D-Day veterans join leaders of the U.S., France, Britain, and Canada in Normandy to mark 75th anniversary


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Thursday is the 75th anniversary of D-Day, when 160,000 U.S. and Allied troops stormed five Nazi-held beaches in Normandy, France, in the largest combined air, sea, and land operation in history. British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron dedicated a memorial to the 22,442 British troops who died at Normandy. "It's almost impossible to grasp the raw courage it must have taken that day to leap from landing craft and into the surf despite the fury of battle," May said.
Later, President Trump took part in a French-U.S. ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where 9,388 American military dead are buried. At the U.S. cemetery, above Omaha Beach, Macron will award the Legion of Honor, France's highest honor, to five U.S. World War II veterans. "To all of our friends and partners: Our cherished alliance was forged in the heat of battle, tested in the trials of war, and proven in the blessings of peace," Trump said. "Our bond is unbreakable." After the ceremony, Trump and Macron will have a working lunch in Caen, near the memorial site in Colleville-sur-Mer.
Britain's Prince Charles, May, and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attended a memorial service Thursday morning at Bayeux Cathedral; Cardinal Marc Ouellet read a message from Pope Francis, who said D-Day was "decisive in the fight against Nazi barbarism" and paid tribute to the service members who "gave their lives for freedom and peace." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is also in Normandy for the commemoration, as are about 35 World War II veterans who participated in D-Day, which helped turn the tide of World War II. This will be one of the last D-Day ceremonies with living WWII veterans.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.
-
What to know when filing a hurricane insurance claim
The Explainer A step-by-step to figure out what insurance will cover and what else you can do beyond filing a claim
By Becca Stanek Published
-
How fees impact your investment portfolio — and how to save on them
The Explainer Even seemingly small fees can take a big bite out of returns
By Becca Stanek Published
-
Enemy without
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published