Under their feet, the sands of Omaha Beach, and in their rheumy eyes, tears that inevitably flowed from being on the revered shoreline in Normandy, France, where so many American young men were cut down 80 years ago on D-Day.
An American soldier touches the sand on Omaha Beach, Tuesday, June 4, 2024 in Normandy. World War II veterans from across the United States as well as Britain and Canada are in Normandy this week to mark 80 years since …OMAHA BEACH, France — Under their feet, the sands of Omaha Beach, and in their rheumy eyes, tears that inevitably flowed from being on the storied shoreline in Normandy, France, where so many American young men were cut down 80 years ago on D-Day.
“They probably wouldn’t be here if we hadn’t be successful,” said Llilburn “Bill” Wall, who flew bombers in WWII and will celebrate his 101st birthday this week as President Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders gather in France to pay homage to the D-Day generation. “But sometimes you’re called upon to do something and you just do it. You know? That’s it. These people looked death in the face and just kept right on coming.”
More veterans were on their way throughout the week, some traveling by ferry from southern England across the English Channel that 23,000 Allied airborne troops flew over to drop on D-Day into Normandy. Another 132,000 Allied troops that fateful day crossed aboard thousands of ships that stretched as far as eyes could see, landing on Utah and Omaha and three other beaches code-named Gold, Juno and Sword.
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