Veterans return to Normandy for 81st anniversary of D-Day landings

Veterans, dignitaries, and tens of thousands of onlookers gathered along the windswept beaches of Normandy on June 6 to commemorate the 81st anniversary of D-Day, a defining moment of World War II that marked the beginning of the end for Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.

Events took place throughout the region, including parachute jumps, aircraft flyovers, memorial ceremonies, parades, and historical reenactments, Caliber.Az reports via American media.

Many attendees came to honour the remaining D-Day veterans, now in their late 90s and older, and to remember the thousands who lost their lives during the Allied invasion.

At the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, which overlooks Omaha Beach, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth joined veterans to mark the occasion. The site, where rows of white crosses stretch toward the sea, served as a powerful backdrop for remembrance.

“The heroism, honour and sacrifice of the Allied forces on D-Day will always resonate with the U.S. Armed Forces and our Allies and partners across Europe,” said Lt. Gen. Jason T. Hinds, deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa. “So let us remember those who flew and fell. Let us honour those who survived and came home to build a better world. And let us ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain by meeting today’s challenges with the same resolve, the same clarity of purpose, and the same commitment to freedom.”

On June 6, 1944, Operation Overlord—the largest amphibious military operation in history—began with the landing of nearly 160,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy. Of those, 73,000 were American forces, and 83,000 came from Britain and Canada. Troops from other Allied nations, including Free French forces under Gen. Charles de Gaulle also took part. The defenders—approximately 50,000 German soldiers—awaited them behind fortified positions.

That first day alone claimed the lives of 4,414 Allied troops. In the weeks that followed, the Battle of Normandy saw the deaths of 73,000 Allied personnel and the wounding of 153,000 more. French civilians also paid a devastating price, with about 20,000 killed during Allied bombings between June and August 1944. German losses on D-Day are estimated between 4,000 and 9,000 killed, wounded, or missing.

In total, more than 2 million Allied troops, medics, sailors, pilots, and other personnel from a dozen countries participated in the broader effort to liberate western France from Nazi control. Today, their legacy endures in the peaceful fields and solemn cemeteries of Normandy—testaments to their courage, unity, and enduring commitment to freedom.

By Tamilla Hasanova