World Commemorates Anniversary of D-Day
June 6, 2014
Several thousand military veterans joined heads of state in Normandy, in northwestern France, today in a series of events commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-Day, the start of the Allied invasion of Europe in World War II (1939-1945). D-Day marked the beginning of the biggest amphibious invasion in military history. Some 160,000 troops, mainly from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, crossed the English Channel on June 6, 1944, to attack German dictator Adolf Hitler’s Fortress Europe (the areas of Europe controlled by Nazi Germany). By the end of D-Day, the Allies had a foothold in France. Within 11 months, Nazi Germany had been defeated, ending World War II in Europe. The Allied success on D-Day came at a significant cost, however. More than 10,000 Allied soldiers, sailors, and aviators were killed, were wounded, or went missing.
Speaking at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, U.S. President Barack Obama said, “America’s claim–our commitment to liberty, to equality, to freedom, to the inherent dignity of every human being–that claim is written in blood on these beaches, and it will endure for eternity.” The cemetery overlooks Omaha Beach, one of the Allies’ five code-named landing sites in Normandy. United States forces also landed at Utah Beach. British forces landed at Gold and Sword beaches, while Canadian troops landed at Juno Beach. “What more powerful manifestation of America’s commitment to human freedom” could there be, asked President Obama, “than the sight of wave after wave of young men boarding those boats to liberate people they’d never met?”
Hitting the beach, Allied infantrymen swarmed ashore along the Normandy coast of northern France on D-Day—June 6, 1944. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history. Hitler had boasted that German defenses along the coast could resist any attack. But he was wrong. (U.S. Coast Guard)
President Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom were among world leaders and dignitaries who attended a luncheon hosted by French President Francois Hollande. Queen Elizabeth is the only living head of state who served in World War II. She worked as a mechanic and military truck driver. Russia (then the Soviet Union), which fought Hitler’s forces on the war’s eastern front, did not participate in the Normandy invasion. But the Soviet Union suffered more casualties than any other country in World War II–about 27 million troops and civilians killed and millions more wounded. Also at the luncheon were the monarchs of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway; the presidents or prime ministers of Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Slovakia; the grand duke of Luxembourg; and the governor-general of New Zealand.
Following the luncheon, world leaders, dignitaries, veterans, and spectators attended the main commemoration, held at Sword Beach. The ceremony included speeches, a re-creation of scenes from the invasion, a 21-gun salute, and a flyby of World War II aircraft. At dawn today, an international task force of ships sailing across the English Channel arrived at Normandy. The force was led by HMS Bulwar, the Royal Navy flagship.
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