Biden: ‘There were things worth fighting and dying for’ Update 8:04 a.m. EDT June 6: President Biden is speaking now.
“Here on the coast of Normandy, the battle between freedom and tyranny would be joined,” Biden says as he begins his remarks.
Biden calls out some of the veterans who are at the ceremony, a man who landed on Utah Beach, a medic with the 82nd Airborne.
“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 limitations on what they could do for their nation,” Biden said.
He mentions the “Red Ball Express,” a company made up mostly of Black truck drivers who moved supplied Allied forces moving through Europe after breaking out from the D-Day beaches.
Of the veterans, Biden says, “They knew that there were things worth fighting and dying for. Freedom is worth it,” Biden said. “Real alliances make us stronger,” Biden says, adding he hopes Americans remember that. He references the NATO alliance, saying it is “more ready than ever to keep the peace.” He mentions the war in Ukraine saying the Ukrainians have never backed down.
“We will not bow down, we will not forget. We will not back down to tyrants.”
Lloyd Austin: ‘Our resolve must never fail’ Update 7:55 a.m. EDT June 6 : US Sec. of Defense Lloyd Austin is speaking. As he thanks the veterans, he says we must rally again to fight for freedom.
“I am honored to stand again at this hallowed place. ... I am here to give thanks, inadequate as that word may be.”
“You laid the foundation for a more just, free and decent world. Let us again thank the heroes of D-Day who kept freedom alive for us all.”
“You saved the world and we must only defend it. Gentlemen, we salute you.”
Macron: ‘We will never forget’ Update 7:40 a.m. EDT June 6 : After his address to the crowd, French President Macron awards each American D-Day survivor there the Legion of Honor.
“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.
“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.”
Charles K. Djou: D-Day is the ‘hinge of history’ Update 7:31 a.m. EDT June 6 : Charles K. Djou, Secretary and CEO, American Battle Monuments Commission, addresses the crowd, stressing the importance of D-Day.
“D-Day is the hinge of history,” Djou says. He said D-Day reflected “the very best of America’s values.”
Biden, Macron arrive at the ceremony Update 7:20 a.m. EDT June 6: French President Emmanuel Macron and President Joe Biden have arrived at the ceremony.
The national anthems of France and the U.S. are being played and a prayer offered.
Original story
U.S. President Joe Biden, along with leaders from countries around the world, greeted the men who, on June 6, 1944, landed on stretches of the German-occupied French coast marking the tortuous initial push inland that would end World War II.
Fewer than 200 WWII vets have traveled to France, supported by aides, to take it all in one final time.
The invasion, known as D-Day, began as Operation Neptune, part of Operation Overlord, the code name for the Allied invasion of northwest Europe during World War II. It remains the largest amphibious invasion in history.
Twenty heads of state, including England’s King Charles III and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, met with the veterans in various ceremonies in Normandy on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
King Charles III And Queen Camilla Attend The UK D-Day80 National Commemorative Event In Normandy VER-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: King Charles III lays a wreath during the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting various events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place on June 6, 1944. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
William the Prince of Wales, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laid a wreath on Normandy Beach.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is not among world leaders at the ceremonies. In April, organizers said Putin would not be invited to the events, but that some Russian representatives would be welcome in recognition of the country’s war-time sacrifice, Reuters reported.
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.
Biden and first lady Jill Biden met with veterans at a ceremony at Omaha Beach, a place where US forces suffered substantial losses. Biden shook hands and took photos with veterans, many of whom wore their military metals, CNN reported .
Director Steve Spielberg and actor Tom Hanks also attended the ceremony.
Biden will make remarks at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, where 9,388 members of the American military are buried, The New York Times is reporting.
“Today, in 2024, 80 years later, we see dictators once again attempting to challenge the order, attempting to march in Europe,” said Jake Sullivan, the president’s national security adviser. He told reporters that Biden would make the case that “freedom-loving nations need to rally to stand against that as we have.”
French President Emmanuel Macron speaking at an earlier ceremony told the D-Day veterans ‘’France will never forget’' their battle to liberate Europe from the Nazis.
The operation began at 12:15 a.m. on June 6, 1944, when Americans from the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions began to parachute behind German lines.
About three hours later, Allied bombers began to hit the German lines near the 50-mile strip along the Normandy coast.
The bombing was relentless at times. According to historians, 7 million pounds of bombs would be dropped by the end of the day.
