right, during a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british normandy veterans jim grant, second left and charles horn, right pose with british royal navy officers commander glen hinson, left and commodore john boyce on board the mont st michael ferry prior to departure for france, in portsmouth, england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy veterans wave to the crowds and to the aircraft carrier hms prince of wales that has its sides lined with sailors as they depart portsmouth harbour on board the mont st michael ferry to france, in portsmouth england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the graves at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits graves at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) american d day veterans arrive at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) british normandy campaign veteran les underwood of the royal navy poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. underwood is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) an american d day veteran is welcomed at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) american d day veterans are welcomed by us soldiers at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) american d day veterans sit during a welcoming ceremony at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) british normandy campaign veteran george chandler of the royal navy speaks to the media and poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. chandler is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy campaign veteran george chandler of the royal navy speaks to the media and poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. chandler is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) american ww ii veteran fred taylor, right, and others hold roses during a wreath laying ceremony at utah beach, wednesday, june 5, 2024 at utah beach, normandy,. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/jeremias gonzalez) american d day veterans share stories and memories from their experiences on june 6th, 1944 tombstones at the commonwealth war cemetery of banneville la campagne, in normandy, france, were lit up on tuesday during a ceremony as part of the 80th anniversary of d day. (ap video shot by laurent cipriani) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the grave of a soldier from his unit at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, france, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the grave of a soldier from his unit at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, france, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) american world war ii veteran dick rung poses during a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) american world war ii veteran dick rung poses during a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veteran marie scott poses during a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veteran marie scott poses during a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans mervyn kersh, center, and marie scott, right, attend a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans mervyn kersh, center, and marie scott, right, attend a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans attend a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans attend a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veteran john king is greeted by a young girl prior to a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, france, normandy, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veteran john king is greeted by a young girl prior to a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, france, normandy, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veteran john king, center, attends a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veteran john king, center, attends a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans attend a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans attend a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans speak with u.s dan cnossen, right, during a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british world war ii veterans speak with u.s dan cnossen, right, during a service at the pegasus bridge memorial in benouville, normandy, france, wednesday, june 5, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) british normandy veterans jim grant, second left and charles horn, right pose with british royal navy officers commander glen hinson, left and commodore john boyce on board the mont st michael ferry prior to departure for france, in portsmouth, england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy veterans jim grant, second left and charles horn, right pose with british royal navy officers commander glen hinson, left and commodore john boyce on board the mont st michael ferry prior to departure for france, in portsmouth, england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy veterans wave to the crowds and to the aircraft carrier hms prince of wales that has its sides lined with sailors as they depart portsmouth harbour on board the mont st michael ferry to france, in portsmouth england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy veterans wave to the crowds and to the aircraft carrier hms prince of wales that has its sides lined with sailors as they depart portsmouth harbour on board the mont st michael ferry to france, in portsmouth england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the graves at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the graves at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits graves at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits graves at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, tuesday, june 4, 2024. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/virginia mayo) american d day veterans arrive at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) american d day veterans arrive at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) british normandy campaign veteran les underwood of the royal navy poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. underwood is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy campaign veteran les underwood of the royal navy poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. underwood is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) an american d day veteran is welcomed at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) an american d day veteran is welcomed at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) american d day veterans are welcomed by us soldiers at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) american d day veterans are welcomed by us soldiers at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) american d day veterans sit during a welcoming ceremony at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) american d day veterans sit during a welcoming ceremony at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) british normandy campaign veteran george chandler of the royal navy speaks to the media and poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. chandler is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy campaign veteran george chandler of the royal navy speaks to the media and poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. chandler is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy campaign veteran george chandler of the royal navy speaks to the media and poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. chandler is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy campaign veteran george chandler of the royal navy speaks to the media and poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. chandler is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) american ww ii veteran fred taylor, right, and others hold roses during a wreath laying ceremony at utah beach, wednesday, june 5, 2024 at utah beach, normandy,. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/jeremias gonzalez) american ww ii veteran fred taylor, right, and others hold roses during a wreath laying ceremony at utah beach, wednesday, june 5, 2024 at utah beach, normandy,. world war ii veterans from across the united states as well as britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. (ap photo/jeremias gonzalez) benouville, france (ap)   world war ii veterans from the united states, britain and canada are in normandy this week to mark 80 years since the d day landings that helped lead to hitler’s defeat. the associated press is speaking to veterans about their role in freeing europe from the nazis, and their messages for younger generations. d day veteran dick rung was 19 when he was assigned to a tank landing craft that landed on omaha beach on june 6, 1944. now 99, the memory is still alive as he recounts time spent hosing down the deck of the blood of those killed. world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the grave of a soldier from his unit at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, france, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/virginia mayo) world war ii and d day veteran jake larson visits the grave of a soldier from his unit at the normandy american cemetery in colleville sur mer, france, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/virginia mayo) “two of the soldiers that got hit   badly hit   we couldn’t save them but we covered them with blankets and the blankets soaked up their blood. finally, the skipper said ‘we can’t leave it like this’ so we got out the fire hose and we washed down the deck and the blood sort of disappeared,” he recalled wednesday. “i was only a kid and most of the crew was too. i wasn’t trained for this,” he said. rung’s craft stayed in normandy for almost 5 months transporting troops, supplies and vehicles from larger ships to shore. he then headed to the pacific theater where he spent the rest of world war ii. describing the brutality of war, rung concluded: “i’m a peacemaker, i’m not going to do this again.” andy negra, 100, was born in pennsylvania and was the first in his family to graduate from high school. he joined the u.s. army in 1943 and landed on utah beach in normandy on july 18, 1944, with his unit. at that point, he said, german forces were still only 20 miles (32 kilometers) away from the beach. “you didn’t think of dying. ... you knew what you had to do. and when the time comes, you did it. that’s the way i looked at it,” he said. “what could you be scared of if you don’t know what you’re going to be scared of? that was my philosophy. ... so i was never scared. i had close calls, there was a lot of action. but until you entered into that action. why be scared?” negra this week visited the normandy american cemetery of colleville sur mer and attended a series of d day celebrations with a group of about 50 u.s. veterans. the 80th anniversary “is the same as when i went through the towns during wwii,” he said. people “were in the windows, in the doorways and they were on the streets. the difference is there were not as many people then as there are now.” negra said he is still deeply moved by the warm french welcome in normandy. “the celebration started when we liberated each town because they clapped and they’ve been clapping and saying nice things all the way from world war ii, all the way until now,” he said. 80 years since the d day landings on d day, marie scott experienced british forces landing on the normandy coast through her earphones. as a 17 year old radio operator in the women’s royal naval service, she relayed messages to the normandy beaches and waited for the recipient to open his channel and reply. “i heard everything,” scott, who will soon turn 98, said. “i could hear all the background noise, the machine gun fire, the bombs dropping, aircrafts, men shouting orders, men screaming. it was horrendous.” “but i had the job to do,” she explained. “i had no time to be alarmed.” “when you heard that amount of firepower, you knew there had to be casualties … it was an enormous price to pay. but the price we had to pay,” she said. scott was awarded the legion d’honneur, france’s highest order of merit, for her role on d day, in 2019. british normandy veterans jim grant, second left and charles horn, right pose with british royal navy officers commander glen hinson, left and commodore john boyce on board the mont st michael ferry prior to departure for france, in portsmouth, england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy veterans jim grant, second left and charles horn, right pose with british royal navy officers commander glen hinson, left and commodore john boyce on board the mont st michael ferry prior to departure for france, in portsmouth, england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) american d day veterans sit during a welcoming ceremony at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) american d day veterans sit during a welcoming ceremony at deauville airport, monday, june 3, 2024 in deauville, normandy to attend d day 80th anniversary commemorations. (ap photo/alexander turnbull) “women are very important even in war. they may not be part of the fighting element, but we were very, very small cogs in an enormous wheel. and without those cogs, the wheel doesn’t work,” she said. on tuesday, scott attended a ceremony at pegasus bridge, one of the first sites liberated by allied forces from nazi germany. she said it was important for her to be back for the commemorations, because “it evokes memories of a very special day for me, when i first realized the true horror of war, i suppose. i think, probably, i grew up on that day, so it’s important to come back. very emotional but important.” standing this week on what, on d day, were the blood soaked sands of omaha beach, world war ii fighter pilot fredric taylor found himself thinking of a high school friend who was killed in a disastrous rehearsal for the june 6, 1944, allied landings in normandy, france, that helped change the war’s course. taylor, clutching a single white daisy in his hands and staring out across the english channel, which the allied air, sea and land armada crossed on d day, said his classmate was killed in operation tiger. those training exercises for the normandy invasion were held on the southern coast of england from december 1943 to april 1944. on april 28, 1944, german torpedo boats attacked u.s. landing ships taking part in the drills. the website of the national museum of the u.s. navy says the attack left 198 navy sailors and 551 army soldiers dead or missing. the now 102 year old taylor was a p 51 mustang fighter pilot in wwii, shipping out to italy in 1945 in the war’s final months. nazi germany surrendered in may. his visit to omaha, as part of a wwii veterans group flown to normandy by american airlines for the 80th anniversary of d day, was the first time taylor had set foot on omaha beach, the most heavily defended and deadliest of the five allied landing areas. british normandy campaign veteran les underwood of the royal navy poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. underwood is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy campaign veteran les underwood of the royal navy poses in the ‘map room’ which shows the large diagram of the d day invasion, at southwick army base near portsmouth, england, monday, june 3, 2024. underwood is part of a group of veterans travelling to france for the 80th anniversary commemoration of the d day invasion.(ap photo/alastair grant) “the first waves had it the worst, i think, and so many died. they were sitting ducks right here for the germans,” taylor said. “i was pretty lucky. i was flying the p 51 fighter plane in italy, so i was not here, but some of my friends were.” a “high school classmate of mine died in the preparation, operation tiger, and the rehearsal for d day,” he added. “it means a lot to me to be here.” “thank you, guys. thank you.” sitting in a wheelchair in front of the graves of fallen comrades at the normandy american cemetery, d day veteran jake larson wanted to let them know out loud that they are the real heroes for giving their lives for the liberation of france and europe from nazi germany   not him. the 101 year old american, best known on social media under the name “papa jake,” with more than 800,000 followers on tiktok, larson said “i’m a ‘here to.’ “people say what is a ‘here to’? i say i’m here to tell you i’m not a hero. it’s those guys up there that gave their life so that i could make it through. that’s what a ‘here to’ is.” “how is it possible that i went through five battles, plus landing on omaha beach without getting a scratch?’' he asked. ‘’say there is a god. god just protected me.” british normandy veterans wave to the crowds and to the aircraft carrier hms prince of wales that has its sides lined with sailors as they depart portsmouth harbour on board the mont st michael ferry to france, in portsmouth england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) british normandy veterans wave to the crowds and to the aircraft carrier hms prince of wales that has its sides lined with sailors as they depart portsmouth harbour on board the mont st michael ferry to france, in portsmouth england, tuesday, june 4, 2024. (ap photo/alastair grant) born in owatonna, minnesota, larson enlisted in the national guard in 1938, lying about his age as he was only 15. in 1941, his guard unit was transferred into federal service and he officially joined the army. in january 1942, he was sent overseas and was stationed in northern ireland. he then became the operations sergeant and assembled the planning books for operation overlord. he landed on omaha beach in 1944, where he ran under machine gun fire and made it to the cliffs without being wounded. “i’m lucky to be alive, more than lucky,’’ said larson, who now lives in lafayette, california. floyd blair, 103, served as a fighter pilot in the army air corps. on june 6, 1944, he flew in two support missions across omaha beach as the allied invasion began. “i saw one of the saddest things i’ve ever seen. the color of the water changed,” he recalled tuesday as he was paying tribute to fallen comrades at the american cemetery of colleville sur mer. “those poor guys on the ground deserve all the credit they can get. the paratroopers, the armored forces, the ground troops. they are the ones,” he said. after d day, blair participated in missions to support and protect allied troops. his targets included german tanks, troop trains and other threats to the advancing troops and his radio was tied directly into the u.s. tanks on the ground. “i’m living on borrowed time now,” bob gibson, 100, said enthusiastically as he arrived at the deauville airport in normandy. “i want to see the beach again.” gibson was drafted into the army in 1943 and was sent to britain. on june 6, 1944, he and his unit landed on utah beach in the second wave. “terrible. some of the young fellows never ever made it to the beach. it was so bad that we had to run over (them) to get on the beach. that’s how bad it was,” he said. gibson drove an m4 tractor with guns, engaging the enemy day and night. he continued to serve through normandy and headed to germany. “you wake up at night every once in a while too. it seems somebody’s shooting at you. but we were glad to do it. that was our job, we had to do it, right?’’ gibson, of hampton, new jersey, pondered the time that’s passed since then, and said this will probably be his last d day anniversary in normandy. les underwood, 98, a royal navy gunner on a merchant ship that was delivering ammunition to the beaches, kept firing to protect the vessel even as he saw soldiers drown under the weight of their equipment after leaving their landing craft. “i’ve cried many a time … sat on my own,’’ underwood said as he visited southwick house, on the south coast of england, the allied headquarters in the lead up to the battle of normandy. the event monday, sponsored by britain’s defense ministry, came before many of the veterans travel to france for international ceremonies commemorating d day. “i used to get flashbacks. and in those days, there was no treatment. they just said, “your service days are over. we don’t need you no more.’’’ about 20 british veterans gathered on the deck of the mont st. michel ferry bound from england for northern france, as crowds gathered on the deck and along the shoreline to wave and cheer for them on their voyage to d day commemorations. “it was more pleasant coming today than it was 80 years ago,’’ chuckled royal air force veteran bernard morgan, who worked in communications on d day. kirka reported from portsmouth, england, and aboard the mont st. michel. associated press writer john leicester on omaha beach contributed to this report. copyright 2025 the associated press. all rights reserved.

