80 years since the Normandy landings – ‘If we forget them, it’s like letting them die again’ | Foreign countries

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80 years since the Normandy landings If we forget

Thousands of people gathered early in the morning on the beaches where the Allied forces landed on June 6, 1944.

10:56•Updated 11:16

Dramatic events of 80 years ago are being remembered today in Normandy in northern France.

War veterans and leaders of several countries recall the June 6, 1944 landing of Allied forces in German-occupied France.

The attack began early in the morning with aerial bombardment of the defense lines of the German forces. The disembarkation of the troops began at daybreak on five code-named beaches: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

By the end of the day, nearly 160,000 Allied soldiers had entered Normandy. More than 9,000 Allied soldiers fell during the first day.

As the sun rose on the 80th anniversary of the landing, thousands of people had already gathered on Utah Beach.

– I am here to keep alive the memory of the soldiers who died for our freedom. If we forget them, it’s like letting them die again, 57 years old Christophe Receveur justifying his participation in the memorial day.

– I think about everything those men experienced. They say they are not heroes, but yes they are. Those men should never die. I imagine boats and sounds. It must have been terrible, says the 35-year-old Alexandra Hamonwho is there with his two children.

During the day, several commemorations will be held in Normandy, attended by, among others, the President of the United States Joe BidenPresident of France Emmanuel Macron and the king Charles III.

War veterans who took part in the landing have arrived, the youngest of whom will soon be a hundred years old. In addition to men, there have been women who indirectly participated in the landing. During the war, women worked in factories where both airplanes and bombs were manufactured.

One of these women is 98 years old Anna Mae Krierwhich assembled B-17 and B-29 bombers.

– We didn’t do it in the hope of badges and awards. We did it to save our country – and we ended up helping to save the world, says Anna Mae Krier.

Sources: AP, AFP, Reuters

This is how war veterans remember the events of 80 years ago:

This is what it looked like in Normandy on June 6, 1944:

Normandy landings

  • Allied forces began landing in German-occupied France in Normandy on the morning of June 6, 1944.
  • There were almost 7,000 ships, more than 11,000 aircraft and almost 133,000 soldiers.
  • With the landing and the operation that followed, the western defense line of Nazi Germany, or the “Atlantic Wall”, was broken. The Allies opened a new front, which ultimately contributed to Germany’s surrender and the end of World War II 11 months later.
  • During the first day, more than 9,000 allied soldiers fell.
  • In 24 hours, 3,000 French civilians were killed in the bombings carried out as part of the Allied landings.
  • Sources: AP, AFP

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