Honoring the Legacy: 80th Anniversary of D-Day

U.S. and British veterans gathered in Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the pivotal WWII event. Ceremonies honor the bravery and sacrifices of Allied soldiers. Veterans, aged 97 to 103, participated in emotional tributes, reenactments, and wreath-laying on the historic French beaches.

D ozens of elderly U.S. veterans paid tribute to their fallen World War Two comrades in the U.S. cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer in Normandy on Tuesday, as British veterans sailed from UK shores to join the D-Day ceremonies. The celebrations mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the name given to the landing of more than 150,000 Allied soldiers in northern France, on June 6, 1944, a turning point in the war that eventually drove German Nazi forces out of the country.

"It's our duty to remember them and make sure people realise how evil the world can become if you do not really take care," 99-year-old veteran Colonel Joe Peterburs told Reuters. An Air Force pilot during World War Two, Peterburs did not take part in D-Day but began combat missions aged 19 and was made a prisoner in Germany when his plane was shot down. He managed to escape and went on to serve in the military for 36 years, including stints in Korea and Vietnam.

"I see all the graves. The bravery and the sacrifice of these men killed in their youth who could not live a full life," he said, as he looked from his wheelchair at row after row of white crosses - some with names, some unmarked - which show the toll D-Day, history's largest amphibious invasion, took on allied forces. "He feels a lot of survival guilt. He prays every night for all (those) that he left behind," said his granddaughter, Sabrina Peterburs, who travelled with him. "It's very emotional to be here with him and the other veterans and see the gratefulness of French people."

Ceremonies are underway across Normandy, with the largest events set to take place on Thursday, with dozens of world leaders attending, including U.S. President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Britain's King Charles. This anniversary is likely to be the last marked on a grand scale in the presence of those who fought in 1944.

UK FLOTILLA Two dozen British D-Day veterans were the star passengers of a flotilla which set sail from Portsmouth, England, on Tuesday, bound for the beaches of Normandy where 80 years ago this week they fought to liberate France.

"It's a very special day," veteran Ken Hay, 98, told the BBC onboard the "Mont St Michel" ferry which was decorated with maritime flags. In 1944, Portsmouth was the main departure point for the 5,000 ships which headed to Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword, the beaches made famous by the operation.

Surrounded by naval ships and civilian boats, the ferry was waved off by small crowds who lined the docks in Portsmouth, as tugboats sprayed water, a traditional tribute. Midway through the journey to France, the ship was due to switch off its engines for a wreath-laying ceremony to remember those who did not make it to shore. About 4,400 Allied troops died on June 6.

German casualties are unknown but are estimated at between 4,000 and 9,000. John Dennett, 99, told the BBC he was looking forward to the ceremonies of the coming days. "It's a chance of a lifetime. Eighty years ago, it's a long time, going back, to see what we started," he said.

He and fellow veterans listened to a military band onboard the ferry led by bagpipes. Aged between 97 and 103, many of the veterans had walking sticks or were in wheelchairs, and wore military medals pinned to their lapels. The French army conducted an exercise at dawn at Omaha beach, with dozens of soldiers landing on the beach, reenacting D-Day.

"We think of the dead, those who came before us," said Lieutenant Jeremy from the French Legion's 13th Demi-Brigade. "We are happy to honour our elders by doing what they did 80 years ago."

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