A quiet ceremony to mark the 69th anniversary of D-Day opened Thursday in France with the raising of the Stars and Stripes at the American cemetery that overlooks Omaha Beach.
The event drew French residents but also tourists from the United States and Britain, The Associated Press reported.
In the backdrop were the rows upon rows of thousands of white crosses and stars of David — the grave markers for the U.S. military members, both men and women, who were killed during the Allied troop invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.
The day’s remembrances include fireworks, concerts and marches all across Normandy, AP said. The event is aimed at giving honor to the 150,000 — most of whom haled from the United States, Canada and Britain — who risked all to free Europe from Germany’s occupation during World War II.
Omaha Beach was the code name for one of the five Allied invasion points along the Normandy coast. It faces the English Channel and spans about five miles.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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