Alexander Smith is a senior reporter for NBC News Digital based in London.
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 6 miles of Normandy beach. On Thursday — the 80th anniversary of D-Day, perhaps the last major milestone for many of the invasion’s dwindling heroes — that peace in Europe finds itself shattered.
On Wednesday, the French president is expected to emphasize this point at a ceremony in Saint-Lô, a city whose destruction in the battle was so complete that in 1946 Irish novelist Samuel Beckett named it “the Capital of Ruins,” a moniker that has become widely used since.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
American Airlines kicks off D-Day 80th anniversary trip for World War II veterans to NormandyAmerican Airlines sends off WWII veterans for their historic D-Day 80th anniversary commemorative trip to Normandy, France.
Read more »
A parachute jump over Normandy kicks off D-Day 80th anniversary commemorationsThe Associated Press
Read more »
WATCH: Mass parachute jump for 80th anniversary of D-Day in NormandyParachutists jumped from World War II-era planes into now peaceful Normandy to kick off a week of ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Soldiers from across the United States, Britain, Canada and other Allied nations waded ashore through hails of fire on five beaches on June 6, 1944.
Read more »
A mass parachute jump over Normandy kicks off commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-DayParachutists jumped from World War II-era planes into now peaceful Normandy to kick off a week of ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Soldiers from across the United States, Britain, Canada and other Allied nations waded ashore through hails of fire on five beaches on June 6, 1944. World leaders including U.S.
Read more »
Mass parachute jump over Normandy kicks off commemorations for 80th anniversary of D-DaySome of the last veterans, now in their late nineties or even older, are coming back to remember fallen friends.
Read more »
Pictures: Mass Parachute Jump over Normandy Opens Commemorations for 80th Anniversary of D-DaySource of breaking news and analysis, insightful commentary and original reporting, curated and written specifically for the new generation of independent and conservative thinkers.
Read more »