On Thursday, 150 U.S. World War II veterans, along with volunteers and representatives from the American War Memorial Commission (ABMC), gathered at the Normandy American Military Cemetery in France to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 1944).
ABMC historian and Army veteran Benjamin Bruns spoke to Fox News Digital from Normandy about the background to Operation Overlord, the official code name for the largest amphibious invasion in history.
“This was truly the beginning of the Allied effort to defeat Nazi Germany in Europe. Every battle that followed was made possible by the courage and sacrifice on D-Day,” Brands said.
The ABMC is a small federal agency created by Congress in 1923 to “honor the service, achievement, and sacrifice of the United States Armed Forces.”
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ABMC operates and manages 26 permanent American cemeteries in 17 countries, the majority of which are dedicated to veterans of World War I and World War II.
The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, located just above Omaha Beach, is the final resting place of more than 9,000 veterans and was also the site of a ceremony Thursday marking the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
War graves at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, Colleville-sur-Mer, France. (Warwick Page, American War Memorials Commission)
Brand said the cemetery’s location was crucial, saying, “Of the five invasion beaches, Omaha was by far the bloodiest. More than 2,400 men were killed on that one day during the Normandy invasion, with more than 800 of them at Omaha alone.”
“This is an incredibly powerful place for any visitor, American or French, because it’s literally on the cliffs of Omaha Beach,” Brands added. “It’s directly above where American troops landed on D-Day. Many of the soldiers buried in this cemetery lost their lives not just to liberate France, but to liberate this particular piece of land.”
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The spirit and columns of American youth rise from the waves at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. (Warwick Page / American War Memorials Commission)
Normandy American Cemetery also contains memorials, including the famous colonnade-lined statue of “The Spirits of Our Young Men Rising from the Waves,” with the inscription, “For them, we should have a strong resolve to keep alive the cause which sought to save their lives.”
The statue and colonnade are set above a reflecting pool facing the cemetery where the ceremony took place.
Additionally, the cemetery features sculptures of Marianne holding a rooster, a symbol of France, and Columbia holding an eagle, symbolizing the strong ties between the United States and its first ally, France.
The reflecting pool and memorial at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at sunset, Colleville-sur-Mer, France. (Warwick Page / American War Memorials Commission)
The National World War II Museum, a partner of the American War Memorials Commission, reports that more than 400,000 American service members lost their lives in the conflict. The museum estimates that there are 119,550 veterans still alive today who are in their 90s or older. 16.4 million Americans served in World War II.
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“People are feeling it so much more this year because more and more World War II veterans are dying every day,” Brands added.
“I don’t know if there will be anybody left alive by the 85th anniversary, but I don’t think anyone will be able to travel to France, so I think this year’s commemorations have a special power,” he said.
