Ceremonies to commemorate D-Day anniversary start in western France

By Nur Asena Erturk

France on Wednesday started ceremonies to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the day of the allied invasion of Normandy, a pivotal landmark towards the eventual defeat of the Nazis.

Speaking in the western town of Plumelec, President Emmanuel Macron addressed an audience of veterans, the military, local officials, and a children’s choir.

He commemorated the French resistance and soldiers and the courage of those who fought to liberate France from Nazi occupation during World War II, expressing his gratitude.

Macron will continue ceremonies of D-Day for two more days, including one with the attendance of his US counterpart, Joe Biden, and another with Britain’s King Charles, both on Thursday.

- D-Day

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed Omaha Beach to defeat Nazi forces who had taken hold in many towns and villages in the northern region. Some 160,000 troops in 7,000 boats landed there, as well as on the nearby beaches of Utah, Juno, Sword, and Gold, as they were dubbed in the Allies’ plans.

Known officially as the Normandy Invasion, it left 4,414 troops killed on that day, including over 2,500 Americans, and some 5,000 wounded. A total of 9,843 troops from the US, Britain, and Canada were killed in action on June 6 and in the few days thereafter.

German troops were ready for the invasion, however, with guns placed at strategic high points around the nearly 10-kilometer (6-mile) beach as the forces landed. The ocean waters, as well as the beach, were also heavily mined by the Germans.