D-Day’s 80th anniversary brings World War II veterans back to the beaches of Normandy
(AP) — World War II veterans joined heads of state and others Thursday on the beaches of Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The Allied invasion, which began on June 6, 1944, led to the defeat of the Nazis and the end of the war. The assault began with Allied aircraft bombing German defenses in Normandy, followed by around 1,200 aircraft that carried airborne troops. As dawn broke, Allied forces started bombing German coastal defenses and shortly after that vessels began putting troops ashore on five codenamed beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. By the end of the day, nearly 160,000 Allied troops had landed in Normandy, although there were thousands of casualties.
Few witnesses to history’s biggest amphibious invasion remain alive today.
French President Emmanuel Macron has awarded 11 U.S. WWII veterans with the Legion of Honor, France’s highest distinction, during commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
“You came here because the free world needed each and every one of you, and you answered the call,” Macron told them. “You came here to make France a free nation. You’re back here today at home, if I may say.”
The men are now 98 to 104 years old.
Macron kissed each veteran on both cheeks and greeted them warmly as he pinned medals on their lapels.
Among the men was Hilbert Margol, who joined an artillery battalion that operated in eastern France. He is part of American forces that liberated the Dachau concentration camp. Another, Ray Tweedel, landed by sea in Normandy on the night of June 8, 1944, and took part in the war as an oil tanker and ambulance driver.