abc news' david muir documents the journey of wwii heroes back to normandy. the sun was yet to rise over the beaches of normandy when, on june 6, 1944    80 years ago this week    thousands of american sons and allied troops began what would become the largest amphibious assault in history. their bravery and their sacrifice would turn the tide of world war ii and push nazi germany to defeat. for the last five years, abc news' "world news tonight" anchor david muir and his team have traveled around the country documenting the stories of world war ii veterans who landed on those beaches on d day and the days that followed. for the 80th anniversary of the allied invasion, muir met these quiet heroes as they journeyed back to normandy, many of them for the first time since landing there as young soldiers fighting for freedom. out of the 16.4 million americans who served in the armed forces during wwii, less than 1% of them were still alive at the end of 2023, according to estimates from the u.s. department of veterans affairs. the country loses an average of 131 wwii veterans every day. irving locker is 99 years old, but in 1944 he was a 19 year old staff sergeant in charge of 65 men. drafted right out of high school in 1943, he went on to be in the first army, 4th infantry div., 116th anti aircraft artillery gun battalion. and he was with his battalion that fateful day in june. his orders: land and run through the beach and start setting up your guns. he remembers the moment when    at 5 feet tall    he jumped into the frigid waters as german forces attacked the beaches. "i've never seen as many dead men on the beaches as i've seen," he told abc news of the invasion. "everybody was scared," locker said. "the long life we figured we're gonna have could be ended with one bullet, or one bomb, or one mine." reflecting on his acts of service and those who paid the ultimate price with their lives, locker said, "people have to know that freedom is not free." "so i'm doing that now with my full heart and conscience," he said of returning to normandy. jack claiborne of dyersburg, tennessee, drove the troops to omaha beach on lci 492. he was a helmsman and gunner. "seeing all of these boys that was killed, and just layin’ there on the beach," claiborne told abc news in 2019. "it was just ... tough for a little old kid to handle." "we were all young," he said. claiborne died on september 28, 2023. his family told abc news this year, he was proud to have served, and to have spent his last years talking about the war to younger generations. at 102 years old, wwii veteran andrew "tim" kiniry was just 22 when he landed on omaha beach in the days after the invasion. with no time to think and there to help the injured as a medic with the 45th evacuation hospital, kiniry said soldiers had to keep moving. as a young man at war, kiniry kept a list of his outfit’s movements. under june 1944, that list had two words: "bloody beach.” kiniry, who has lived in vineland, new jersey since 1964, fears the sacrifices of d day will be forgotten if veterans don’t share what they went through during the war. not a day goes by he doesn’t think about the men lost during the invasion. now 80 years later, he’s going back to normandy for the first time since he first landed there. "eighty years, and the people of normandy are still honoring us," kiniry told muir. "that's somethin' that gets   gets to me." harold himmelsbach landed in normandy on d day at age 18, and called it "the most dramatic time" in his life. himmelsbach, who's now 98, said in an interview with muir commemorating the 75th anniversary of d day that he remembers seeing "things that very few people would ever see" in their lifetime. "i would see other guys die within feet of me." "you knew you had to do these things," he continued. "it was just take care of your friend. and that’s what we all did." he remembers the letter he wrote to his mother. “dear mom i suppose i should begin by telling you i’m somewhere in france," himmelsbach wrote. born and raised in dora, alabama, harold mcmurran served with the 546th ord as a fa, instrument fire control repairman, on june 6, 1944, on utah beach and faced 300,000 germans. like many soldiers, mcmurran kept a diary. on d day, he wrote, “june 6, 1944. invasion started." he wouldn't write in his diary for the next five days. in 2019, mcmurran told abc news he watched the medics trying to save his friends. "sometimes they would be in worse shape than the men they were trying to take care of," he said. "people say, 'how did you get off that boat and go in on that beach?' there was a job had to be done," he said, holding back tears. "somebody had to do it. we did it." mcmurran, who received the french legion of honor medal, died on dec. 25, 2022. jake ruser was a combat medic in normandy with the 4th infantry division, 2nd brigade medical detachment, 12 inf. reg. "for 67 years, i never talked about it," he told muir in the hallways of a high school in downingtown, pennsylvania, where he went to speak to a high school history class about the sacrifices made for freedom. those students were nearly the same age that ruser was when he was sent off to war. "you always went with the idea you were gonna make it through," he told the students. in gainesville, georgia, alan kinder prepared for his first trip back to normandy since the invasion. he remembers how the country came together when word got out that american troops had landed in france. and the scene when he got to utah beach in the middle of the night. "we knew the people had to be killed," he told abc news. "you grow up in a hurry." kinder now grateful he gets to share his story, saying talking about it with his grandson, justin, a history teacher, has brought them closer. they traveled together to normandy. "being able to come here and experience this with him, it's   words can't describe it," justin said. "it's amazing." onofrio zicari, 96, of las vegas, fought with the 5th amphibious brigade, 5th wave on d day. "man i was scared," zicari told abc news. "i didn’t realize what war was until that day; it was awful.” now, 80 years after answering the call, ruser, kimora, locker, kinder and zicari return to normandy with help from the nonprofit, “forever young veterans.” just before the anniversary commemorations, the five brave heroes journeyed back to utah beach, where muir met them. kinder, who has not set foot back on that beach until now, said he is grateful to be here. this is also the first time he has seen utah beach in the daylight. "when they told me there was a chance to come here, i've kinda lived my life over again," he said. "i've really, really enjoyed that." locker told muir that returning to normandy meant that he came back because he’s determined to honor the sacrifices of d day, and hopes to connect with the next generation. "i thank god every single day that i'm alive and well," he said. "and people have to know that. people have to know that." kiniry told muir being back in utah beach reminded him of the brave men, his brothers, who were lost. "it means a great deal to me to be here today to honor ... the ones that lost their lives in particular," he told muir. ruser also took notice of the large number of people honoring the sacrifices wwii veterans made in normandy. and as strangers approached them to shake their hands, he was moved by their gratitude. "we're meeting people from all over the world," he said. "it's really   something when you're remembering what happened 80 years ago here." zicari, who muir first met five years ago, returned to normandy again, thinking of the future. "we fought for freedom," he said. "we gotta have the younger generation help us now." "we're depending on them. they depended on us. we're gonna depend on them now," zicari added. diane hight, the founder of "forever young veterans," told muir about the mission they hope to achieve. "we must never forget," she said. "a lot of people think, 'oh. well, how nice that you take these vets on trips.' these are not vacations." "do you know why they really wanna come back?" she continued. "they want to say to their friends that did not come home, 'i haven't forgotten you. and i hope i've lived my life where you're proud of me.'" full episodes of "world news tonight with david muir" are now available to stream on youtube. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

if you need help... 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week find your closest rbl branch for supporters... for assistance with, donations or fundraising for members... for help with, membership queries the d day landings of 6 june 1944 was the largest seaborne invasion in history. along with the associated airborne operations, it marked the beginning of the liberation of france and western europe. this year, we have produced an exhibition to honour the service and sacrifice of the d day generation. legacies of d day will be on display at the site of the british normandy memorial in france and at the national memorial arboretum in staffordshire from 6 june. the exhibition will be open to all members of the public, so please do come and visit us to commemorate the veterans of d day 80. preview of the exhibition will also be available on our website from 13 may. we have created resources to help our members and supporters commemorate d day 80 and other battles of 1944. we want people to make meaningful connections and celebrate the legacy of the whole d day generation. rbl will be marking the 80th anniversary with events in the uk and normandy on 5 and 6 june 2024, as well as with community events around the uk. we are inviting normandy veterans, families of the fallen, descendants of normandy veterans, and members of the public to join us in commemorating d day 80. please note veteran registrations for all events have now closed, but the national memorial arboretum will be open to members of the public to watch the service. the rbl will be hosting a service of remembrance at the national memorial arboretum on 6 june 2024, at 2 pm to commemorate 80 years since the iconic d day landings. alongside the service, the rbl will be welcoming eligible d day and normandy veterans and their families in a dedicated vip area. the arboretum will be open to the public as normal on thursday 6 june, and visitors will be welcome to watch the d day 80 service of remembrance in the grounds. visit the nma d day 80 page or call 01283 245 100 for further information. visit the nma webpage the rbl will be holding an event on 5 june at bayeux war cemetery, at 5pm, which will be open to both normandy and ww2 veterans, families of the fallen, and descendants of normandy veterans. registration for this event has now closed. we appreciate your interest in our d day commemorations. for those who entered the public ballot, we will inform you of the outcome by 28 march. should you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact our team at [email protected]. **please note:** access to the british normandy memorial on wednesday 5 and thursday 6 june the memorial will be closed to visitors from midday to 6pm on wednesday 5 june due to rehearsals led by the bbc for 6 june ceremony. on thursday 6 june, access to the site will be strictly for those who have received an official invitation to attend.for those attending on 6 june or at any other time, we recommend warm clothing and layers as the site can be very windy and weather unpredictable, plus sturdy footwear.coverage of the official national commemoration, taking place at 11am uk time will be broadcast across the bbc and other networks. you can also follow the normandy memorial trust's official facebook and twitter channels for updates during this period. with the ministry of defence, the rbl will hold the british national event to mark the 80th anniversary of the normandy landings on 6 june at the british normandy memorial. this event will be broadcast on uk national television and will be open to normandy veterans and their guests. registration for this event has now closed. we appreciate your interest in our d day commemorations. if you previously entered the public ballot for these events, we will notify you of the outcome by 28 march. for any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact the team at [email protected]. unprecedented coordination between allied nations, and the intensive planning of engineers, meteorologists, logisticians and countless more, led to a force from 13 countries approaching normandy in a 5000 vessel armada. in the early hours of d day, 24,000 paratroopers and glider borne troops landed behind german lines to provide tactical support. massive naval and aerial bombardments attempted to supress the german defences and weaponry. then a ground force of more than 130,000 troops came ashore on five beaches across a 50 mile stretch of normandy coast, with the first waves often facing intact defences. by the end of d day there had been 10,000 allied casualties. yet this was only the beginning. the ensuing battle of normandy was to last into august and cost tens of thousands of lives as it defeated and repulsed the occupying german forces eastwards. it was a decisive success for the allies and paved the way for the liberation of much of north west europe. when marie garcia joined the women’s royal naval service she had no idea she would end up working on d day. seventy five years since the normandy beach landings, photographer stuart wood's photographs pay tribute to the veterans who were part of d day. in the second world war frank preston was an able seaman in the royal navy and served alongside troops from over 12 countries on d day. royal british legion 199 borough high st londonse1 1aa

