D-Day 80th anniversary commemoration of Normandy invasion (2024)

Biden argues against 'America First' ideology

BÉNOUVILLE, France — Theanniversary of D-Dayis commemorated annually with solemn ceremonies and grand re-enactments. But this year — the hugely symbolic 80th anniversary since that day of days — itmay be the last major milestone for many veteransto recount in their own wordsthe sheer brutalityof that pivotal battle.

Around 200 veterans attended this year’s event, the youngest in their 90s and some over 100. And an unavoidable truth, mostly unspokenthis week across Normandy, is that the next five-year anniversary will almost certainly look very different.

Read the full story.

“You’re the savior of the people,” a U.S. veteran told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as the two men embraced in Normandy.

“No, no you. You saved Europe,” replied Zelenskyy.

OMAHA BEACH, France — The international D-Day ceremony at Omaha Beach is now in full swing, with musical and dance performances playing out on a wide stage, and paratroopers landing on the beach as other personnel play the bagpipes. Macron is expected to speak later in the event.

King Charles told a D-Day veteran at a commemoration event in Normandy on Thursday that he was "doing well."

Inside a tent where tea and cakes were being served, Ronald Hendrey, 98, of Clacton-on-Sea, asked Charles about his health.

Charles, 75, recently resumed public duties after he was diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer in February. Doctors discovered the disease after he was hospitalized with an enlarged prostate, although the palace says that he does not have prostate cancer.

“He was very nice, he listened to what I was saying and took it in,” Hendrey told Britain's Press Association news agency. “I asked him how he was doing, he told me he is doing well.”

OMAHA BEACH, France — World leaders, including Biden and Macron, have now arrived at the international D-Day ceremony on Omaha Beach, an event attended by some 25 heads of state and 4,500 spectators.

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy is among those attending, seen chatting with a number of World War II veterans onstage and embracing them after arriving. Despite Moscow’s pivotal role in WWII, the Russian delegation was uninvited to this week’s events, its presence deemed untenable because of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — By the time Biden, Macron and dozens of nonagenarian and centenarian veterans took the stage, the chilly morning had morphed into a scorcher.

With little shade in the bleachers and topiary of the Normandy American Cemetery, many in the crowd resorted to using their programs as makeshift hats. Organizers had warned attendees to bring their own food and water. Nonetheless, the lack thereof on site caused many to burn through their own supplies and visibly wilt in the heat.

The weather is something the veterans’ caregivers will have been acutely aware of during the ceremony, which was delayed by more than half an hour, with the former troops getting regular health checks throughout their trip.

Despite the thousands-strong crowd, the speeches were received in near total silence, aside from the chirrup of an errant cellphone or the warble of a songbird high up in the pine trees. That pin-drop calm was eventually broken by the chest-rumbling roar of a flypast by four F-35s flying in the “missing wingman” formation.

Reporting from PARIS

PARIS — President Joe Biden has praised the “astounding” courage of the troops who fought on D-Day.

“Imagine what they had to come through,” Biden told David Muir, the anchor of “ABC World News Tonight.” “They got off those landing craft, many of them died.”

Describing their actions as “astounding,” Biden added, “What it says to me is how critical alliances are, how critical alliances are for our security.”

After President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to American veterans today, the ceremony ended with "The Last Post." A 21-gun salute followed before a moment of silence. Then there was a flypast from F-35 jets in the missing man formation.

Hollywood star Tom Hanks praised D-Day veterans, telling NBC News their story is part of “the enlightenment that we should all embrace.”

“The day is going to come where the last veteran of World War II is going to go and perhaps that might be the last veteran of D-Day. And when it happens the good news is that their story will have been told by them,” he told Peter Alexander, NBC News' chief White House correspondent.

“We have then a record of people who brought peace to the world, and their story must be told and studied, and it’s an example and it’s part of the enlightenment that we should all embrace,” added the star of “Saving Private Ryan.”

Reporting from COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — House MinorityLeaderHakeem Jeffriestold NBC News the generation that gave us the "wonderful gift" of having protected democracy and freedom needs to be cherished and remembered "always and forever."

"It’s solemn it’s sober to be here, to give our respect to the people who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of America, American values, the free world democracy, all of which we have to fight hard to keep going," hesaid, speaking at the Normandy American Cemetery.

Europe and the world are caught in an "existential struggle" between democracy and autocracy, he added. "Which is why I want to continue to stand on the side of Ukraine, both because of Ukraine’s existential struggle against Russian aggression, but also what it means in terms of freedom and democracy throughout the world," Jeffries said.

