A preserved memory
On June 6, 1944, Normandy was the scene of the largest military operation in history. More than 130 men, transported by naval forces and supported by Allied air forces, landed on the Normandy beaches. Tens of thousands of paratroopers and airborne troops were dropped onto the beaches.
D-Day was one of the key moments of the Second World War for the Allies. The battle fought over the following year would lead to the end of the war in Europe. It would put an end to the persecution and deaths of millions of people. D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, however, came at a cost. Tens of thousands of young Allied soldiers lost their lives. Thousands of civilians would not survive to see the long-awaited liberation.
On June 6, 1945, less than a year after the end of the conflict in Europe, the first anniversary of D-Day was celebrated on the Normandy coast. The first commemorative ceremony of the Allied landings in Normandy took place in Saint-Côme-de-Fresné, near the artificial port of Arromanches.
National ceremonies
On June 6, dignitaries, veterans, veterans' families, and local residents gather to participate in the annual national commemorative ceremonies that have been organized by the D-Day Committee since 1945. Each year, the ceremonies take place alternately in one of the five landing sectors: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno et Sword Beach. The commemoration always begins with an ecumenical religious ceremony in one of the many Allied military cemeteries spread across the Normandy countryside.
Among the invited civilian and military figures are the ambassadors and military attachés of the seven main Allied nations involved in the 1944 landings: Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, and Poland. Due to their national level, the commemorations are always chaired by a French government minister.
Two Presidents of the French Republic presided over these ceremonies:
- Mr. Vincent Auriol in 1948
- Mr. René Coty in 1954
Today, veterans are often accompanied by their families or are represented by their descendants. The children of prominent figures from World War II have also frequently participated in ceremonies: Lady Soames, daughter of Winston Churchill; John Eisenhower Jr., son of Dwight Eisenhower; and in 2010, General Charles Ramsay, son of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, Commander of the Allied Naval Forces.
The presence of these descendants of veterans and the significant participation of French youth are the guarantee that the heroic deeds and sacrifices of 1944 which enabled the liberation of France and Europe will never be forgotten.
The international ceremony
In 1984, an international ceremony was organized on Utah Beach to commemorate the 40thrd D-Day anniversary. For the first time, the heads of state of the main Allied nations participated together in a commemorative ceremony in Normandy. This was a significant event that would mark the beginning of the organization of major commemorations every ten years: 1984, 1994, 2004, 2014, 2024, and so on.
Commemorative ceremonies take place in one of three allied sectors: British, Canadian, or American. Following the international ceremony, heads of state pay their respects at the graves of their respective countries' military cemeteries, where remembrance ceremonies are usually held. 2009 was an exceptional year due to the presence of Mr. Barack Obama, the newly elected President of the United States, at the Omaha Beach commemorations.
It was 1984, marking the first major anniversary that brought many veterans together. Until then, their professional and family lives had often prevented them from making the trip. With retirement upon us, veterans were freer to participate in commemorations and pay tribute to their fallen comrades.
“They will not grow old like us, who survived them. They will never know the insult or the weight of the years. When the hour of twilight and that of dawn comes, We will remember them.”