profile sections local tv featured more from nbc follow nbc news news alerts there are no new alerts at this time peter nicholas colleville sur mer, france   for the most part, joe biden’s address marking the 80th anniversary of d day sounded like a familiar ode to a historic war victory   but tucked into the speech was a warning to americans. biden name checked the world war ii veterans who sat behind him onstage in wheelchairs, blankets draped over their laps in the early afternoon chill. he praised their sacrifice in defeating nazi tyranny. he highlighted the importance of alliances. but he slipped in a plea to those who will decide in a few months whether he remains in power: democracy is a fragile thing, and, all these years later, the battle for its survival is still in doubt. read the full story. alexander smith bénouville, france   the anniversary of d day is commemorated annually with solemn ceremonies and grand re enactments. but this year   the hugely symbolic 80th anniversary since that day of days   it may be the last major milestone for many veterans to recount in their own words the sheer brutality of that pivotal battle. around 200 veterans attended this year’s event, the youngest in their 90s and some over 100. and an unavoidable truth, mostly unspoken this week across normandy, is that the next five year anniversary will almost certainly look very different. read the full story. nbc news “you’re the savior of the people,” a u.s. veteran told ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy as the two men embraced in normandy. “no, no you. you saved europe,” replied zelenskyy. alexander smith omaha beach, france   the international d day ceremony at omaha beach is now in full swing, with musical and dance performances playing out on a wide stage, and paratroopers landing on the beach as other personnel play the bagpipes. macron is expected to speak later in the event. henry austin king charles told a d day veteran at a commemoration event in normandy on thursday that he was "doing well." inside a tent where tea and cakes were being served, ronald hendrey, 98, of clacton on sea, asked charles about his health. charles, 75, recently resumed public duties after he was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in february. doctors discovered the disease after he was hospitalized with an enlarged prostate, although the palace says that he does not have prostate cancer. “he was very nice, he listened to what i was saying and took it in,” hendrey told britain's press association news agency. “i asked him how he was doing, he told me he is doing well.” alexander smith omaha beach, france   world leaders, including biden and macron, have now arrived at the international d day ceremony on omaha beach, an event attended by some 25 heads of state and 4,500 spectators. ukraine’s volodymyr zelenskyy is among those attending, seen chatting with a number of world war ii veterans onstage and embracing them after arriving. despite moscow’s pivotal role in wwii, the russian delegation was uninvited to this week’s events, its presence deemed untenable because of russia’s ongoing invasion of ukraine. alexander smith colleville sur mer, france   by the time biden, macron and dozens of nonagenarian and centenarian veterans took the stage, the chilly morning had morphed into a scorcher. with little shade in the bleachers and topiary of the normandy american cemetery, many in the crowd resorted to using their programs as makeshift hats. organizers had warned attendees to bring their own food and water. nonetheless, the lack thereof on site caused many to burn through their own supplies and visibly wilt in the heat. the weather is something the veterans’ caregivers will have been acutely aware of during the ceremony, which was delayed by more than half an hour, with the former troops getting regular health checks throughout their trip. despite the thousands strong crowd, the speeches were received in near total silence, aside from the chirrup of an errant cellphone or the warble of a songbird high up in the pine trees. that pin drop calm was eventually broken by the chest rumbling roar of a flypast by four f 35s flying in the “missing wingman” formation. elyse perlmutter gumbiner reporting from paris paris   president joe biden has praised the “astounding” courage of the troops who fought on d day. “imagine what they had to come through,” biden told david muir, the anchor of “abc world news tonight.” “they got off those landing craft, many of them died.” describing their actions as “astounding,” biden added, “what it says to me is how critical alliances are, how critical alliances are for our security.” nbc news after president joe biden and his french counterpart emmanuel macron paid tribute to american veterans today, the ceremony ended with "the last post." a 21 gun salute followed before a moment of silence. then there was a flypast from f 35 jets in the missing man formation. henry austin hollywood star tom hanks praised d day veterans, telling nbc news their story is part of “the enlightenment that we should all embrace.” “the day is going to come where the last veteran of world war ii is going to go and perhaps that might be the last veteran of d day. and when it happens the good news is that their story will have been told by them,” he told peter alexander, nbc news' chief white house correspondent. “we have then a record of people who brought peace to the world, and their story must be told and studied, and it’s an example and it’s part of the enlightenment that we should all embrace,” added the star of “saving private ryan.” hanks said the d day commemorations gave people the opportunity to think about “why in the world were there a bunch of american soldiers over here when they could have stayed home?” “i’ll tell you, it’s because we’re a democracy and we’re an example to the rest of the world and we have always lived by the credo that sooner or later right minded people had to get together and do the right thing,” he said. “coming here in 1944 was not about claiming territory or getting rich or maintaining a status quo. it was actually about ensuring the future of the world,” he added. peter alexander reporting from colleville sur mer, france colleville sur mer, france   house minority leader hakeem jeffries told nbc news the generation that gave us the "wonderful gift" of having protected democracy and freedom needs to be cherished and remembered "always and forever." "it’s solemn it’s sober to be here, to give our respect to the people who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of america, american values, the free world democracy, all of which we have to fight hard to keep going," he said, speaking at the normandy american cemetery. europe and the world are caught in an "existential struggle" between democracy and autocracy, he added. "which is why i want to continue to stand on the side of ukraine, both because of ukraine’s existential struggle against russian aggression, but also what it means in terms of freedom and democracy throughout the world," jeffries said. yuliya talmazan robert “al” persichitti, an american veteran, died as he made a trip last week to attend the 80th anniversary of d day landing. persichitti, who was from new york, was 102. along with his guardian, persichitti flew to germany and they were on a ship sailing down the coast to normandy when he had a medical emergency, nbc affiliate whec tv reported. he was airlifted to a hospital in germany but later died, veterans traveling with him confirmed to the station. persichitti was a radioman on the command ship uss eldorado, and served in the pacific theatre, iwo jima, okinawa and guam, the station said. peter nicholas colleville sur mer, france   the official ceremony involving biden, macron and other dignitaries finishes with the playing of taps, a traditional military bugle call marking the end of the day. peter nicholas colleville sur mer, france   biden stresses the importance of alliances during his remarks in normandy. “here we proved that the ideas of democracy are stronger than any army or combination of armies in the entire world,” he says. “we proved something else as well: the unbreakable unity of the allies.” he goes on to praise nato’s strength and unity, drawing an implicit contrast with his republican rival, donald trump, who aides say considered withdrawing from nato. biden also works in a mention of ukraine’s war with russia. “the struggle between dictatorship and freedom is unending. here in europe we see one stark example. ukraine has been invaded by a tyrant bent on domination,” he says. “we cannot let what happened here be lost in the silence of the years to come. we must remember it, honor it and live it.” “democracy is never guaranteed,” he adds. peter nicholas colleville sur mer, france   biden name checks some of the individual veterans who are attending the ceremony and recounting what they did during the war. he mentions a woman who was an aircraft mechanic during the war and helped keep planes flying. he also singles out a member of the tuskegee airmen who is here. max butterworth biden stands with first lady jill biden, french president emmanuel macron and his wife, brigitte macron, at the american cemetery and memorial in colleville sur mer, france, today. elyse perlmutter gumbiner reporting from paris paris   biden has commissioned a challenge coin to honor those who served on d day and their families, the white house said in a statement today. the coin will feature an image of troops approaching the beaches of normandy and b 17 aircraft flying overhead, the white house said. the number 9388 will be etched in the sand on the coin, “representing the number of americans who remain in normandy to this day and lie at rest in the cemetery,” the statement added. yuliya talmazan austin gave his thanks to the survivors and those who fell on d day, leading to the liberation of europe and the postwar order that is increasingly under the threat. "we thank every allied worrier who fought for freedom on june 6, 1944," he said. "together with our allies, we built peace out of war," he added, a piece forged by generation that won the "bloodiest war in history." "we must again stand against aggression and tyranny," austin added. "you saved the world," he said to a loud applause from the audience. "and we must only defend it." peter nicholas colleville sur mer, france   the audience at the normandy american cemetery gives biden a standing ovation as he is introduced. the president takes off his aviator sunglasses before saying: “hitler and those with him thought democracies were weak.” biden said it was an honor to salute the veterans, and then turned to face the veterans seated behind him and did just that, speaking with force and clarity, more so than in his routine speeches from the white house. peter nicholas colleville sur mer, france   defense secretary lloyd austin honored the veterans gathered in normandy to commemorate d day. “we still seek a world where aggression is a sin and human rights are sacred and all people can live in freedom. so, we must rally again to defend the open, postwar world of rules, rights and responsibilities,” he told the crowd assembled at the normandy american cemetery. “those rules protect us. those rights define us. and those responsibilities summon us once more,” he said. austin then turned and saluted the veterans sitting behind his lectern. bita ryan yuliya talmazan president emmanuel macron is handing out france’s highest honor, légion d’honneur (legion of honor), to american veterans present at the ceremony as biden greets them afterward. the veterans each stand up, some assisted, to receive the honor. donnie edwards, the founder of the best defense foundation and a former kansas city chiefs linebacker, is helping veterans up from their wheelchairs. henry austin ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy has arrived in normandy, france. zelenskyy said on x that he is going to attend important meetings aimed at strengthening his nation at war, and that he is honored to be participating in the d day commemoration with biden, macron and others. “this event and day serve as a reminder of the courage and determination demonstrated in the pursuit of freedom and democracy,” zelenskyy said. “allies defended europe’s freedom then, and ukrainians do so now. unity prevailed then, and true unity can prevail today.” yuliya talmazan the french leader praised american veterans on the stage by name to thank them individually for their sacrifices. "you have come here," he said repeatedly. ‘you left everything behind and took risks,’ macron added, referring to their sacrifices on d day. peter nicholas reporting from colleville sur mer, france colleville sur mer, france   as macron delivered remarks in french, both biden and the first lady picked up headphones to hear the english translation. peter nicholas reporting from colleville sur mer, france colleville sur mer, france   biden, jill biden, french president macron and his wife, brigitte macron, are now standing to attention for the french national anthem. biden is wearing his trademark aviator sunglasses. as they strode onto the stage, a squadron of u.s. air force jets roared overhead. biden and macron stood ramrod straight as a band played their respective nations’ national anthems. yuliya talmazan president joe biden and french president emmanuel macron, accompanied by their wives, walked to the stage at the american cemetery. veterans and other dignitaries took to their feet as the leaders walked up a red and blue carpet. henry austin canadian prime minister justin trudeau paid tribute to the sacrifices made by allied forces, including 14,000 canadians who landed at juno beach. “on the battlefield, francophones, anglophones, indigenous people and new canadians came together as one. brave canadians like you sacrificed everything for our freedom,” he said. “there are no words to describe the immensity of the debt we owe you.” “we all have a responsibility to continue to share those stories so that future generations don’t forget the heroism and the courage it took to defend our freedoms, and to remember the dangers and the horrors of war,” trudeau added. nbc news biden shared a joke and a hug with one of the d day veterans during an official ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the normandy landings. although the sound was indistinct, the veteran apparently asked biden, “when do you sleep?” peter nicholas colleville sur mer, france   about 150 