Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of D-Day

The Order of the Day issued by Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 6, 1944 to all soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force included the following call to arms:

“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.”

Today, as the world commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Allied landings at Normandy, it's hard to overstate the consequences of that fateful day. 

More than 10,000 service members from the US, the UK, Canada and many other countries were killed or wounded in a decisive military operation that opened a critical new front against the Nazi army. Not only was it the largest ever amphibious military invasion, but as Eisenhower’s words underscored, D-Day was also a turning point in the history of western civilization – the moment when freedom and liberty gained a foothold against the advancing forces of tyranny and fascism. 

There's no doubt that the service members – men like Army Medic Charles Shay – who fought with astonishing courage on the beaches of Normandy changed the course of human history. On this day, we honor the memory and sacrifices of all who served in Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord and thank the Greatest Generation for the freedom we have today.