Veterans Return To The Beaches Of Normandy

COLLEVILLE-SUR-MER, France (AP) — Veterans have gathered on the beaches of Normandy to mark the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings — a pivotal moment during World War II that eventually led to the collapse of Adolf Hitler’s regime. Tens of thousands of people attended the commemorations, which included parachute jumps, flyovers, remembrance ceremonies, parades, and historical reenactments. The June 6, 1944, D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France was unprecedented in scale and audacity, using the largest-ever armada of ships, troops, planes and vehicles to punch a hole in Hitler’s defenses in western Europe. A total of 4,414 Allied troops were killed on D-Day itself.