americans who took part in the d day landings were expected to attend the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary, which could be the last major milestone many will witness. it’s evident that at their advanced age, sitting through the ceremony isn’t easy. the day started out in the low 40s and now, in the early afternoon, there’s still a chill in the air. a few are bundled up in their wheelchairs, with blankets covering their legs and chest. uniformed soldiers and attendants are watching over them, making sure they’re keeping warm and adjusting their blankets. peter nicholas reporting from colleville sur mer, france colleville sur mer, france   the surprise guest at the 80th anniversary of the d day landings was an actor who, as much as anyone, taught later generations of americans what happened that morning. tom hanks, who starred in the 1998 film, “saving private ryan,” showed up at the american cemetery above omaha beach before the formal ceremony began and drew huge crowds as he stopped to give an interview to nbc news. onlookers walking the perimeter of the cemetery stopped to gawk at hanks, creating pedestrian bottlenecks and frustrating cemetery staff members who gently tried to shoo folks along. “that’s tom hanks,” visitors exclaimed. the hollywood legend, wearing a suit and tie, gracefully exchanged hellos. a reporter then thanked hanks for donating a coffee machine to the white house press room. “is it worn out yet?” hanks asked. “it’s probably taken a beating by now. i’ll include some coffee next time.” even hanks seemed awed, though, when he bumped into another guest walking on the grounds: c.q. brown, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. the actor thanked brown for his service and then remarked on what just happened. max butterworth a canadian parachutist trails smoke during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of d day at juno beach in normandy today. peter nicholas reporting from colleville sur mer, france colleville sur mer, france   one by one, d day veterans in wheelchairs are arriving on stage at the normandy american cemetery, above the omaha beach landing site where u.s. troops waded ashore 80 years ago under withering german fire. a large crowd of visitors has been standing and applauding throughout the procession, as uniformed officers wheel the veterans to their places on stage. one veteran drew a laugh from the crowd when he appeared to make a “phone me” gesture with his hand. another looked out at the crowd and gave a salute. french and american flags wave in a cool breeze. somber music is playing, interrupted at one point as fighter planes fly overhead in formation. alexander smith reporting from colleville sur mer, france colleville sur mer, france   the story of d day is often about the men who fought on the beaches and fields of normandy. often overlooked is the role played by women away from the front lines. one of them is jeanne gibson, 98, a “rosie the riveter” who was 18 in 1944 and worked as a welder building destroyers at a shipyard in seattle. she told nbc news that she was pleased women were finally getting the recognition they deserved for their crucial war efforts   but after too long a delay. “there have been parades and all sorts of things for the men   but nothing for the women,” she said at the american cemetery in normandy, where she will be part of the ceremony. “so this year it was wonderful.” born in north dakota and now living in pinole, california, she was taught to weld in just two weeks. she said her contribution “makes me proud   but i don’t want it to happen again.” yuliya talmazan king charles iii commemorated the sacrifices of more than 22,000 british troops who gave their lives during the d day landings and the battle of normandy during the special ceremony at the british normandy memorial in ver sur mer this morning. "over the past 40 years, i have had the great privilege of attending seven d day commemorations in normandy and meeting so many distinguished veterans," he said. "i shall never forget the haunting sights and sounds of thousands of be medaled figures proudly marching past into a french sunset on these beaches. our ability to learn from their stories at first hand diminishes. but our obligation to remember them, what they stood for and what they achieved for us all can never diminish," charles added. he also expressed his hope that such sacrifices would never be needed to be made again. max butterworth biden spoke with american veterans during a ceremony at the american cemetery in colleville sur mer. max butterworth nbc news chief white house correspondent peter alexander spoke to tom hanks during the d day 80th anniversary commemorations in normandy, northern france, today. max butterworth britain’s king charles iii and queen camilla attend the royal british legion’s commemorative event at the british normandy memorial at ver sur mer, northern france, today. nbc news although many are unable to march these days, veterans were pushed through the site, which started as a battlefield and turned into a graveyard memorial for their former colleagues. jake larson, a 101 year old american best known on social media under the name “papa jake,” told nbc news he was “reliving walking in on d day.” the associated press denmark’s prime minister said that this year’s observances of the d day landings, which come as russia is at war against ukraine, are a reminder that there is a price for defending freedom. “from d day, we have learned that freedom costs,” prime minister mette frederiksen said in a statement as she headed to normandy for ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the allied landings. “eighty years later, europe once again finds itself at a fateful moment. where freedom is once again being fought for on our own continent,” she said, “against an aggressive and brutal enemy who will dictate country borders with brute force and leave a trail of death and destruction.” alexander smith peter nicholas reporting from caen, france caen, france   for almost 80 years, the united states and europe told themselves that a lasting postwar peace had been won here, in the bloody shallows and sands along six miles of the normandy beach. today   perhaps the last major milestone for many of the invasion’s dwindling heroes   that peace in europe finds itself shattered. replacing it are fears of another world war that until recently seemed outlandish, uncertainty about washington’s european allyship that the normandy landings cemented, and questions about the future of the western alliance itself. “i believe that freedom and democracy are definitely under threat,” d day veteran harold terens, 100, told nbc news. read the full story here. peter nicholas colleville sur mer, france   tom hanks, arriving at the american cemetery above omaha beach, spoke briefly to nbc news about the d day anniversary and the people who had come to see the ceremony. “when i look around here today i see boys in high school, early in college, doing the right thing,” he told nbc news. asked if the movie “saving private ryan,” which depicted the d day invasion, was his most important film, hanks said: “i can’t say that.” he paused and added: “but you can.” henry austin biden has arrived in normandy for the d day anniversary celebrations. he was pictured disembarking from air force one alongside first lady jill biden at caen carpiquet airport in france. kelly cobiella reporting from normandy, france eighty years after american soldiers stormed the beaches of normandy on d day during world war ii, some of the veterans   who were teenagers at the time   are returning for the first time. peter nicholas reporting from colleville sur mer, france colleville sur mer, france   at 8:34 a.m. local time (3:34 a.m. et), president joe biden boarded air force one for the short flight from paris to normandy. traveling with him were a clutch of officials including secretary of state antony blinken and john kerry, a campaign adviser who was the democratic presidential nominee in 2004. biden arrived in paris yesterday and spent much of the day preparing for a pair of speeches he’ll deliver this week. he is scheduled to head back to paris after his speech today and tomorrow he’ll travel to pointe du hoc for another, which will draw on the inspirational story of u.s. army rangers who scaled sheer cliffs to gain a toehold in france in the face of withering german fire. jake sullivan, the white house’s national security adviser, said that biden’s speech at pointe du hoc will focus on “the stakes of that moment, an existential fight between a dictatorship and freedom.” biden, he added, will “talk about the men who scaled those cliffs and how they put the country ahead of themselves.” alexander smith reporting from colleville sur mer colleville sur mer, france   a chilly morning in normandy was slowly giving way to warm sunshine hours before the ceremony at the american cemetery at colleville sur mer, where biden will give a speech alongside a military flyover. later, an international ceremony on omaha beach will be attended by 25 world leaders, including biden, as well as around 4,500 guests. the sheer magnitude of this event has been clear in recent days, namely from the number of blue light convoys seen speeding around the highways in this rural corner of northwest france. these outriders and blacked out state vehicles have had to weave in and out of the world war ii era jeeps (top speed 30 mph) that have otherwise dominated the roads and winding lanes of the dense normandy countryside, the same dense “bocage” of fields and hedgerows that troops had to fight through 80 years ago today. henry austin as dawn broke on gold beach in maj. trevor macey lillie played the scottish lament “highland laddie” on the bagpipes on gold beach in normandy. the time honored tradition recreates the moment that thousands of british troops disembarked onto french beaches. macey lillie began in a landing craft utility before he was driven up the beach in a dukw amphibious vehicle. tony brown meagan fitzgerald reporting from saint ellier les bois, france it’s almost 80 years on, but marie bastien said the memory of the american fighter plane being shot down near her village in northern france remains as vivid as ever. “i still see it, as if it was yesterday,” bastien, 94, told nbc news in french last month before widespread celebrations across france on june 6 for the 80th anniversary of the d day landings. bastien was just 14 when 1st lt. paul chaufty’s fighter was shot out of the sky, but since then she has worked hard to keep his memory alive with her daughter mireille and her wider network of friends and family. her hard work paid off, and she recently stood alongside some of chaufty’s american relatives while a plaque honoring his memory was unveiled in the village. read the full story here. peter nicholas colleville sur mer, france president joe biden left the campaign trail this week and flew to france for the 80th anniversary of d day, where he’ll give speeches touting american alliances that beat back dictatorships bent on world conquest. biden is in a long string of presidents who have delivered that sort of message over the years as they built and sustained a western bloc rooted in free markets, democratic governance and individual freedoms. as yet unknown is whether he’ll be the last. read the full story here. max butterworth an american flag is unfurled, as a band of pipers play during an early morning ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of d day on utah beach, in normandy, northwestern france today. © 2025 nbcuniversal media, llc

an official website of the united states government here’s how you know official websites use .gov a .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the united states. secure .gov websites use https a lock ( lock a locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. va|news january 24, 2025 robert turtil va public affairs share this story general june 6, 2024 was the 80th anniversary of the d day landings that turned the tide of world war ii. it was commemorated on france’s normandy coast during the first two weeks of june 2024 with events remembering, celebrating and honoring the thousands of american and allied service members whose enormous sacrifices liberated europe. it is said that during these anniversary days, “all eyes turn to normandy.” though fewer world war ii veterans are still living, willing and able to travel to france, many came to join world leaders in an extraordinary show of enduring nato unity. the array of international observances and locally arranged events included memorial and monument ceremonies, picnics, dances, veteran meet and greets, concerts, parades of american marching bands, book and merchandise fairs, fireworks, marathons and seminars. with wwii military encampments, demonstrations, air shows and ceremonial flyovers, the numerous commemorations drew thousands of visitors, truckloads of international press and celebrity guests. lodging was scarce. roads closed with and without notice. life in the normally peaceful villages along the coast was turned upside down for weeks, even more than had been for any of the big 5 year anniversaries like the 75th, the 70th and earlier. heavy traffic, unusual for the often narrow french roads, kicked up dust for days. convoys transported reenactors and history enthusiasts in loaded down wwii era allied and axis armored vehicles, jeeps, trucks and motorcycles bearing license plates with mostly b, nl, d, and uk prefixes. military ambulances driven by jubilant medical corps garbed men and women; their sirens screeched incessantly. 