Many were thinking about the war in Ukraine, and the message that tyranny must not be allowed to triumph was frequently repeated.
The dwindling number of veterans of the Second World War making the pilgrimage back to France, as well as the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, which ended hopes that war would not again destroy cities and lives in Europe, added excitement to the anniversary of the Allied landings on 6 June 1944.
Dawn eight decades after Allied troops came ashore under enemy fire on five codenamed beaches—Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword—began a day of remembrance for the allied countries that now stand together to Ukraine, and without France, the host, having invited Russia, another WWII ally. Paris attributed the lack of invitation to the “war of aggression against Ukraine that has intensified in recent weeks.”
The dead and wounded on both sides in Ukraine are estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, and tributes to the more than 4,400 Allied dead on D-Day and many tens of thousands more, including French civilians, in the ensuing Battle of Normandy, were mired in concerns that the lessons of World War II were being lost.
“There are things worth fighting for,” said World War II veteran Walter Stitt, who served in tank divisions and turns 100 in July, during a visit to Omaha Beach this week. “Though I wish there was another way to do it than trying to kill each other.”
“We’ll learn one of these days, but I won’t be here anymore,” he said.
While centenary veterans reviewed the memories of old comrades buried in Normandy, the presence of the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, at the events of remembrance along with other world leaders who support the Ukrainian fight against the Russian invasion – such as the president of the United States , Joe Biden—on Thursday will inevitably link the painful past of World War II with the current contest.
Aware of the inevitability that the great anniversaries of the landings will soon be celebrated without veterans of World War II, large numbers of people in uniforms and vehicles of the period, as well as tourists interested in the spectacle, have filled Normandy for the 80th anniversary .
“It gives chills, everything that happened here. Imagine jumping into the water, freezing cold,” said the 54-year-old as she gazed at the English Channel with tears in her eyes. “The courage, the courage, for people to face that is incredible,” she added.
Kraubetz was one of thousands of people spread over several kilometers (miles) on Utah Beach, the westernmost of those used in the landing.
In a quiet spot away from official ceremonies, Frenchman Christophe Receveur paid his own tribute, holding out an American flag he bought on a trip to Pennsylvania to honor the fallen on D-Day.
“All those troops came to liberate a country that they did not know because of an ideology: democracy, freedom, which is now under great pressure,” he said.
A fair-like atmosphere, with WWII-era trucks and jeeps passing through streets surrounded by bushes so deadly to the Allied troops fighting the entrenched German defenses, and historical reenactment groups simulating war scenes in the arena. where the soldiers fell, left in the air the doubt of what meaning the anniversaries would have when there were no veterans left.
But in this 80th edition, they were the stars of events on the Norman coast, where the largest land, air and sea armada pierced Hitler’s defenses in western Europe and helped precipitate his fall 11 months later.
“They really were the golden generation, those 17, 18-year-old kids doing something so brave,” said James Baker, a 56-year-old Dutchman, as the sun rose over Utah Beach.
Further along, on Gold Beach, a military bagpiper played at exactly the same time British troops landed there 80 years earlier.
King Charles III and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attended a ceremony honoring British soldiers who made landfall there and on Sword Beach, while Prince William took part in a ceremony for Canadian troops who landed on the Juno Beach, along with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
In his speech, the king told the crowd that the world was fortunate that a generation “did not falter” when called to action.
“Our obligation is to remember what they defended and that what they achieved for us never diminishes,” he said.
In French, Charles also paid tribute to the “unimaginable number” of French civilians killed in the Battle of Normandy, and the courage and sacrifice of the French resistance.
French President Emmanuel Macron promised veterans on Thursday that “France will never forget” their battle to free Europe from the Nazis.
Among those who traveled to Normandy were some of the millions of women who built bombers, tanks and other weaponry, and who played other vital roles in World War II, which for many years took a backseat to the combat exploits of the men.
“We didn’t do it for honors and awards. We did it to save our country. And we ended up saving the world,” said Anna Mae Krier, 98, who worked as a riveter to build B-17 and B-29 bombers.
Honored wherever they went, some with wheelchairs and canes, the veterans took the opportunity to reiterate a message that they hoped would be eternal: Never forget.
“To know the number of people who died here is astonishing,” said Allan Chatwin, 98, who served in the US Navy in the Pacific, during a visit to Omaha, the beach with the most Allied deaths from the landing.
He quickly added, “I don’t know if amazing is the word.”
Source: AP
