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It is often said that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. As we mark the 81st anniversary of Operation Overlord on June 6th, commonly known as D-Day, this truth demands our attention.
Iconic films and television series such as “Saving Private Ryan” and “Band of Brothers” have attempted to depict the invasion. Yet no film can fully capture the courage, sacrifice and meaning of that day, known best by those who stormed the beaches themselves.
Operation Overlord was the largest amphibious invasion in the history of the world. Allied forces, led by the United States, landed in Nazi-occupied France to liberate not only the French but much of Europe from the hands of darkness. Under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, American sailors, soldiers and paratroopers, alongside their British and Canadian allies, launched a strategic assault involving landings by sea and air. Paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines, while others landed on beaches via Higgins boats, as naval artillery pounded enemy defenses.
The invasion served as a turning point in World War II, as it broke through Hitler’s Atlantic Wall and initiated the liberation of Western Europe. The cost was significant; over 2,500 Americans were killed on the beaches of Normandy, with total Allied casualties on D-Day estimated at more than 10,000, including roughly 5,000 confirmed deaths (Allied forces combined). American troops took Omaha and Utah beaches, while Canadian forces stormed Juno, and the British advanced on Gold and Sword.
In France, the people have not forgotten. Towns still host annual D-Day festivals, and French citizens continue to care for the graves of Allied soldiers buried in Normandy.
Presidents such as Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump have traveled to Normandy to honor the fallen and recognize the bravery displayed on that historic day. Reagan’s 1984 speech at Pointe du Hoc and Trump’s 75th-anniversary address in 2019 both reflected the importance of the Allied sacrifice.
Outside of the U.S. Civil War, World War II was the deadliest conflict in American history, with over 400,000 American lives lost. The start of America’s dominance as a global superpower is especially marked by D-Day, a day that defended liberty for Americans and humanity as a whole.
D-Day revealed the character of the American soldier: brave, selfless, and willing to die for a cause greater than himself. These men did not fight solely for their homeland, they fought for freedom and justice across the world. Many had ancestral roots in Europe, but they represented a uniquely American way of life that sought to oppose evil.
It is often said that freedom is worth dying for. On June 6, 1944, Americans did just that. They laid down their lives so others might live free from oppression, tyranny, and fear. Their courage and sacrifice resulted in the liberation of Europe and the eventual rescue of several people impacted by the Holocaust.
D-Day is not merely another date on the calendar. It was the start of liberation, sacrifice and the victory of good over evil. For many American families, the war is also personal. Countless Americans today descend from those who landed on Omaha or Utah beaches. These men were among the heroes of the Greatest Generation.
June 6th should be recognized nationally as a federal holiday. Americans must never forget the day because it changed the world. It reaffirmed that evil would not go unpunished and that the ways of freedom would always be victorious, via the red, white and blue.