Two hours later, at 5 a.m., seven battleships, 18 cruisers and 43 destroyers began a naval bombardment of the coast. The attack lasted nearly 90 minutes, leading up to the troop landings which began at 6:31 a.m.
Allied troops — made up of American, Canadian and British forces — headed ashore on 50 miles of coastline that had been divided into five landing zones — Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
U.S. troops took Utah and Omaha, Canadians landed at Juno and British troops took Gold and Sword. It’s estimated that 4,500 Allied forces died in the invasion. More than 2,000 Americans were killed at Omaha Beach, alone.
D-Day D-Day: The battle of Normandy, June 6, 1944
U.S. Army graphic by Daniel Torok (Daniel Torok/U.S. Army)
D-Day Lt. Col. Roy A. Webb Jr., second from right, commander of the 374th Fighter Squadron, receives a flight briefing prior to flying a mission on June 6, 1944 – the day of the D-Day invasion. Pictured at Bottisham air field in England are 374th pilots Lt. Wallace B. Frank, Lt. Col. Wallace E. Hopkins, Major George R. Rew, Capt. George Lichter, Lt. Col. Roy Webb, Lt. Edward Murdy. Briefing Room, Bottisham. (Photo from the collection of the American Air Museum in England) (Tech. Sgt. Daniel Heaton/127th Wing)
D-Day British Royal Navy Adm. Sir Bertram Ramsay, left, talks with U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John L. Hall Jr. aboard the command ship USS Ancon (AGC 4) May 25, 1944, at an unknown location. On May 28, 1944, Ramsay issued the order to carry out Operation Neptune, the amphibious portion of the invasion of Normandy. The morning of June 6, 1944, Allied forces conducted a massive airborne assault and amphibious landing in the Normandy region of France. The invasion marked the beginning of the final phase of World War II in Europe, which ended with the surrender of Germany the following May. (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration photo/Released) (U.S. Department of Defense)
D-Day U.S. Soldiers disembark a landing craft under heavy fire off the coast of Normandy, France, June 6, 1944. (Photo Credit: National Archives U.S. Coast Guard Collection) (Defense Media Activity - Army)
D-Day The beachhead is secure, but the price was high. A U.S. Coast Guard photographer came upon this monument to a dead American soldier somewhere on the shell-blasted shore of Normandy shortly after D-Day. Coast Guard photo (Katie Lange/DMA Social Media)
D-Day U.S. Soldiers disembark a landing craft at Normandy, France, June 6, 1944. By the end of the day, some 150,000 Allied troops had landed on five Normandy beaches and three airborne drop zones. The invasion marked the beginning of the final phase of World War II in Europe, which ended with the surrender of Germany the following May. (DOD photo courtesy of the National Infantry Museum/Released) (U.S. Department of Defense)
D-Day FILE - In this June 8, 1944, file photo, under heavy German machine gun fire, American infantrymen wade ashore off the ramp of a Coast Guard landing craft during the invasion of the French coast of Normandy in World War II.(U.S. Coast Guard via AP, File) (AP)
D-Day FILE - In this June 6, 1944, file photo, provided by the U.S. Army Signal Corps, General Dwight Eisenhower gives the order of the day, "Full Victory - Nothing Else" to paratroopers in England just before they board their planes to participate in the first assault in the invasion of the continent of Europe. June 6, 2019, marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the assault that began the liberation of France and Europe from German occupation, leading to the end World War II. (U.S. Army Signal Corps Photo via AP) (Anonymous/AP)
D-Day FILE - In this June 1944, file photo, U.S. reinforcements wade through the surf as they land at Normandy in the days following the Allies', D-Day invasion of occupied France.(U.S. Coast Guard via AP, File) (PETER J. CARROLL/AP)
D-Day FILE - In this June 5, 1944, file photo, U.S. serviceman attend a Protestant service aboard a landing craft before the D-Day invasion on the coast of France. (AP Photo/Pete J. Carroll, File) (Peter J. Carroll/AP)
D-Day U.S. Soldiers, including Jake McNiece, right, assigned to the 101st Airborne Division apply war paint to each other's face in England June 5, 1944, in preparation for the invasion of Normandy, France, the next day. The morning of June 6, 1944, Allied forces conducted a massive airborne assault and amphibious landing in the Normandy region of France. The invasion marked the beginning of the final phase of World War II in Europe, which ended with the surrender of Germany the following May. McNiece led a demolition group called the Filthy 13, whose exploits were credited with the inspiration of the film "The Dirty Dozen." (U.S. Army photo/Released) (U.S. Department of Defense)
D-Day A bird's-eye view of landing craft, barrage balloons and Allied troops landing in Normandy, France, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. U.S. Maritime Commission photo (Katie Lange/DMA Social Media)
D-Day FILE - In this Aug. 25, 1944 file photo, French civilians with hastily made American and French flags greet U.S. and Free French troops entering Paris, France, after Allied liberation of the French capital from Nazi occupation in World War II. For Allied troops in western Europe, D-Day was just the beginning of a long and bloody push toward victory over the Nazis. (AP Photo/Harry Harris, file) (Harry Harris/AP)
D-Day Resolute faces of U.S. Army paratroopers just before they took off for the initial assault of D-Day. The paratrooper in the foreground had just read Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower's message of good luck and clasped his bazooka in determination. Note Eisenhower's D-Day order in the hands of the paratrooper in the foreground. DOD photo (Katie Lange/DMA Social Media)
D-Day FILE - In this February 1944, file photo, Don Whitehead, Associated Press correspondent, writes his story of the landing at Anzio Beach in Italy, from a fox hole. Whitehead, known by his colleagues as “Beachhead Don,” returned to Normandy for the tenth anniversary of the D-Day invasion, June 5, 1954, which he covered when he followed the 1st Infantry Division onto Omaha Beach. (AP Photo/Bill Allen, File) (Bill Allen/AP)
