Heroic D-Day veterans gathered on Omaha Beach in Normandy to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the historic battle against the Nazis.
Dozens of former U.S. military soldiers visited the site in France on Tuesday, many of whom were centenarians and likely returning to France for the last time.
Veterans were emotional as they remembered fallen friends and paid tribute to the tens of thousands who lost their lives on the beaches in 1944.
“These people looked death in the face and kept moving forward,” Walter Stitt, a 99-year-old former tank commander who fought that day, told the Associated Press.
Summing up the solemn atmosphere on the beach, Stitt said they were there to pay their respects to “all those young people who never had the opportunity to come home and find the love of their life and hold their children in their arms.”
Heroic D-Day veteran Richard Ramsey salutes graves at the Normandy American Cemetery on Tuesday, June 4, 2024.
Veteran US paratrooper George Cross, 99, shares a moment with a young child on the 80th anniversary of the historic ground invasion.
A U.S. soldier takes a photo of American World War II veteran Sid Edson, center left, during a ceremony on Omaha Beach.
At Tuesday’s event, veterans made a pilgrimage to the five Allied landing beaches, where British, American and Canadian troops stormed the coast.
More than 4,400 Allied soldiers lost their lives driving back German troops. Eighty years later, on the beach, Stitt declared that “there are things worth fighting for.”
‘Though I wish there was another way to do it than trying to kill each other. But sometimes they ask you to do something and you just do it. Know? That’s all. These people looked death in the face and it kept coming.
Footage from the event showed children playing around a memorial to the dead, while Lliliburn ‘Bill’ Wall, who will celebrate his 101st birthday this week, said: “They probably wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t been successful.”
The commemoration comes just days before world leaders gather in France to pay tribute to D-Day heroes, at a time when rising tensions around the world make remembering the sacrifice of past generations even more important.
Bob Gibson, 100, said he only made it because “the old man upstairs took care of me,” as he remembered the thousands who fought alongside him.
“You don’t want other people to go through the same thing,” he said. ‘Because I’ve seen a lot of these kids who didn’t even make it to the beach, believe me. And we were all 18, 19 years old.’
Several active-duty U.S. soldiers (pictured) joined veterans at the 80th anniversary event.
Veteran André Chappaz greets the public upon arrival at the solemn tribute
An American soldier touches the sand on Omaha Beach, where more than 4,400 Allied soldiers died 80 years ago.
Veteran Bill Wall (left) flew bombers in World War II while fighting alongside Bob Todesco (right) over Normandy.
Footage from the event showed children playing around a memorial to the tens of thousands of people who lost their lives on D-Day, as veterans said they “probably wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t succeeded.”
Of the more than 4,400 Allied soldiers killed on D-Day, more than 2,500 were American forces.
The coastal invasion led the Allies to gradually push back the Nazis through France, ultimately resulting in the death of Adolf Hitler less than a year later.
When they attacked the French coast 80 years ago, Allied forces sent more than 132,000 men on thousands of ships in what was the largest maritime invasion in history.
Robet Pedigo, 100, who served as a nose gunner aboard a B-24 bomber that flew over ships as they transported troops to Normandy, recalled: “It seemed like you could walk across the Channel using ships as stepping stones.”
He said he remembered flying back to the base after D-Day to discover that thousands of people had died beneath him, and said that to this day, “the emotional impact was the greatest.”
An American flag stands alone on Omaha Beach ahead of the 80th anniversary event
Veteran Art Medeiros, among 60 surviving D-Day heroes who were flown to Normandy for the tribute, points to the ocean at the event.
Gene Kleindl, a 102-year-old veteran of the historic day, receives a kiss while visiting the Normandy American Cemetery on Tuesday.
Active duty US soldiers in position at Pointe du Hox ahead of the D-Day commemoration
The gathering of American veterans was organized in part by Delta Airlines and the Best Defense Foundation, which flew 60 surviving D-Day veterans to Normandy for the historic anniversary.
“It is our privilege to celebrate and honor these heroes by taking them directly to Normandy and recognizing their incredible sacrifices and contributions to the world,” airline CEO Ed Bastian said of the event.
Pedigo was among those who made the trip, he told his local Indiana outlet. 953MNC which he felt was “a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me.”
‘The last time I saw France was from the air, 80 years ago. “I will finally be able to pay my respects to the 9,000 soldiers who never returned home,” said the veteran, who flew 30 missions over France and Germany during World War II.
‘That day is etched in my memory. We owe them everything and today we are a free country thanks to their sacrifices. “It is an honor for me to be part of this historic event.”