1930s vintage cars displaying free france and resistance flags, filled with civilians in 40s dress, drove through parking lots packed with privately or club owned wwii vehicle collections. evidence of worn out, 80+ year old wwii surplus shouldered and, often, blocked roadways with breakdowns of historic (french) proportions. rubber necking passengers giggled, “mind the halftrack, honey,” then gasped at the sight of a ditched wwii kenworth 6 ton wrecker, its hood propped open while distraught, uniformed u.s. gi reenactors scrambled about chatting… in dutch. though catastrophically disabled, the truck’s olive drab paint and military markings were more perfect than the day it shipped from detroit in the 1940’s. lorries carrying sherman tanks, half tracks and other armored vehicles slowed the highways. vintage military vehicles filled with passengers dressed in american wwii uniforms but, curiously, were not american; they looked uncomfortable and out of place as they bounced dutifully along on thin seat padding, sans seatbelts, grasping officer’s caps and whatever else they could, with stylish scarves and headphones betraying their identities. passing the long convoys of smoky exhaust and brake lights, one could imagine racing up the highway to berlin in spring 1945. american veterans, their families and tourists came in on buses. so many buses, so many sights. service members from the states and american bases in europe, and allied service members from around the globe, took part in many of the ceremonies, adding a sense of military strength, pomp and alliance to the sandy, sunbaked proceedings. the long evenings found many troops relaxing at outdoor cafes enjoying a comparatively wonderful deployment. with the history of their homeland, normands are used to this kind of invasion. many residents are ardently pro american and fly u.s. flags year round. welcoming back returning american heroes and friends, hundreds more u.s. flags are flying over these weeks in appreciation for service and sacrifice. french schoolchildren are taught their history, and residents have reached out to americans who lost family members on their beach. many locals routinely come to place flowers at the nearby normandy american cemetery on memorial day and other u.s. holidays. the sky droned with c 47s/dc 3s filled with tourists and journalists, flying respectfully over the beaches, villages and cemeteries. a lone p 51 mustang and then a spitfire, a formation of piper cubs, were all here to honor the anniversary. huge nato c 130s streamed past sites throughout june 6 week, rehearsing for the flyovers with which nearly every major ceremony began, or ended. helicopters constantly buzzed the area, and folks residing on omaha beach would run out to wave if they thought any might be marine one. on the horizon, a few miles off omaha beach, lies anchored a french helicopter assault ship stationed for security and to provide a landing exhibit of nato capabilities. the french police saturated the countryside and manned every intersection. english was a language they demonstrably despised practicing with americans behind the wheel whose airbnb was, “just beyond that varee sign, s_’i_l_ _v_o_u_s_ _p_l_a_ît_?” patience was required. delays were enigmatic and endless. but the days were long and the weather was stunning, while everyone was similarly drawn to this time and place of courage, sacrifice and liberation. with u.s. flags flying everywhere, one felt bursting pride in what america has brought to these grateful people twice in the 20th century, with grit and blood, leaving nearly 10,000 countrymen resting in the cemetery nearby and thousands more in american battlefield monuments commission cemeteries across europe and africa. the small old glory displayed in the corner of our windshield drew salutes from reenactors and other celebrants we passed. it was easy to feel europe’s gratitude for the freedom that america fights for and defends again and again, as well as the friendship of america’s oldest ally that week. we hated to leave. visit the online flickr album containing photographs by va public affairs specialist robert turtil of d day 80 anniversary events in normandy, france, including: june 4, charles shay native american memorial ceremony; june 6 normandy american cemetery ceremony; june 7 ambulance donation from american groups to ukraine, and concerts and parades later that day on omaha beach at st. laurent sur mer; june 8 meeting of wwii veterans with french school children, as well as images which make this time and place so special, every year. the comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. if you are looking for assistance, please visit ask va or call 1 800 698 2411. please, never put personally identifiable information (ssan, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health information into the form   it will be deleted for your protection. went to church with a gentleman that stormed utah beach in the second wave. he made no qualms about it…it was hell, a living nightmare. as the child of a world war two veteran, growing up in a boomer neighborhood, i am well aware of the sacrifices that their generation made to secure freedom and democracy around the world. i still stand in awe at their resolve, sense of duty, and the courage to sally forth into danger for the sake of peoples that they have no connection to. i have grave doubts that america could ever muster strength of caliber ever again. we no longer require new arrivals to commit to become part of the american ideal. being an american used to mean something. now all we do is celebrate where they come from. the beacon on the hill needs the lantern re lit. my dad, richard o. moore was one of the first to land on omaha beach on d day. he was part of the 5th amphibious engineer group. my mother and i learned in 1993 that daddy was one of the soldiers that made it up the hill to the blochaus and was able to capture it so that the troops were not being fired upon any longer. he didn’t talk about that day, just that it truly was one of the most horrific days of his life. dad never told us about the capture, it was col. coppernol who informed us of this when we were invited to be honored guests of president bill clinton for d day 50. i was so proud of him and the rest of my family that fought the nazis to remove hitler from power and destruction. sadly, history is repeating itself today and this time it’s america’s freedom that is at stake. i am grateful that my dad, uncles both french and american are not here to see what is happening today. my late friend bud janeck landed on the beach (i forget which one) after the beaches were secured, he was a cook after all. hot meals were gratefully accepted by the weary gi’s. he visited normandy for the 60th (i think) anniversary. he won a raffle for one of the spent shell casings, and got to meet tom hanks. although i don’t remember all the details of his visit, one think has stayed with me for these many years. when he went to check out of the b & b at which he stayed, the proprietor told him, “no charge. thank you for your service”! save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time i comment. δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); the 80th anniversary of the beginning of world war ii's battle of the bulge was commemorated at the world war ii memorial in washington, d.c. on monday, dec. 16, 2024. va’s newest life insurance program, veterans affairs life insurance (valife), has been open for two years and now provides full coverage to its policyholders who enrolled in january 2023. from nov. 4 to 11, buildings and homes across the country will light up green to recognize the sacrifice and strength of our veterans as they transition from military to civilian life. if you are a veteran in crisis or concerned about one, connect with our caring, qualified responders for confidential help. many of them are veterans themselves. get more resources at veteranscrisisline.net. last updated january 24, 2025 va news an official website of the u.s. department of veterans affairs looking for u.s. government information and services? visit usa.gov

our live coverage of the 80th anniversary of d day has ended. read more about d day here or scroll through the posts on today’s events below. french president emmanuel macron closed the international ceremony marking 80 years since d day with a speech honoring the soldiers who fought in the largest seaborne invasion in human history and, as other leaders have done throughout the day, drawing parallels to the current geopolitical unrest   most notably the war in ukraine. “here, 80 years ago to the day, these men defied all odds to liberate our soil, our nation,” macron said. perhaps the strongest part of macron’s speech was its end, in which he honored ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky   who was in attendance   and the ukrainian people’s fight against russia. “faced with the return of war to our continent, faced with the questioning of everything they fought for, faced with those who claim to change borders by force or rewrite history, let us be worthy of those who landed here. your presence here today, mr. president of ukraine, says it all,” macron said, followed by a brief interruption of the roar of a fighter jet flyover. europe has not seen the type of ground conflict that is raging in ukraine since the end of world war ii, and this year’s anniversary comes as russian forces advance on the battlefield   handing kyiv a series of tactical defeats and poking holes in the already fragile western alliance opposed to the kremlin’s war. “we know that liberty is a fight for every morning,” macron added. “for everyone in this world that lives hoping for liberty, for equality, for fraternity the sixth of june is a day without end, a never ending dawn.” robert persichitti, a 102 year old world war ii us navy veteran, died last week while on his way to france to commemorate the 80th anniversary of d day, according to honor flight rochester, a veterans organization. persichitti was a “wonderful, pleasant, humble guy,” who was “easy to talk to,” said honor flight rochester president and ceo richard stewart, who told cnn he learned of his friend’s death last friday. “we miss him,” said stewart. while persichitti passed away bound for normandy   where the allied forces’ landing on june 6, 1944, laid the foundation for the defeat of nazi germany   he served in the pacific as a radioman aboard the uss eldorado, stewart said. his tour of duty included iwo jima, okinawa and guam, according to stewart and the new york state senate veterans hall of fame, into which persichitti was inducted in 2020. persichitti fell ill last week during a stop in germany while headed for normandy, al decarlo, a friend who was traveling with persichitti, told cnn affiliate wham. persichitti was airlifted to the hospital and died soon after, decarlo said. “the doctor was with him. he was not alone, he was at peace and he was comfortable,” decarlo said. “she put his favorite singer, frank sinatra, on her phone and he peacefully left us.” persichitti had heart problems in the past, “but for 102, i would say he was in superb health,” stewart told cnn. persichitti was born in a coal mining town outside pittsburgh, stewart said, describing his friend’s “humble, poor beginnings.” after the war, persichitti worked as a carpentry teacher in rochester, new york, according to the veterans hall of fame, and in 1972 received a degree from suny buffalo. former us president donald trump on thursday posted a tribute to the “immortal heroes who landed at normandy” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the d day landings in normandy. “today, we honor the immortal heroes who landed at normandy 80 years ago. the men of d day will live forever in history as among the bravest, noblest, and greatest americans ever to walk the earth. they shed their blood, and thousands gave their lives, in defense of american freedom. they are in our hearts today and for all time,” trump posted on truth social. french president emmanuel macron used the international ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of d day to award the legion of honor, france’s highest military or civilian distinction, to three more american veterans: joseph miller, richard calvin rung and arlester brown. earlier in the day, macron awarded the legion of honor to christian lamb, a 104 year old british woman credited with having made the maps for the d day landing, and 11 other american veterans. as the international ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of d day on omaha beach is underway, testimonials from those who fought in the war are currently being read out. along with the testimonials, musical performances are demonstrated in front of attendees. french president emmanuel macron is set to deliver an address later during the ceremony. us defense secretary lloyd austin discussed russia’s war in ukraine while participating in d day ceremonies, telling cnn’s wolf blitzer that “ukraine matters.” “i have engaged members of congress on both sides, in both parties. i have seen throughout strong support for ukraine, and even though it took a while to get the legislation through, i was confident that that the right thing was going to happen.” he continued, “because anytime you see that type of support on both sides of the aisle for a cause, congress will find a way to get things done, which is what they did in this case, because it’s the right thing to do.” the international ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of d day on omaha beach has begun. more than 20 heads of state and government and representatives from royal families across europe are in attendance. french president emmanuel macron is set to deliver an address later during the ceremony. ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky arrived at thursday’s international ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of d day to a standing ovation and a rousing applause. zelensky’s presence   and russian leader vladimir putin’s absence, despite soviet russia’s key role in winning the war in europe   is highly symbolic given how the war in ukraine is casting a shadow over the day’s events. several world leaders have already used their speeches to cast parallels between russia’s invasion of ukraine and the aggression of nazi germany that sparked world war ii. watch the moment here: this afternoon’s international ceremony on omaha beach marking 80 years since the d day landings may very well be the last major commemoration to involve living veterans in significant numbers. major events are held every five years, and all of the veterans are in their late 90s or early 100s. about 200 veterans are believed to have traveled to normandy for today’s events   approximately 150 from the united states and more than 40 from the united kingdom. another 15 were part of the canadian delegation that made the transatlantic trip. “veterans are the heart of this commemoration,” said gen. michel delion, the ceo of the french government agency in charge of the french commemoration efforts, mission liberation. “we are perfectly aware that for these centenarians, this is maybe the last chance to return to the beaches where they landed, where they fought and where their brothers in arms fell,” delion told reporters in april that organizers were attempting to do everything they could to make the ceremony as easy as possible for the centenarians in attendance. their rehearsals even included wheelchair runs, delion said. among the measures delion said he and his team were planning on taking were keeping the ceremonies less than an hour in length and trying to ensure they start on time so that the centenarians wouldn’t spend too much time seated. a handful of veterans also arrived at the ceremony after many official dignitaries and heads of state and government, in a break with normal protocol for these types of events. delion said in april that french organizers were considering such a move as a means of making the ceremony easier on vets. among those awarded a legion of honor   france’s highest civilian and military award   today was british woman christian lamb. lamb, now 104 years old, enlisted in the army in 1939 as a first aid worker before eventually joining the women’s royal navy service   also known as the wrens. she proved herself as a capable mariner, and was quickly promoted through the ranks, ultimately posted to winston churchill’s war rooms in london, where britain’s war operations were planned. she is credited with having made the maps for the d day landing. jake larson, veteran and tiktok star, said that heroes gave up their life so that he could make it, while discussing the 80th anniversary of the d day landings in normandy. “i don’t think i was a hero. i, i was just like everybody else. we, we were all in this together,” he told cnn’s christiane amanpour. “my god i had, i got a wife, i got children, i got two boys and a girl. i got nine grandchildren. i got 11 great grandchildren. i’ve got a grandson that’s a grandfather and i’m still going. crazy!” he said. asked if he’d come back to normandy again, larson said, “yes, i’d come back again just to honor all those that gave their life so that i could be here.” it’s been a perfect day for a “duck” ride on the shores of normandy. these world war ii era dukws   amphibious vehicles that became known more fondly as “ducks”   helped bring in around 40% of all supplies that came ashore on the beaches of normandy starting on d day until mid july. they were crucial in bringing weapons and equipment straight from ships far from the coast, all the way up to the advancing front lines   so much so that the supreme commander of the allied expeditionary force in europe, gen. dwight eisenhower, regarded them as as “one of the most valuable pieces of equipment produced by the united states during the war.” eighty years on, the ducks are back off the coast of normandy. many are maintained by civilians like denis le priol, who’s owned his for 30 years. he works year round and at great expense to keep his duck in working order. every year on the anniversary of the largest amphibious landing in history, le priol brings his duck down to arromanches les bains   one of the beaches where british forces landed   “out of a duty of memory” “a lot of people died for our freedom and i need to help the young generation understand what happened here,” he said. he said his favorite part is taking kids on board to pique their interest in what happened here. “no amount of school books can achieve that,” he says. world leaders have come together on the beaches of normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of the d day landings in normandy. us president joe biden, french president emmanuel macron, british prime minister rishi sunak and canadian prime minister justin trudeau are among more than 20 heads of state and government attending events on thursday being held across normandy to honor the nearly 160,000 allied troops who fought there. in his first overseas trip since being diagnosed with cancer, britain’s king charles iii participated in a commemoration this morning held at the british normandy memorial, where he delivered a speech honoring those who fought in the battle for normandy and the french civilians and resistance fighters who lost their lives during world war ii. the british commemoration concluded with charles and macron, along with their spouses, laying wreaths to honor the troops who lost their lives. trudeau honored canada’s efforts during the d day landing and the sacrifices of the country’s soldiers in a speech at his country’s commemoration in the small norman town of corseulles sur mer on thursday morning. during the us d day 80 year anniversary commemoration at the normandy american cemetery and memorial in colleville sur mer, france, those in attendance heard macron, biden, secretary of the american battle monuments commission charles djou and us secretary of defense lloyd austin give thanks to veterans and honored several who made the journey back to normandy. as the day continues, towns across normandy are hosting their own events. a larger international event organized by the french will also be held on omaha beach, where american troops suffered their heaviest casualties on d day. british paratroopers were greeted by french customs officials when they landed in a normandy field wednesday as part of thursday’s d day commemorations. following brexit, british citizens face enhanced border checks when entering the european schengen zone. watch the moment here: french president emmanuel macron honored 11 american veterans with the legion of honor, france’s highest civilian and military award. macron told the veterans he was honoring them “for your bravery, for your service to our freedom.” the award was created in 1802 by napoleon. here are the following american veterans who were given the honor: about 150 american veterans made the journey to normandy to commemorate the anniversary, about two dozen of whom fought on d day, according to charles djou, the secretary of the american battle monuments commission (abmc), the independent agency responsible for managing us military cemeteries and monuments overseas. eighty years to the day after the “placid lassie’” first flew in the skies above france, towing american soldiers in a glider into battle, she soared once again over normandy. a troop carrying c 47 aircraft, the placid lassie is one of seven world war ii era aircraft taking part in d day commemorations this week, kept flying by teams of volunteer pilots and mechanics. “it’s not an airplane that looks like it. not a replica, not something that approximates it or represents it, but this actual airplane that flew over the beaches of normandy,” pilot eric zipkin said. “so there’s an extraordinary feeling of responsibility and importance.” most of these aircraft from the united states based d day squadron, an organization that put together the placid lassie’s trip to normandy this year alongside several other similar aircraft. the journey took six days, as these aircraft were built for flight during another era. they require fuel, tools and spare parts not readily available on the market today, zipkin said. zipkin believes that flying these planes is one of the most important ways to bring the history of wwii to life   second only to the stories shared by the dwindling number of living veterans. without modern avionics, navigation or communication equipment, flying the aircraft is a visceral and tactile experience, one that demands mastering a new way of flying, zipkin said. however, growing costs and the advanced age of the air frames may make this the last time the public sees such a large formation of these veteran birds in flight in europe. he estimated that it costs the owners of the planes each $150,000 to $200,000 to make the journey one way. “that’s just to just just to show up. and then, of course, flying in the uk and europe is extremely expensive, probably twice what it costs in the united states,” zipkin said. as celebrations for the 80th anniversary of d day are underway, actor tom hanks spoke with cnn’s christiane amanpour about democracy, saying he believes the us and western societies “cannot help but turn towards what is right.” “our constitution says, ‘we the people of the united states, in order to form a more perfect union.’ that journey to a more perfect union has missteps in it,” hanks said. “over the long term, however, we inevitably make progress towards, i think, a more perfect union. and how does it come about? it comes about not because of somebody’s narrative of who is right or who is a victim. it comes out of the slow melding of the truth to the actual practical life that we end up living,” he said. watch here: speaking at a commemoration service marking the 80th anniversary of the d day landings, us president joe biden warned “the price of unchecked tyranny is the blood of the young and the brave.” his comments come on a day that ukraine’s fight against russia’s invasion has been a major theme and frequent parallels have been drawn by numerous leaders. in his speech, the president drew direct parallels between nazi germany and the threats facing western democracies today. “ukrainians are fighting with extraordinary courage, suffering great losses but never backing down,” biden said. here’s what else to know about biden’s speech: us president joe biden acknowledged that this year’s commemoration of d day may be the last to involve living veterans, a fact that he said must push americans to continue the fight against tyranny. “we’re not far off from the time when the last living voices of those who fought and bled on d day will no longer be with us, so we have a special obligation. we cannot let what happened here be lost in the silence of the years to come,” biden said.“the fact that they were heroes here that day does not absolve us of what we have do today. democracy is not guaranteed. every generation must preserve it, defend it and fight for it.” “in memory of those who fought here, died here and literally saved the world here, let us be worthy of their sacrifice,” biden added. ukraine’s president volodymyr zelensky has called for “true unity” to prevail as it did when allied forces rallied together to defend “europe’s freedoms,” as d day anniversary commemorations took place thursday. ukraine’s fight against russia’s invasion has been a major theme of the d day commemorations on thursday and frequent parallels have been drawn by numerous leaders. “allies defended europe’s freedom then, and ukrainians do so now. unity prevailed then, and true unity can prevail today,” he posted on x thursday. he said that he and first lady olena zelenska were honored to take part in today’s “special event,” adding that he wants to strengthen his country and promote unity among “all those who respect human values and life.” “this event and day serve as a reminder of the courage and determination demonstrated in the pursuit of freedom and democracy,” he added. us president joe biden ended his speech with a metaphoric call to arms against the forces of tyranny that threaten western democracies, “history tells us freedom is not free. if you want to know the price of freedom, come here to normandy,” biden said from the normandy american cemetery and memorial in colleville sur mer, france. “remember, the price of unchecked tyranny is the blood of the young and the brave.” he continued: “we’re living in a time when democracy is more at risk across the world than any point since the end of world war ii, since these beaches were stormed,” biden said. “in their hour of trial, the allied forces of d day did their duty. now the question for us is, in our hour of trial, will we do ours?” us president joe biden is using his speech to mark the 80th anniversary of d day to draw direct parallels between nazi germany and the threats facing western democracies today   including in eastern europe. “we know the dark forces that these heroes fought against 80 years ago. they never fade. aggression and greed, the desire to dominate and control, to change borders by force. these are perennial. and the struggle between a dictatorship and freedom is unending,” biden said. biden mentioned ukraine specifically, saying the country has been “invaded by a tyrant bent on domination.” “ukrainians are fighting with extraordinary courage, suffering great losses but never backing down,” biden said. the us president claimed that 350,000 russian troops had been killed or wounded in the conflict and that nearly 1 million people had fled russia since it launched its full scale invasion against ukraine in february 2022. the kremlin has not publicly confirmed either figure. “the united states and nato and a coalition of more than 50 countries (are) standing strong with ukraine. we will not walk away,” biden said. “because if we do, ukraine will be subjugated, and it will not end there. ukraine’s neighbors will be threatened. all of europe will be threatened. and make no mistake, the autocrats of the world are watching closely to see what happens in ukraine. to see if we let this illegal aggression go unchecked. we cannot let that happen. to surrender to bullies, to bow down to dictators is simply unthinkable.” us president joe biden appeared to hit back at former president donald trump’s brand of “america first” isolationism in his speech marking the 80th anniversary of d day. “america’s unique ability to bring countries together is an undeniably source of our power. isolationism was not the answer 80 years ago and is not the answer today,” biden said. watch