D-Day This undated photo shows Associated Press reporter Roger Greene a few days after the June 6, 1944, D-Day landing in France. Greene was the first seaborned war correspondent to land on the beach of Normandy in the D-Day invasion. He accompanied British forces across the Channel. (AP Photo) (uncredited/AP)
D-Day This wire copy by Associated Press reporter Roger Greene reached New York on June 8, 1944, two days after Greene made the D-Day landing alongside British forces. Greenes escorting officer was wounded and he saw three men killed as he landed. In New York Executive Editor Alan J. Gould marked the copy in red, First from our beachhead team. (AP Photo/AP Corporate Archives) (uncredited/AP)
D-Day This undated image shows the Howell Dodd graphic that appeared in the June-July 1944 issue of The AP Inter-Office, a printed and illustrated magazine that was offered to AP staff and member newspapers. The graphic shows depictions of the AP correspondents on D-Day. In 1945 the magazine changed its name to AP World. (AP Photo/AP Corporate Archives, Howell Dodd) (Howell Dodd/AP)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Headstones of U.S. military personnel who died during the invasion of Normandy are shown in the early morning light at the Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach on the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. U.S. President Joe Biden will join veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel in gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greet American World War II veteran, Bill Toombs, before a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: American World War II veterans arrive ahead of meeting U.S. President Joe Biden during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Current U.S. military personnel arrive for a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. U.S. President Joe Biden will join veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel in gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: U.S. President Joe Biden greets American World War II veterans before a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: U.S. President Joe Biden greets American World War II veteran Jake Larson, before a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Headstones of U.S. military personnel who died during the invasion of Normandy are shown in the early morning light at the Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach on the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. U.S. President Joe Biden will join veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel in gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: The early morning sun rises at the Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach on the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. U.S. President Joe Biden will join veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel in gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: American World War II veterans arrive ahead of meeting U.S. President Joe Biden during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: American World War II veterans arrive ahead of meeting U.S. President Joe Biden during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Visitors pay their respects at the Normandy American Cemetery above Omaha Beach on the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. U.S. President Joe Biden will join veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel in gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: American World War II veterans arrive ahead of meeting U.S. President Joe Biden during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greet American World War II veterans before a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: U.S. President Joe Biden greets American World War II veteran Bill Toombs before a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, greet American World War II veterans before a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: American World War II veterans arrive ahead of meeting U.S. President Joe Biden during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greet American World War II veterans before a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: U.S. President Joe Biden greets American World War II veterans before a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land at Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land at Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando are greeted by French schoolchildren after they landed on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ASNELLES, FRANCE - JUNE 06: Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on Gold Beach to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on June 06, 2024 in Asnelles, France. June 6th is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings which saw 156,000 troops from the allied countries including the United Kingdom and the United States join forces to launch an audacious attack on the beaches of Normandy, these assaults are credited with the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary VER-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wheels D-Day veteran Bernard Morgan, 100, from Crewe, as they head to lunch following the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting various events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place on June 6, 1944. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 06: U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden walk with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron while arriving at a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at the Normandy American Cemetery on June 06, 2024 in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Veterans, families, political leaders and military personnel are gathering in Normandy to commemorate D-Day, which paved the way for the Allied victory over Germany in World War II.
