From the BBC:
"D-Day 70th anniversary: Ceremonies and staged landing held"
Hundreds of the last surviving D-Day veterans have gathered on both sides of the English Channel, 70 years on from the momentous World War Two mission. A spectacular Red Arrows display in Southsea and parachute drop in France came on the eve of the anniversary. The Princess Royal was at the drumhead ceremony in Portsmouth, where on 5 June 1944 troops were preparing to invade Nazi-occupied France. Between 2,500 and 4,000 Allied troops are thought to have died the next day.
As many as 9,000 Germans are also estimated to have lost their lives when around 156,000 troops, mainly from Britain, the US and Canada landed on Normandy's beaches in one of World War Two's key turning points. On the anniversary of the eve of the landings, the Prince of Wales laid a wreath near the Pegasus Bridge - a strategic crossing which British troops captured within minutes of landing in gliders on the French coast just after midnight during the push. In a note written on the wreath he said: "In ever-grateful remembrance of your service and sacrifice, Charles." The prince and the Duchess of Cornwall had lunch with veterans and watched as more than 300 troops parachuted in to Ranville, the first village to be liberated. Among them was 89-year-old Jock Hutton, who repeated the jump he made into France 70 years ago. The Queen, who has arrived in Paris with the Duke of Edinburgh for a three-day state visit, will join other world leaders in Normandy on Friday to mark the day the mission began. Leaving flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with President Francois Hollande, the two heads of state paused and bowed their heads beneath the Arc De Triomphe.
About 650 UK veterans - most in their 80s or 90s and many making the journey for the last time - are expected at Friday's Sword beach ceremony. The towns may have French names, but the five Allied landing beaches are still known as Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold and Sword. It is 70 years since D-Day, the biggest amphibious assault in military history. On the anniversary itself, the Queen will head an international service of commemoration attended by royals, presidents and prime ministers.
Hundreds of veterans are here, but their numbers are dwindling. The youngest are well into their 80s. This will be the last significant anniversary most will witness. Their stories of heroism and sacrifice, success and disaster will soon fade from living memory. An emotional 88-year-old Sapper Harry Billinge said: "It was a killing field. I hope they will not forget the poor devils that died here." On 6 June 1944, British, US and Canadian forces invaded the coast of northern France in Normandy.
The landings were the first stage of Operation Overlord - the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe - and were intended to bring World War Two to an end. Portsmouth's D-Day Museum says as many as 4,413 Allied troops died on the day of the invasion - more than previously thought.
By the end of D-Day, the Allies had established a foothold in France. Within 11 months Nazi Germany was defeated.
^ This seems like a fitting way for the different Allied countries to remember one of the most important events to come out of World War 2. In the past 70 years many around Europe (and the world) seem to forget or take for granted the sacrifices that the men and women made to end the war and liberate those under Nazi domination. Everyday those that served are dying and soon there won't be any left. As with Holocaust survivors, it is important to record their stories for future generations to learn about the world and its history. ^
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