Remember When: The Heroic Invasion of Normandy on D-Day

June 6, 1944 was a pivotal day in World War II and one of the most consequential days in modern history. On that fateful day, known as D-Day, the Allied forces launched the largest amphibious invasion ever undertaken, landing around 156,000 American, British and Canadian troops on the beaches of Normandy in northern France.The D-Day invasion, officially called Operation Overlord, was a brutal battle that turned the tide of the war against Nazi Germany. It marked the beginning of the liberation of German-occupied Western Europe from the grip of Adolf Hitler's forces.

The Daring Plan and Massive Preparations

The planning for D-Day was meticulous and involved years of secret preparations on a grand scale. The Allies knew that establishing a foothold in northern France was critical to opening a western front and eventually defeating Germany.Thousands of planes, ships, tanks and other vehicles were assembled in England for the invasion. Elaborate deception plans were used, including fake armies and manufactured radio transmissions, to mislead the Germans about where the invasion would take place.On the night before the landings, over 24,000 paratroopers were dropped inland to secure key roads and bridges. Then, starting at 6:30 am on June 6th, wave after wave of infantry began hitting the beaches code-named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.

Heroism and Sacrifice on the Normandy Beaches

The D-Day landings were desperately fought and came at an immense cost. The Germans had heavily fortified the Normandy coastline, and Allied troops faced minefields, barbed wire, heavy artillery and machine gun fire as they stormed the Omaha Beach, the U.S. troops faced some of the fiercest resistance and suffered devastating casualties. But through incredible bravery and determination, the soldiers were eventually able to get off the beaches and begin pushing inland. By the end of D-Day, the Allies had secured fragile footholds on the beaches of Normandy. But the Battle of Normandy would rage for over two more months before the region was fully liberated, at the cost of over 200,000 Allied casualties.

The Beginning of the End of Nazi Occupation

Though the road ahead was long and bloody, D-Day was a decisive victory and marked the beginning of the end of Nazi domination over Europe. The successful landings allowed the Allies to build up a force of over 1 million troops in northern France.From this foothold, the Allies were able to push into Germany, eventually leading to Hitler's defeat in 1945. The courage, sacrifice and teamwork displayed by the Allied forces on D-Day helped to reshape the world and defeat the scourge of fascism.On the 79th anniversary of D-Day, we honor the incredible heroism of those who took part in that pivotal invasion and helped to liberate Europe from tyranny. Their legacy and the freedoms they fought for must never be forgotten.

Photo credit: PBS