here: us president joe biden acknowledged the thousands of people of color and women who served in world war ii in his speech commemorating d day. “every soldier who stormed the beach, who dropped by parachute or landed by glider. every sailor who manned the thousands of ships and landing craft. every aviator who destroyed german controlled airfields, bridges, and railroads. all, all were backed by other brave americans, including hundreds of thousands of people of color and women who courageously served despite unjust limitation on what they could do for their nation,” biden said. us president joe biden began his speech commemorating d day by saluting world war ii veterans who served in the invasion of europe 80 years ago. opening his address at the memorial, biden turned to the veterans, who were seated on stage, and said it was “the highest honor to be able to salute you in normandy once more. all of you. god love you.” multiple us veterans were awarded france’s legion of honor by president emmanuel macron earlier in the ceremony. us president joe biden honored by name several veterans who made the journey back to normandy 80 years after the d day landings during his speech at the normandy american cemetery and memorial in colleville sur mer, france. “from the sea and sky, nearly 160,000 allied troops descended on normandy. many, to state the obvious, never came home,” biden said. “a few, a notable band of brothers, are here today.” they include: biden said the americans who fought in normandy became heroes “because they were given an audacious mission knowing   every one of them knew   the probability of dying was real. but they did it anyway. “they knew, beyond any doubt, that there are things worth fighting and dying for. freedom is worth it. democracy is worth it. america is worth it. the world is worth it. then, now and always,” biden said. “here we proved that the ideals of our democracy are stronger than any army or combination of armies in the entire world.” leaders from the united states, united kingdom, france and canada have gathered in normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of the d day celebrations. us president joe biden began the day meeting veterans who served in the d day assault, before attending a ceremony with french president emmanuel macron. veterans from the us made the journey back to france to mark the occasion. some were awarded france’s legion of honor by macron. there was a fly over by the red arrows as ceremonies began. macron also met with veterans, including 98 year old alec penstone, who made the trip to normandy from the united kingdom. dozens of veterans made lengthy journeys from around the world gathered to commemorate the sacrifices made in 1944. britain’s royal family were in attendance, including king charles and queen camilla who met with macron and france’s first lady brigitte macron. us secretary of defense lloyd austin gave thanks to the veterans in comments marking the 80th anniversary of the d day landings in normandy. “on behalf of the united states department of defense, i am here to give thanks, inadequate as that word may be. eighty years later we thank the young americans who took the beaches who helped liberate france, and who helped free this continent from nazi tyranny,” he said. speaking to the veterans, he said, “victors of d day, we are humbled by your presence. the young americans who fought through the clamor and the chaos of d day have grown old or left us. and whenever a veteran of d day is gathered to his maker in the fullness of time, after a long life lived in freedom, he wins a final victory over hitler.” “let us again thank the heroes of d day who kept freedom alive for us all. you saved the world,” austin said. watch here: french president emmanuel macron opened his speech at the normandy american cemetery and memorial in colleville sur mer, france, by lauding the american soldiers who landed on the shores of normandy 80 years ago. “we are linked by the grandeur of a people ready to die on a land that is not their own, but a cause that is theirs,” macron said. he continued: “you left everything, crossed the ocean and landed on the coast of france eight decades ago … you left everything and risked everything for our independence, for our freedom. that we will never forget.” president joe biden reinforced the importance of the us’ alliances across the world, saying he was struck by the solemnity of the ceremonies honoring veterans who served on d day 80 years ago. biden told abc news in an interview from normandy that the sacrifice of soldiers was “astounding.” “now imagine what they had to come through   i was here 30 years ago, came in on a landing craft. you could see from out there what they saw here. the idea that they get off those boats, they get off those landing crafts, many of them died, sinking   you come across that beach, as long as it   it’s just astounding. it’s astounding,” he said. “what it says to me is, how critical alliances are, how critical alliances are for our security,” biden said. the president has sought to contrast his vision of foreign policy with that of former president donald trump, who has struck a more isolationist tone, describing the nato alliance as “obsolete,” and threatening to withdraw from the alliance. secretary of the american battle monuments commission charles djou said americans fight not for conquest, but for “humble values” at the 80th anniversary of the d day landings in normandy, france. djou said d day reflected “the very best of america’s values.” “the values of freedom, liberty and democracy. and when the job is done, when the mission is accomplished, when the tyrant is taken down and democracy is stood up, america does something unique in the history of mankind. we go home.” djou said the d day memorial reminded americans of the cost of war, and the price of freedom that americans paid 80 years ago. he added that americans would fight for freedom again “if necessary” in pointed remarks aimed at russia and china. “we remind all authoritarian dictators today that if necessary, we will pay that price again to ensure the success of freedom” he said. watch here: veterans are on their feet for the start of the us d day 80 year anniversary commemoration at the normandy american cemetery and memorial in colleville sur mer, france. us president joe biden arrived with first lady dr. jill biden, as well as french president emmanuel macron and brigitte macron. planes flew overhead as the ceremony began. gen. charles q. brown, chairman of the us joint chiefs of staff, said “our freedom is not free” when discussing the value of democracy and freedom. “and democracy can stand on its own, but we’ve got to make sure we’re prepared. and one of the things i’ve focused on is ensuring that we have fighting skill to deter future conflict,” brown told cnn’s christiane amanpour, speaking in normandy on the 80th anniversary of the d day invasion. when asked by amanpour if people at home understand how difficult the situation we’re living through right now is, brown said, “i have a sense it’s coming along.” “we got to continue to remind folks that when you look at the situation that we’re seeing that we just can’t watch. we got to, we got to lead,” he said. prince william, french prime minister gabriel attal and canadian prime minister justin trudeau have laid a wreath on normandy beach. the leaders walked to the beach where thousands of allied troops were killed in 1944 fighting for the liberation of france. the laying of the wreath was accompanied by music from the royal canadian air force, which consists of troops from ottawa, quebec and winnipeg. britain’s king charles iii and queen camilla attended the uk ministry of defense and the royal british legion’s commemorative event at the british normandy memorial at ver sur mer on thursday morning. charles   on his first trip overseas since his cancer diagnosis   is patron of the royal british legion and normandy memorial trust. while the 75 year old monarch made the trip to france, he will not be present at the international ceremony on omaha beach with other heads of state later on thursday. instead, in a planned decision, prince william will represent britain’s royal family. the optics of seeing the prince of wales instead of his father will not be lost on those within the royal household. cnn understands that it wasn’t a deliberate orchestration. remember: king charles only recently returned to public engagements after getting the green light from his doctors who were “encouraged” by his progress. he is continuing to receive treatment and each engagement the 75 year old sovereign carries out is being reviewed and adapted where necessary by his medical team to ensure his continued recovery. it appears the king is continuing to follow his doctor’s guidance, which is behind his absence at the international commemoration on thursday afternoon. a royal source told cnn that it was considered a step too far at this stage but that the monarch was delighted the prince of wales was representing the nation. french prime minister gabriel attal said in a speech during the canadian commemoration of the 80th anniversary of d day that france is eternally grateful for the sacrifices canadian and other allied soldiers made. speaking at juno beach, where 14,000 canadian troops landed on d day, attal said that france’s gratitude is both “eternal” and “infinite.” “france will never forget those who fell for her. never will she forget that on this sand, the blood of canadian youth was spilled for our freedom,” he said. “the memory of veterans of world war ii will never fade away,” attal added. “never will the flame of heroism weaken.” attal also addressed his relative youth   he is just 35 years old and became france’s youngest ever prime minister earlier this year   and how his generation was able to enjoy a life without war due to the sacrifices of world war ii veterans. “i belong to a generation who has never known war. a generation whose parents didn’t know war. a generation that grew up under the signs of freedom and liberty,” attal said. “history is a lesson for the future and today, more than ever, we need to hear and listen as war knocks once again on europe’s doorstop.” us president joe biden will shortly begin speaking at the d day 80th anniversary commemorations. he is at the ceremony with first lady dr. jill biden, and has spent the morning meeting with veterans. our reporters will bring you the latest updates as we get them here, but click the play button at the top of this page to watch his speech live. us house minority leader hakeem jeffries on thursday used the 80th anniversary of d day to push back on donald trump’s claim that america is a “fascist state” following his recent felony conviction in new york. “well, america is a democracy … and we have to fight to make sure that we can keep that going forward,” jeffries told kasie hunt from normandy, france on “cnn this morning.” “the fight against fascism was waged by our brave american heroes … 80 years ago today, which began the liberation fight at the highest level against nazi germany, hitler and fascism,” he continued. jeffries, the top house democrat, added that “nobody ever wants to go back to where we were on those very, very dark days in world history and again, i think we can draw strength from that resilience.” he urged that democracy “doesn’t simply run on autopilot” and that today’s events in normandy, where the president is meeting with veterans, represent an “important recommitment to the principles of democracy.” jeffries said he’s “confident” that the american people will “pull together” in ways that are consistent with the founding principles of the united states. he also stressed that in the context of the war between russia and ukraine today, “we can draw strength from the incredible resilience” that d day veterans showed nearly a century ago and maintain a “rules based society” in the world. russian president vladimir putin is not among world leaders marking the 80th anniversary of the d day landing, despite the soviet union’s inclusion among the second world war allies. in may, french president emmanuel macron ruled that no russian representatives would be invited, building on an earlier decision to allow moscow to send some representatives   just not higher officials   given russia’s historic role in defeating nazi germany. the war on the eastern front, known in russia as the great patriotic war, cost the soviet union more than 25 million military and civilian lives   more than any other country lost during the war. the allied war against nazi germany ended with the fall of berlin to the red army in 1945. the last time putin attended d day commemorations was in 2014 for the 70th anniversary of the 1944 landings, hosted by former french president francois hollande. that appearance was clouded by russia’s annexation of crimea and the ceremony was the scene of an impromptu meeting between former us president barack obama and putin. the decision to not invite russia comes as putin ramps up his rhetoric around a global conflict and warns of the potential use of nuclear weapons. on wednesday, the russian president warned western countries they’re taking a “very serious and dangerous step” by supplying weapons to ukraine, which could result in moscow arming their enemies. ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky is at the commemorations and will be meeting with world leaders, including us president joe biden. canadian prime minister justin trudeau honored canada’s efforts during the d day landing and the sacrifices of the country’s soldiers in a speech at his country’s commemoration in the small norman town of corseulles sur mer on thursday morning. “we remember your sacrifices, we remember your stories. it is the responsibility of everyone to continue to share these stories so that future generations never forget the heroism and the courage that was taken to defend our freedom,” trudeau said. “i can promise you that canada and the world will keep commemorating this significant day for decades and generations to come.” speaking in a mix of french and english on the shores of juno beach, where more than 14,000 canadian troops landed on d day, trudeau spoke of the heroism of canada’s soldiers   an all volunteer outfit as of june 6, 1944. “canadian infantry and armored troops were assigned a landing zone of their own, right here at juno beach. it was a testament to the esteem held for canadian soldiers that a country with such a relatively small population would be given such an important role in operation overlord. the canadians proved up to the task,” trudeau said. “on this day 80 years ago, canadian troops progressed further inland than any of our allies. it was a remarkable achievement. a costly one, too.” trudeau ended his speech by drawing a parallels between world war ii and the threats facing western democracies today. “democracy is still under threat,” he said. “it is threatened by aggressors who want to redraw borders. it is threatened by demagoguery, misinformation, disinformation, foreign interference. we must all continue to stand for democracy day in and day out. we owe it to future generations and we owe it to the great women and men in uniform who sacrificed so much for our collective freedom.” the prince of wales on thursday paid tribute to the 14,000 canadian troops who fought in normandy on june 6, 1944 “shoulder to shoulder, with thousands of british troops.” “standing here today in peaceful silence, it is almost impossible to grasp the courage it would have taken to run into the fury of battle that very day,” he said from normandy. the prince of wales said the d day assault remained the “most ambitious” in military history, that “ultimately led to the liberation of europe.” he paid tribute to the canadians who died in d day, and “every canadian family who lost a loved one” and veterans who lived “with the scars of battle.” the british commemoration being held at the british normandy memorial concluded with king charles iii, french president emmanuel macron and their spouses laying wreaths to honor the troops who lost their lives on d day and the ensuing battle for normandy. macron is expected to head to the ceremony at the american cemetery in nearby colleville sur mer later this morning. president joe biden and first lady dr. jill biden met thursday morning with veterans in normandy, france at d day commemorations. the president shook hands and took photos with various veterans, many of whom wore their military metals and red poppies. the red poppy is a mark of remembrance in europe from the world wars. it came to be because after the destruction of the world wars, red poppies grew in the fields destroyed by battle. “you saved the soul of the nation   you really did,” biden told one of the veterans, whom he met inside a glassed gazebo with american and french flags. “give me a hug, god love ya… it’s my honor   my honor,” he told another. “i have a question   when the hell do you sleep?” one asked him, to which biden joked, “when the press isn’t looking.”’ one of the veterans gave biden a challenge coin in return. “you got one for me! god love ya, i’m a collector.” “keep the faith, man,” biden said to another veteran, who told him he’s having a birthday this saturday. biden led a rendition of “happy birthday” as he offered his thanks. “god willing, we’ll see you at the 110th anniversary,” biden said, saluting another. the new world for which the greatest generation sacrificed in the bloody surf of the normandy beaches is fading into history along with the last of the old soldiers. the 80th anniversary of the d day landings observed by president joe biden in france thursday will likely be the last major decennial commemoration attended by significant numbers of veterans. even a 19 year old who stormed ashore in the biggest amphibious operation in history would soon be 100. this year’s memorial ceremony represents far more than a poignant farewell to surviving comrades of more than 150,000 allied troops who forged a beachhead for the liberation of europe from adolf hitler’s nazis. presidents, prime ministers and monarchs from nato nations are gathering at a paradoxical moment. they are unusually united but experiencing growing dread. the alliance has a new sense of mission in opposing another war started by a tyrant bent on territorial expansion   this time in ukraine. but at no point since june 6, 1944, has the unshakable us leadership of the west and support for internationalist values been so in question. democracy is facing its sternest test in generations from far right populism on the march on both sides of the atlantic ocean. geopolitical empires like russia and china are, meanwhile, resurgent and threatening to obliterate the global system dominated by western values that has prevailed since world war ii. read more about why this d day is particularly poignant for european and us leaders. king charles iii of britain participated in his country’s thursday morning commemoration held at the british normandy memorial by delivering a speech honoring those who fought in the battle for normandy and the french civilians and resistance fighters who lost their lives during world war ii. “our gratitude is unfailing and our admiration eternal,” charles said. more than 22,000 british service personnel gave their lives during d day and the ensuing battle of normandy. “on the beaches of normandy, in the seas beyond and in the skies overhead, our armed forces carried out their duty with a humbling sense of resolve and determination,” charles said. “very many of them never came home. they lost their lives on the d day landing grounds or in the many battles that followed. it is with the most profound sense of gratitude that we remember all those that served at that critical time.” in his address, charles also acknowledged that the world will no longer have any remaining survivors of world war ii. the veterans that are still alive are all in their 90s and 100s. “as the years passed, the veterans of the normandy campaign become ever fewer in number,” charles said. “our ability to learn from their stories first hand diminishes, but our obligation to remember them, what they stood for and what they achieved for us all can never diminish.” the king, whose trip to france is his first overseas since being diagnosed with cancer, also spoke in french when honoring the french civilians and resistance fighters who lost their lives fighting nazi germany. this year marks the 80th anniversary of d day, the largest amphibious invasion in history. there were many allied casualties that day   around 4,440 allied troops were confirmed dead, according to the commonwealth war graves commission, with more than 5,800 troops wounded or missing. see more photos of this historic day. american, british and canadian events are being held this morning at their respective cemeteries in normandy, after which a larger international event organized by the french will be held on omaha beach, where american troops suffered their heaviest casualties on d day. towns across normandy also host their own events throughout the day. with so many heads of state in town, the security measures in place are intense. a massive contingent of 43,000 security personnel have been deployed over the week’s events, the interior ministry has said. for thursday’s events, 12,000 agents will be on hand. heavy travel restrictions put in place by french authorities will also effectively cut off the norman coastline and the normally sleepy towns that dot it from the rest of the country. nearly 1 million spectators are expected, according to the french interior ministry. but organizers and veterans themselves also acknowledge that this year could be the last major commemoration in which living veterans are able to attend. about 200 veterans from the canada, the united kingdom and the united states are expected to make the journey, many of whom are more than 100 years old. “everything you see in the modern world in a lot of ways can be traced to this particular day,” said charles djou, the secretary of the american battle monuments commission (abmc), the independent agency responsible for managing us military cemeteries and monuments overseas. “the fact that we’re going to have likely the very last time a large group of these veterans coming together who fought on this particular day makes it all that much more poignant, particularly in the context of global affairs right now.” read more about how organizers are going all out for the commemorations. britain’s king charles iii is making the journey across the english channel for d day commemorations, in what will be his first overseas trip since being diagnosed with cancer. he’ll be joined by queen camilla and prince william, according to buckingham palace. on thursday morning, the 75 year old monarch will attend the uk ministry of defence and the royal british legion’s commemorative event at the british normandy memorial at ver sur mer. his son william will represent the royal family at the international ceremony at omaha beach. yesterday the king and senior royals joined leading politicians and veterans at the uk’s national commemorative event in portsmouth. the city on england’s south coast is where allied troops departed from ahead of the largest seaborne invasion in history on the german occupied french coast across the english channel. in a speech on wednesday, charles praised veterans for their “courage, resilience and solidarity.” “it is our duty to ensure that we, and future generations, do not forget their service and their sacrifice in replacing tyranny with freedom,” he told crowds. “the allied actions of that day ensured the forces of freedom secured, first, a toehold in normandy, then liberated france, and ultimately, the whole of europe from the stranglehold of a brutal totalitarianism. thurday’s commemoration will carry heavy symbolic significance with war raging in eastern europe. the war in ukraine is expected to loom large over thursday’s events, as it is the first major quinquennial commemoration of d day since russia launched its full scale invasion in february 2022. europe has not seen the type of ground conflict that is raging in ukraine since the end of wwii, and this year’s anniversary comes as russian forces advance on the battlefield   handing kyiv a series of tactical defeats and poking holes in the already fragile western alliance opposed to the kremlin’s war. russian president vladimir putin, who has attended d day anniversaries in the past but was snubbed in 2019, was not invited again this year due to the war in ukraine. “the conditions for (russia’s) participation were not met due to its war of aggression launched in 2022, which has intensified in recent weeks,” a french presidential source told reporters. ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky will attend the celebrations, given the parallels between the “historical reason of the invasion and the just battle that is being fought in ukraine today,” the source added. world leaders are descending on the beaches of normandy on thursday to mark the 80th anniversary of d day. by the end of the day on june 6, 1944, the allies had established a beachhead in france   a major turning point in the western theater of world war ii and, according to some historians, the beginning of the end for nazi germany. victory in europe would come less than a year later. us president joe biden, french president emmanuel macron, british prime minister rishi sunak and canadian prime minister justin trudeau are among more than 20 heads of state and government expected to attend the bevy of events being held across normandy to honor the nearly 160,000 allied troops who carried out the largest seaborne invasion in the history of mankind   around 10,000 of whom were killed, injured or went missing in action. © 2025 cable news network. a warner bros. discovery company. all rights reserved. cnn sans ™ & © 2016 cable news network.
supported by times insider while covering the 80th anniversary of the allied invasion in northern france, a times reporter remembers a family member. by catherine porter catherine porter, who covers france for the times, spent six days reporting from normandy. times insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind the scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. i found myself getting emotional these past few weeks, covering the d day commemorations and celebrations in normandy. i kept thinking of jim bennett. jim was my husband’s grandfather. in the family, he was known as a renaissance man   an investment adviser who preferred to build boats, cook doughnuts over a wood stove and grow giant zucchinis. he was also a world war ii veteran with the canadian artillery who landed on what would become known as juno beach on june 6, 1944. he was in charge of some 100 men, operating tanks whose treads left marks on the sidewalks of courseulles sur mer still visible in places today. after the normandy landings, he spent weeks bogged down in fighting in caen   a city so pounded by bombs, molten lead dripped from buildings. he didn’t like to talk about the war. one of the few stories he told was of v e day. he found himself by a barn, and took a horse out for a ride along the beach to remind himself there was life. he never went back to normandy. he said his visit in 1944 was hell, and he had no need to repeat it. i wish he had. i think he might have found it healing. he certainly would have been overwhelmed by the reception waiting for him.

 events have been taking place across the west midlands to mark the 80th anniversary of the d day landings on 6 june 1944, allied troops landed in normandy and attacked german forces the landings were the largest seaborne invasion in history, with troops from the uk, the usa, canada, and france some veterans from the region and their families have travelled to france to mark the anniversary among those in normandy is 100 year old bernard morgan edited by trystan jones the fillongley knit and natter group in warwickshire have been marking the anniversary of d day with these knitted figures. they are on display around the village.