Robert “Al” Persichitti, an American veteran, died as he made a trip last week to attend the 80th anniversary of D-Day landing.

Persichitti, who was from New York, was 102.

Along with his guardian, Persichitti flew to Germany and they were on a ship sailing down the coast to Normandy when he had a medical emergency, NBC affiliate WHEC-TV reported.

He was airlifted to a hospital in Germany but later died, veterans traveling with him confirmed to the station.

Persichitti was a radioman on the command ship USS Eldorado, and served in the Pacific Theatre, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Guam, the station said.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — The official ceremony involving Biden, Macron and other dignitaries finishes with the playing of taps, a traditional military bugle call marking the end of the day.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — Biden stresses the importance of alliances during his remarks in Normandy.

“Here we proved that the ideas of democracy are stronger than any army or combination of armies in the entire world,” he says. “We proved something else as well: the unbreakable unity of the allies.”

He goes on to praise NATO’s strength and unity, drawing an implicit contrast with his Republican rival, Donald Trump, who aides say considered withdrawing from NATO.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — Biden name-checks some of the individual veterans who are attending the ceremony and recounting what they did during the war.

He mentions a woman who was an aircraft mechanic during the war and helped keep planes flying. He also singles out a member of the Tuskegee Airmen who is here.

Biden stands with first lady Jill Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, at the American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, today.

Reporting from PARIS

PARIS — Biden has commissioned a challenge coin to honor those who served on D-Day and their families, the White House said in a statement today.

The coin will feature an image of troops approaching the beaches of Normandy and B-17 aircraft flying overhead, the White House said.

The number 9388 will be etched in the sand on the coin, “representing the number of Americans who remain in Normandy to this day and lie at rest in the cemetery,” the statement added.

Austin gave his thanks to the survivors and those who fell on D-Day, leading to the liberation of Europe and the postwar order that is increasingly under the threat.

"We thank every Allied worrier who fought for freedom on June 6, 1944," he said.

"Together with our allies, we built peace out of war," he added, a piece forged by generation that won the "bloodiest war in history."

"We must again stand against aggression and tyranny," Austin added. "You saved the world," he said to a loud applause from the audience. "And we must only defend it."

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — The audience at the Normandy American Cemetery gives Biden a standing ovation as he is introduced.

The president takes off his aviator sunglasses before saying: “Hitler and those with him thought democracies were weak.”

Biden said it was an honor to salute the veterans, and then turned to face the veterans seated behind him and did just that, speaking with force and clarity, more so than in his routine speeches from the White House.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin honored the veterans gathered in Normandy to commemorate D-Day.

“We still seek a world where aggression is a sin and human rights are sacred and all people can live in freedom. So, we must rally again to defend the open, postwar world of rules, rights and responsibilities,”he told the crowd assembled at the Normandy American Cemetery.

“Those rules protect us. Those rights define us. And those responsibilities summon us once more,”he said.

Austin then turned and saluted the veterans sitting behind his lectern.

President Emmanuel Macron is handing out France’s highest honor, Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honor), to American veterans present at the ceremony as Biden greets them afterward.

The veterans each stand up, some assisted, to receive the honor. Donnie Edwards, the founder of the Best Defense Foundation and a former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker, is helping veterans up from their wheelchairs.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Normandy, France.

Zelenskyy said on X that he is going to attend important meetings aimed at strengthening his nation at war, and that he is honored to be participating in the D-Day commemoration with Biden, Macron and others.

“This event and day serve as a reminder of the courage and determination demonstrated in the pursuit of freedom and democracy,” Zelenskyy said. “Allies defended Europe’s freedom then, and Ukrainians do so now. Unity prevailed then, and true unity can prevail today.”

The French leader praised American veterans on the stage by name to thank them individually for their sacrifices.

"You have come here," he said repeatedly.

‘You left everything behind and took risks,’ Macron added, referring to their sacrifices on D-Day.

Reporting from COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — As Macron delivered remarks in French, both Biden and the first lady picked up headphones to hear the English translation.

Reporting from COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — Biden, Jill Biden, French President Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, are now standing to attention for the French national anthem.

Biden is wearing his trademark aviator sunglasses. As they strode onto the stage, a squadron of U.S. Air Force jets roared overhead.

Biden and Macron stood ramrod straight as a band played their respective nations’ national anthems.

President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by their wives, walked to the stage at the American Cemetery.