(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ALREWAS, ENGLAND - JUNE 6: 99-year-old Normandy veteran Simeon Mayou (L) is helped to lay a wreath during a service commemorating Normandy veterans at the Normandy Memorial at The National Arboretum on June 6, 2024 in Alrewas, England. On June 6th, 1944, 156,000 Allied troops landed on the five Normandy beaches in northern France by air and sea. Operation Overlord was the start of Allied operations which went on to liberate Western Europe, defeat Nazi Germany and end the Second World War. The events of that day are known as D-Day. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) (Carl Court/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary VER-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: Members of the audience during the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting various events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place on June 6, 1944. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary VER-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: D-Day veterans leave following the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting various events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place on June 6, 1944. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COURSEULLES-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Prime Minister of France Gabriel Attal lay wreaths at the Government of Canada ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, at Juno Beach on June 6, 2024 in Courseulles-sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting a variety of events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, leading up to the official commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing on June 6. (Photo by Jordan Pettitt - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ALREWAS, ENGLAND - JUNE 6: 99-year-old Normandy veteran Simeon Mayou (L) is helped to lay a wreath during a service commemorating Normandy veterans at the Normandy Memorial at The National Arboretum on June 6, 2024 in Alrewas, England. On June 6th, 1944, 156,000 Allied troops landed on the five Normandy beaches in northern France by air and sea. Operation Overlord was the start of Allied operations which went on to liberate Western Europe, defeat Nazi Germany and end the Second World War. The events of that day are known as D-Day. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) (Carl Court/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary VER-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: President of France Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron attend the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting various events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place on June 6, 1944. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary VER-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: (left to right) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Queen Camilla, King Charles III, President of France Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron during the wreath laying at the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting various events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place on June 6, 1944. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary VER-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: Jason Coward, National Chair, Royal British Legion, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak lay wreaths during the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting various events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place on June 6, 1944. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COURSEULLES-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Prime Minister of France Gabriel Attal lay wreaths at the Government of Canada ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, at Juno Beach on June 6, 2024 in Courseulles-sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting a variety of events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, leading up to the official commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing on June 6. (Photo by Jordan Pettitt - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COURSEULLES-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: Prince William, Prince of Wales during the Government of Canada ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, at Juno Beach on June 6, 2024 in Courseulles-sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting a variety of events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, leading up to the official commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing on June 6. (Photo by Jordan Pettitt - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary ALREWAS, ENGLAND - JUNE 6: 99-year-old Normandy veteran Simeon Mayou (L) carries a wreath to lay in memoriam during a service commemorating Normandy veterans at the Normandy Memorial at The National Arboretum on June 6, 2024 in Alrewas, England. On June 6th, 1944, 156,000 Allied troops landed on the five Normandy beaches in northern France by air and sea. Operation Overlord was the start of Allied operations which went on to liberate Western Europe, defeat Nazi Germany and end the Second World War. The events of that day are known as D-Day. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) (Carl Court/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary VER-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: King Charles III lays a wreath during the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting various events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place on June 6, 1944. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary COURSEULLES-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Prime Minister of France Gabriel Attal attend the Government of Canada ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, at Juno Beach on June 6, 2024 in Courseulles-sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting a variety of events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, leading up to the official commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing on June 6. (Photo by Jordan Pettitt - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)
D-Day 80th Anniversary VER-SUR-MER, FRANCE - JUNE 6: President of France Emmanuel Macron lays a wreath during the UK Ministry of Defence and the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 06, 2024 in Ver-Sur-Mer, France. Normandy is hosting various events across significant sites such as Pegasus Bridge, Sainte-Mère-Église, and Pointe du Hoc, to officially commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings that took place on June 6, 1944. (Photo by Gareth Fuller - Pool/Getty Images) (Pool/Getty Images)