Veterans and world leaders are gathered in Normandy, France, for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, marking the invasion that helped turn the tide of World War II.
President Biden is among the leaders who will commemorate the landing of more than 150,000 Allied troops on June 6, 1944, the largest amphibious invasion in history. They will honor the thousands who died during the attack, along with the surviving veterans – many of them now over 100 years old.
The anniversary takes place against the backdrop of Ukraine’s war against the Russian invasion; Biden and his allies are also expected to reaffirm their partnerships and continued support for the country.
Here are five things you should know about this year’s D-Day anniversary.
Events in Normandy
There was a mass parachute jump to start the week and fireworks shows on the beaches of Normandy.
The official celebration will take place on Thursday.
Veterans will participate in other events, such as parades and visits with world leaders, including Biden and first lady Jill Biden, later this week.
There are more than 100 events for veterans tied to D-Day, according to the Department of Defense, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is also expected to speak as part of the celebrations.
Possibly the last big D-Day anniversary for WWII veterans
Many World War II veterans are in their 100s, and the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings could be the last big anniversary to commemorate their time in the war.
“To have participated in the D-Day landings, you would now have to be at least almost a centenarian,” said Alan Allport, professor and historian at Syracuse University. “Fortunately, there are still some veterans who managed to make the trip, but they will be far fewer than [there] were at the 75th anniversary celebrations…it seems highly unlikely that any of them will make it to their 90th, let alone their 100th birthday.”
This means that the collective world is now reaching the point “where it is a kind of twilight of lived experience, where from this point on, D-Day will just be a historical event that no one participating in the celebrations had any personal memory of,” Allport he told The Hill.
It is not fully known how many veterans are still alive, but about 150 Americans who participated in the Battle of Normandy, including 24 D-Day veterans, are expected to travel to France this year,NBC News reported.
Forty-eight of these U.S. veterans arrived in Normandy on Monday and were welcomed by French first lady Brigitte Macron and French schoolchildren holding signs reading “to our eternal heroes: thank you.” The Associated Pressreported.
The veterans took a special flight from Atlanta, organized by the Best Defense Foundation. When they arrived, the French students sang the US and French national anthems.
Biden will speak in Normandy
Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks in Normandy on Thursday, focusing on democracy and freedom and intensifying his effort to draw a contrast in values and global leadership with former President Trump.
The president will highlight the importance of U.S. support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia’s invasion and the importance of global alliances in pursuing Trump’s isolationist and “America First” global agenda, according to the White House.
“[He] we will talk about – against the backdrop of the war in Europe today – the sacrifices these heroes and veterans made 80 years ago and how it is our obligation to continue their mission to fight for freedom,” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
On Friday, Biden will visit Pointe du Hoc, the 100-foot cliff that Army Rangers climbed under gunfire, to deliver remarks “about what is at stake in that moment, an existential struggle between dictatorship and freedom. He will talk about the men who climbed those cliffs and how they…put the country before themselves,” Sullivan said.
He will also “talk about the dangers of isolationism,” Sullivan added, and how the U.S. and the world will pay a price if we don’t stand up to dictators.
Members of Congress present
Dozens of lawmakers left Washington on Wednesday to be in Europe for the 80th anniversary, including an 18-person Senate delegation that includes Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John Boozman (R. -Ark.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (DR.I.), and Joe Manchin (IW.Va.).
The group will join American and French leaders and veterans in a ceremony at the Colleville-sur-Mer American Cemetery before meeting with World War II veterans and paying their respects at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Later in the day, members of the delegation will join heads of state representing Allied partners at an international ceremony on Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer.
While in France, the delegation is also expected to meet with U.S. diplomatic and military leaders stationed in Europe.
On the House side, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who was unable to attend, organized a trip to France with about 50 lawmakers from both parties, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise ( R-La.), House Minority Leader Hakeem. Jeffries (DN.Y.) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Veterans Affairs Committee.
As part of the commemoration, several House lawmakers who previously served in the military are planning to jump out of planes to honor D-Day veterans who fought in Normandy. The list includes Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Michael Waltz (R-Florida).
Global leaders gather in Normandy
Biden will be joined in Normandy by several other leaders for a trip that the White House has emphasized is, in part, about strengthening global alliances.
Biden is scheduled to meet Thursday in Normandy with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a discussion on U.S. support for Ukraine. He is also expected to pay an official state visit to French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris later in the week.
Other leaders in Normandy for the anniversary include British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Prince William, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The United Kingdom and Canada are expected to hold their own ceremonies and veterans events to honor British and Canadian troops, respectively, and then all leaders will participate in the official celebration.
Mike Lillis contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