Veterans and other dignitaries took to their feet as the leaders walked up a red and blue carpet.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid tribute to the sacrifices made by Allied forces, including 14,000 Canadians who landed at Juno Beach.

“On the battlefield, Francophones, Anglophones, Indigenous people and new Canadians came together as one. Brave Canadians like you sacrificed everything for our freedom,” he said. “There are no words to describe the immensity of the debt we owe you.”

“We all have a responsibility to continue to share those stories so that future generations don’t forget the heroism and the courage it took to defend our freedoms, and to remember the dangers and the horrors of war,” Trudeau added.

Biden shared a joke and a hug with one of the D-Day veterans during an official ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.

Although the sound was indistinct, the veteran apparently asked Biden, “When do you sleep?”

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — About 150 Americanswho took part in the D-Day landings were expected to attend the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary, which could be the last major milestone many will witness.

It’s evident that at their advanced age, sitting through the ceremony isn’t easy. The day started out in the low 40s and now, in the early afternoon, there’s still a chill in the air.

A few are bundled up in their wheelchairs, with blankets covering their legs and chest. Uniformed soldiers and attendants are watching over them, making sure they’re keeping warm and adjusting their blankets.

Reporting from COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — The surprise guest at the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings was an actor who, as much as anyone, taught later generations of Americans what happened that morning.

Tom Hanks, who starred in the 1998 film, “Saving Private Ryan,” showed up at the American cemetery above Omaha Beach before the formal ceremony began and drew huge crowds as he stopped to give an interview to NBC News.

Onlookers walking the perimeter of the cemetery stopped to gawk at Hanks, creating pedestrian bottlenecks and frustrating cemetery staff members who gently tried to shoo folks along.

A Canadian parachutist trails smoke during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day at Juno Beach in Normandy today.

Reporting from COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — One by one, D-Day veterans in wheelchairs are arriving on stage at the Normandy American Cemetery, above the Omaha Beach landing site where U.S. troops waded ashore 80 years ago under withering German fire.

A large crowd of visitors has been standing and applauding throughout the procession, as uniformed officers wheel the veterans to their places on stage. One veteran drew a laugh from the crowd when he appeared to make a “phone me” gesture with his hand. Another looked out at the crowd and gave a salute.

French and American flags wave in a cool breeze. Somber music is playing, interrupted at one point as fighter planes fly overhead in formation.

Reporting from COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — The story of D-Day is often about the men who fought on the beaches and fields of Normandy. Often overlooked is the role played by women away from the front lines.

One of them is Jeanne Gibson, 98, a “Rosie the Riveter” who was 18 in 1944 and worked as a welder building destroyers at a shipyard in Seattle.

She told NBC News that she was pleased women were finally getting the recognition they deserved for their crucial war efforts — but after too long a delay.

“There have been parades and all sorts of things for the men — but nothing for the women,” she said at the American Cemetery in Normandy, where she will be part of the ceremony. “So this year it was wonderful.”

Born in North Dakota and now living in Pinole, California, she was taught to weld in just two weeks. She said her contribution “makes me proud — but I don’t want it to happen again.”

King Charles III commemorated the sacrifices of more than 22,000 British troops who gave their lives during the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy during the special ceremony at the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer this morning.

"Over the past 40 years, I have had the great privilege of attending seven D-Day commemorations in Normandy and meeting so many distinguished veterans," he said.

"I shall never forget the haunting sights and sounds of thousands of be-medaled figures proudly marching past into a French sunset on these beaches. Our ability to learn from their stories at first hand diminishes. But our obligation to remember them, what they stood for and what they achieved for us all can never diminish," Charles added.

He also expressed his hope that such sacrifices would never be needed to be made again.

Biden spoke with American veterans during a ceremony at the American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer.

NBC News Chief White House Correspondent Peter Alexander spoke to Tom Hanks during the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations in Normandy, northern France, today.

Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend the Royal British Legion’s commemorative event at the British Normandy Memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, northern France, today.

Although many are unable to march these days, veterans were pushed through the site, which started as a battlefield and turned into a graveyard memorial for their former colleagues.

Jake Larson, a 101-year-old American best known on social media under the name “Papa Jake,”told NBC News he was “reliving walking in on D-Day.”

Denmark’s prime minister said that this year’s observances of the D-Day landings, which come as Russia is at war against Ukraine, are a reminder that there is a price for defending freedom.

“From D-Day, we have learned that freedom costs,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement as she headed to Normandy for ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings.

“Eighty years later, Europe once again finds itself at a fateful moment. Where freedom is once again being fought for on our own continent,” she said, “against an aggressive and brutal enemy who will dictate country borders with brute force and leave a trail of death and destruction.”

Reporting from CAEN, France

CAEN, France — For almost 80 years, the United States and Europe told themselves that a lasting postwar peace had been won here, in the bloody shallows and sands along six miles of the Normandy beach.

Today — perhaps the last major milestone for many of the invasion’s dwindling heroes — that peace in Europe finds itself shattered.

Replacing it are fears of another world war that until recently seemed outlandish, uncertainty about Washington’s European allyship that the Normandy landings cemented, and questions about the future of the Western alliance itself.

“I believe that freedom and democracy are definitely under threat,” D-Day veteran Harold Terens, 100, told NBC News.

Read the full story here.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — Tom Hanks, arriving at the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach, spoke briefly to NBC News about the D-Day anniversary and the people who had come to see the ceremony.

“When I look around here today I see boys in high school, early in college, doing the right thing,” he told NBC News.

Asked if the movie “Saving Private Ryan,” which depicted the D-Day invasion, was his most important film, Hanks said: “Ican’tsay that.” He paused and added: “But you can.”

Biden has arrived in Normandy for the D-Day anniversary celebrations. He was pictured disembarking from Air Force One alongside first lady Jill Biden at Caen-Carpiquet Airport in France.

Reporting from NORMANDY, France

Eighty years after American soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day during World War II,some of the veterans — who were teenagers at the time — are returning for the first time.

Reporting from COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — At 8:34 a.m. local time (3:34 a.m. ET), President Joe Biden boarded Air Force One for the short flight from Paris to Normandy.

Traveling with him were a clutch of officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and John Kerry, a campaign adviser who was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004.

Biden arrived in Paris yesterday and spent much of the daypreparing for a pair of speeches he’ll deliver this week.

He is scheduled to head back to Paris after his speech today and tomorrow he’ll travel to Pointe du Hoc for another, which will draw on the inspirational story of U.S. Army Rangers who scaled sheer cliffs to gain a toehold in France in the face of withering German fire.

Reporting from COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France — A chilly morning in Normandy was slowly giving way to warm sunshine hours before the ceremony at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, where Biden will give a speech alongside a military flyover.

Later, an international ceremony on Omaha Beach will be attended by 25 world leaders, including Biden, as well as around 4,500 guests.

The sheer magnitude of this event has been clear in recent days, namely from the number of blue-light convoys seen speeding around the highways in this rural corner of northwest France.

These outriders and blacked-out state vehicles have had to weave in and out of the World War II-era jeeps (top speed 30 mph) that have otherwise dominated the roads and winding lanes of the dense Normandy countryside, the same dense “bocage” of fields and hedgerows that troops had to fight through 80 years ago today.

As dawn broke on Gold Beach in Maj. Trevor Macey-Lillie played the Scottish lament “Highland Laddie” on the bagpipes on Gold Beach in Normandy.

The time-honored tradition recreates the moment that thousands of British troops disembarked onto French beaches.

Macey-Lillie began in a landing craft utility before he was driven up the beach in a DUKW amphibious vehicle.

Tony Brown

Meagan Fitzgerald

Tony Brown and Meagan Fitzgerald

Reporting from SAINT-ELLIER-LES-BOIS, France

It’s almost 80 years on, but Marie Bastien said the memory of the American fighter plane being shot down near her village in northernFranceremains as vivid as ever.

“I still see it, as if it was yesterday,” Bastien, 94, told NBC News in French last month before widespread celebrations across France on June 6 for the 80th anniversary of theD-Day landings.

Bastien was just 14 when 1st Lt. Paul Chaufty’s fighter was shot out of the sky, but since then she has worked hard to keep his memory alive with her daughter Mireille and her wider network of friends and family.

Her hard work paid off, and she recently stood alongside some of Chaufty’s American relatives while a plaque honoring his memory was unveiled in the village.

Read the full story here.

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France

President Joe Biden left the campaign trail this week and flew to France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, where he’ll give speeches touting American alliances that beat back dictatorships bent on world conquest.

Biden is in a long string of presidents who have delivered that sort of message over the years as they built and sustained a Western bloc rooted in free markets, democratic governance and individual freedoms.

As yet unknown is whether he’ll be the last.

Read the full story here.

An American flag is unfurled, as a band of pipers play during an early morning ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day on Utah Beach, in Normandy, northwestern France today.